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COUNTRY

DATE SUMMARY OF ISSUES
AfghanistanMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, USPS International Surface Air Lift service has been suspended.
AlgeriaMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, International Surface Air Lift service has been suspended.
AustraliaJune 16, 2008According to the Australia Post, delivery should be back to normal shortly, following the strike Thursday night at the Dandenong Letters Centre, which caused between four and five million mail items to be left undelivered on Friday. The Australia Post has reported that the majority of mail delayed on Friday will be delivered today, and that delivery and service should be back to normal by Tuesday.
AustraliaJune 14, 2008A strike by postal workers at Australia Post delayed the delivery of about four million mail items in Victoria on Friday, 6/13. Postal workers at the Dandenong Letters Centre walked off the job after discovering they had lost about $160 from the cancellation of Sunday penalty shifts. The strike disrupted mail arriving and leaving Victoria.
AustraliaMarch 17, 2008QUANTAS airline staff walked off the job yesterday for several hours, forcing Qantas and Jetstar to delay nine international flights. Strike action is expected to continue today, causing more delays at Sydney Airport as the workers fight the airline over its "appalling" safety record. Several inbound services were also affected, with the airline unable to offload baggages.
BelgiumOctober 5, 2008Unions in Belgium will stage a one-day nationwide strike Monday that is expected to cause massive disruption to international rail links and bring public transport and postal services to a halt. Unions are protesting the increased cost of living and are demanding the government do more to increase workers' salaries amid high inflation. Several government ministries will also be shut, as will post offices and some school childcare services.
BrazilJuly 2, 2008According to the Brazilian Post, an operational strike began on July 1, 2008, which has resulted in delays in the delivery of EMS and Prime mail, parcels and letter-post items sent to Brazil. The Brazilian Post has indicated that it will do its utmost to restore normal service as soon as possible.
BrazilMarch 25, 2008According to the Brazilian Post, Brazilian Customs began a partial strike this week, resulting in possible delays in the delivery of EMS and Prime items, small packets, IPA and ISAL mail sent to Brazil. The Brazilian Post has indicated that it is doing its best to restore normal service as soon as possible.
BrazilMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, the customs clearance process is causing delays in the release of small packets (Priority and ISAL) destined for the states of: Rio de Janeiro - postcodes from 20000-000 to 28999-999; Espirito Santo - postcodes from 29000-000 to 29999-999.
CanadaNovember 29, 2007There have been some recent reports of delays at Canadian Customs, as they have had been unable to fully keep up with the volume of mail entering the country, resulting in some backlogs. Brokers Worldwide has been informed that this matter is receiving senior management attention and efforts are being made to address it. Effective the week of 11/19, Canada Border Services Agency (Customs) has increased staffing at the exchange office locations to handle the increased volume.
Cayman IslandsAugust 29, 2008According to the postal operator of the Cayman Islands, The Cayman Islands Postal Service has suspended all postal operations, effective immediately. This action is necessary in view of the expected arrival of tropical storm Gustav, now forecast to be a category 2 storm by the time it passes over the Cayman Islands.
CubaMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, service is limited to letters in the usual form, Braille letters for the blind, postcards, and printed matter items sent as First Class Mail International, International Priority Airmail (IPA), or International Surface Airlift (ISAL) mailings. Parcel post service is not available.
East TimorMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, Priority Mail International service is suspended.
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)March 30, 2007According to the USPS, Global Airmail Parcel Post service has been suspended.
FranceMay 22, 2008A national strike involving more than 700,000 French workers took place on Thursday. The strike was a one-day show of force against President Nicolas Sarkozy's government over pension reforms. Workers marched in 153 towns and cities across France, with between 10 and 20 percent of postal, utilities and telecoms employees joining the strike.
FranceJanuary 24, 2008Tens of thousands of civil servants demonstrated around France on Thursday to protest job cuts and press for higher salaries in what the government dismissed as a "labor union ritual." Postal workers were among those on strike. Across the country, roughly 400,000 workers protested, packing the streets in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and in the southern port city of Marseille.
FranceNovember 18, 2007Postal and telecoms unions in France have said they will join a planned protest as transport strikes in the country head into their fifth day.
GermanyApril 30, 2008The unlimited strike action, set to begin as early as this Friday, was prevented by a last minute deal on Wednesday between the trade union Verdi and the Deutsche Post.
GermanyApril 23, 2008Beginning today, workers are striking at eight of Deutsche Post's 10 regional sorting depots, and stopped sorting mail for post boxes in 40 cities, impacting the delivery of about 1 million business letters and packages. There are reportedly tons of catalogs, brochures and other advertising mail across the Rhine and Ruhr areas of central and northeastern Germany that will go undelivered. In addition, roughly one million letters are expected to go undelivered in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. If an agreement is not reached, Verdi will vote to begin unlimited strike action on May 2nd.
GermanyApril 1, 2008Deutsche Post AG's mail and parcel delivery staff in 14 German cities including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich started a one-day strike today. About 5,000 workers will go on strike, keeping an estimated six million letters and 150,000 parcels from reaching their recipients.
GermanyMarch 13, 2008According to the services union, Verdi.de, Deutsche Post postal workers could begin industrial action on April 1st as a result of the discontent with working hours and dismissals. The workers have threatened to strike unless the company takes steps to address what they see as ongoing problems inside Germany's key postal operator.
GibraltarJanuary 21, 2008The Royal Gibraltar Post Office has today advised of backlogs of local mail due to what it states is a combination of aprčs Christmas mail delays from the UK and staff sickness as a result of a bug currently affecting Gibraltar. A spokesperson has reported that it is anticipated that this situation will be resolved by the end of the week when all mail walks will be brought up-to-date.
Guinea-BissauMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) service is suspended.
IndiaMarch 13, 2008The Airport Authority of India, a Terminal Services provider in every Indian Airport, went on a flash strike beginning March 12th. The strike was called off late in the evening on March 13th.
IsraelJune 27, 2008Israel Post workers began a strike on Monday, June 16th, which continues today with no apparent end in site. The state-owned postal service's management wants to let 150 workers go due to financial difficulties caused by the opening of the market to competition. Regular and registered mail are not delivered anywhere outside Israel's urban centers (except in the Gaza Belt); ownership transfers for cars are not being carried out; diplomatic mail is not being delivered and government offices including the Knesset are not getting mail.
ItalyDecember 10, 2007According to Posteitaliane, the postal administration of Italy, Italian truck drivers began a strike today expected to last until Friday, December 14th. Support for the strike has been greater than expected, with main highway entrances and key intersections and traffic circles throughout the country being blocked by heavy trucks. Delays in the collection, processing and delivery of international and domestic mail is expected.
Korea (North)March 30, 2007According to the USPS, service is limited to First-Class Mail International service (including postcards, postal cards, and Matter for the Blind). All merchandise is prohibited.
LebanonMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) service is suspended.
LiberiaMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, service is limited to Global Express Guaranteed (GXG), Express Mail International (EMS), First-Class Mail International, Priority Mail International and International Priority Airmail (IPA) services.
LibyaMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, in accordance with Executive Order 12543 of January 7, 1986, merchandise is limited to donations of articles of food, clothing, medicines, and medical supplies that are intended strictly for medical purposes. First-Class Mail International, Priority Mail International and International Priority Airmail (IPA) service are available subject to these content restrictions. International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) service is suspended.
MexicoAugust 23, 2007The postal administration of Mexico has indicated that as a result of today's landfall of Hurricane Dean, all postal services, including EMS, have been suspended in the Mexican states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo. The postcodes affected are: 24000 to 249999 (Campeche); 77000 to 77999 (Quintana Roo); and 97000 to 97999 (Yucatán).
NetherlandsMay 28, 2008TNT announced Saturday that it reached an agreement in principle with Dutch postal workers unions on the disputed pay claim. The national strike planned for May 28th has been postponed while union leaders discuss the offer with their members.
NetherlandsApril 21, 2008Dutch unions representing TNT postal workers announced that they will begin rolling strikes in an attempt to secure a fair wage deal. At a meeting on April 16th in Utrecht, workers turned out in masses to agree to the strike action. Action will begin on April 23rd in the Hague, with further action in Amsterdam on April 25th and others throughout May in specific areas, leading up to a national strike on May 27th.
PolandJune 2, 2008Polish Post (Poczta Polska) has announced that it will go on strike effective tomorrow, 6/3. Executives from Polish Post have failed to come to agreement with trade unions over working conditions at the company. According to the Polish Post branch of the "Solidarnosc" trade union, 66,000 postal employees voted in favor of the strike.
PortugalMarch 19, 20085 Portuguese postal unions, representing more than 75% of the CTT Portugal Post's workers, are on strike from March 19th through 20th. The workers have refused and oppose the Company proposals to change the CTT Collective Agreement. The company is also considering an unacceptable reduction of the number of workers.
PortugalFebruary 25, 2008Two Portuguese postal unions are taking strike action on Monday, February 25th, to protest work deregulation and to demand the renegotiation of a decent collective agreement.
SomaliaMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, all mail services, except for Global Express Guaranteed (GXG), are suspended.
SpainJune 7, 2008Delays may be expected due to a nationwide strike by Spain?s truckers who are protesting high fuel costs.
SpainFebruary 16, 2008A rally and demonstration was organized by Spain's postal workers on February 16th, beginning in Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles, in front of the former headquarters of the Spanish Postal Service (Palacio de Comunicaciones), and then continuing to the Puerto de Sol, the site of Spain's oldest post office (Real Casa de Correos). Ten thousand postal workers from throughout Spain demonstrated in the center of Madrid in favor of improvement in their pay and greater job security for the 64,000 postal employees.
Sri LankaNovember 28, 2007The strike launched by the postal trade unions on Monday was called off Tuesday at midnight. The strike was abandoned following talks with the secretary of the Post and Telecommunication Ministry. The trade union action was based on three demands, including the appointment of a permanent Post Master General. The strike was called off as the secretary agreed to appoint Mr. H.K.D. Dissanayake of the Public Administration Ministry as the permanent Post Master General.
Sri LankaJuly 30, 2007Sri Lankan postal workers staged a one-day strike Monday, paralyzing the island's postal service, as a part of their campaign against privatization and alleged corruption in the postal department. Postal workers around the country have joined this strike demanding action against corruption and waste and also to halt any effort to privatize the service.
Trinidad and TobagoMay 21, 2008According to the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation, the country's Postal Workers' Union has been taking industrial action for the past three weeks. This action is still ongoing, and is likely to disrupt deliveries of mail and parcels until further notice.
Trinidad and TobagoApril 30, 2008A short term delay in the delivery of mail is likely as ongoing industrial action taken by TTPost's processing, transport and delivery staff has led to a temporary disruption of the corporation's mail delivery service. According to TTPost, a contingency plan is in place to reduce the disruption to its mail delivery service. The Union and TTPost management are locked in negotiations over wages.
Trinidad and TobagoApril 17, 2008Postal workers at TTPost have started industrial action, crippling various arms of the organization. Workers are disinterested by figures proposed by TTPost. The general secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Workers' Union (TTPWU) said workers from various sections of the TTPost would be "taking time off to rest from the stressful conditions" until the company decided to return to the negotiating table. The industrial action started on Tuesday, when 90% of the work force at the Piarco mail centre stayed away while Northern and Southern transport workers stayed away yesterday.
Trinidad and TobagoDecember 19, 2007Post office workers have called a strike for the next 48 hours to protest the slow pace of wage negotiations between the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Workers' Union and the management of TTPost.
United KingdomDecember 19, 2007The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) said about 100 members at the Royal Mail delivery office in Burslem walked out from 4am as last-ditch talks failed to resolve a dispute over the suspension of 12 colleagues. The strike will continue until January 2nd.
United KingdomDecember 6, 2007Postal workers at the Burslem delivery office in Stoke-on-Trent have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in defense of 12 colleagues who have been victimized by Royal Mail for standing up to bullying management. This is a long running dispute, and the Communications Workers Union now plans to meet with Royal Mail in a last ditch attempt to end the victimizations before embarking in a series of strikes.
United KingdomDecember 6, 2007Thousands of items of mail were left sitting in Liverpool's sorting office for two months following massive backlogs due to wildcat strikes. According to the Royal Mail, mail posted before October's unofficial stoppages was finally cleared just one week ago. Liverpool's Chamber of Commerce said the huge backlog was "outrageous" and had damaged business in the city and wider area. Their comments came after staff at the Copperas Hill depot revealed that thousands of letters and packages had been left sitting undelivered in three huge wagon containers in the yard as management refused to allow workers to use overtime to clear the backlog.
United KingdomOctober 15, 2007A draft agreement concerning the current dispute between Royal Mail and the CWU was reached on October 12th concerning pay, pensions, work rules and job cuts. Executives of the CWU are meeting today to review the contract and decide if they should recommend the agreement to their 130,000 members. If the CWU executives recommend the agreement, workers will then vote in a postal ballot. The Royal Mail has begun to distribute the backlog of mail caused by the recent strike action, and has indicated that they are working hard to return to normal as soon as possible. However, there is still a significant build-up of mail that will take some time to clear.
United KingdomOctober 12, 2007The Royal Mail strike action that was scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday, October 15th and 16th, was blocked today by The High Court. The High Court granted the Royal Mail with an injunction to stop members of the Communication Workers Union from striking at sorting and delivery offices. Talks continue to take place at the TUC in London in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but there has still been little progress towards a solution.
United KingdomOctober 2, 2007The Communications Workers Union (CWU) has announced further strike action, in the form of two 48-hour strikes, from lunchtime on Thursday, 10/4 through lunchtime on Saturday, 10/6, and from the early hours of Monday, 10/8 through the early hours of Wednesday, 10/10. This will be followed by an unspecified program of weekly strikes, starting on 10/15, and continuing until the resolution of the dispute. These strikes will likely result in severe disruption to all postal services during the strikes and for a significant period afterwards.
United KingdomSeptember 11, 2007Talks between the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union ("CWU") ended without an agreement. The CWU has now threatened to hold a new round of strikes this month unless the dispute over pay and conditions is resolved.
United KingdomAugust 9, 2007The Communication Workers Union has suspended its campaign of industrial action, including the postal strike due to start at 7:00pm today. Royal Mail's management and union leaders held talks earlier today and have agreed to hold further, more detailed discussions regarding key issues. The two sides are committed to reaching an agreement by September 4th. The talks will be facilitated by the TUC. During the talks, the Royal Mail has agreed not to take any unilateral action and the union has agreed to suspend industrial action.
United KingdomAugust 3, 2007The Communication Workers Union has extended the current round of strike action with a continuation of the rolling program of strikes taking place in parts of the country. As before, this is not a National strike, but affects different parts of Royal Mail's business on different days. The strike action is now scheduled to continue through Friday, August 17th.
United KingdomJuly 25, 2007The Communication Workers Union announced a series of strikes over the two-week period beginning at 7:00pm on Wednesday, July 25th, and ending at 12 noon on Wednesday, August 8th. The strike action is not taking place on a National basis, but at different Royal Mail sites at different times across the country.
United KingdomJuly 18, 2007The Communication Workers Union have announced additional strike action for Thursday, July 19th between 6:00am and 12:00 noon. The Royal Mail has pointed out that this action does not affect the 14,000 plus sub-post offices nationwide.
United KingdomJuly 16, 2007The Communication Workers Union took strike action today at all Crown Post Offices in the Post Office Network between 2:30pm and 7:00pm.
United KingdomJuly 12, 2007The Communication Workers Union ("CWU") will begin a 24-hour strike today at 7:00pm BST, and will continue through tomorrow, July 13th. The CWU has indicated that up to 130,000 of its members will walk out. As a result, mail services within the UK will be subject to delay, with the backlog of mail treated in date order.
United KingdomJune 28, 2007The CWU has notified the Royal Mail that they will stage a one-day strike tomorrow, June 29, beginning at 3:00am. The Royal Mail does have a contingency plan in place in order to reduce the effects of the strike, but disruption is inevitable. Services such as Sameday, Door to Door and Special Delivery will be attempted; however, all other mail services will be subject to delay. The backlog of mail will be treated in date order.
United KingdomJune 21, 2007Up to 130,000 members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), in addition to workers based in main post offices, have announced plans to stage a 24-hour strike on June 29th, representing the first national walk-out of postal employees in the UK in 11 years. The CWU has rejected a 2.5% pay offer and warned that the Royal Mail's modernization plans would lead to a cut in postal services and the loss of 40,000 jobs. The strike will likely result in significant backlogs of mail in the UK.
United StatesSeptember 15, 2008According to the USPS, Post Offices in the Victoria and Corpus Christi areas of Texas (ZIP Codes 779 and 783, respectively) will resume services no later than Monday morning. As a result of Hurricane Ike, there may be a few, isolated places where standing water or roads closed by local officials may cause mail to be curtailed until road conditions return to normal. All post offices are open, so customers can pick up mail there if road conditions prohibit delivery. In Galveston, there are 2 offices without power; the road to the island is closed, and the facility status is unknown. Post Offices in the city of Houston (ZIP Code area 770) are set to reopen on Monday, with the exception of Nassau Bay Station and Albert Thomas Station, where mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect. Mail delivery will resume in the city of Houston on Monday where local conditions permit, except for ZIP Codes 77058 and 77059. All operations in the greater Bryan area (ZIP Code area 778) are operating normally, and the Processing & Distribution Facility is processing mail today. All Post Offices and Postal Service operations in the surrounding areas outside the city of Houston (ZIP Code areas 773, 774, 775, 776, 777), encompassing the greater Houston, Beaumont, Bay City, Freeport, and Galveston areas, will resume operations, provided any mandatory evacuation order has been lifted.
United StatesSeptember 15, 2008According to the USPS, many areas in Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, Allen, Iberia, Jeff Davis, St.Mary, St. Charles, St. John, St. James, Jefferson, Lafourche, Plaquemines, Vermillion and St. Bernard Parishes of Louisiana are still experiencing flooding along waterways, as well as low-lying areas. West Lake, Vinton and Sulphur Post Offices are open with limited service, operating on generator power until electricity restored by local utility companies. Delcambre and Avery Island Post Offices (705 ZIP Code area) are inaccessible due to flood waters. Dulac, Montegut, Barataria, Grand Isle and Lafitte Post Offices are inaccessible due to flooding. Hackberry and Cameron Post Offices are inaccessible due to flood waters. Efforts are underway to establish a temporary post office, and residents of Hackberry and Cameron can pick up their mail at Lake Charles Drew Station. Lake Charles is without power but generators will allow limited service on Monday, September 15, 2008.
United StatesSeptember 4, 2008The USPS has provided the following update regarding the areas affected by Hurricane Gustav. Plants and Post Offices in Northern and Central Louisiana, including Alexandria, Batton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette areas, ZIP Code areas 705-714, have resumed services. New Orleans and Mandeville area, ZIP Codes 700-701 and 704, have resumed delivery and retail operations. South Louisiana, ZIP Code 703, has resumed partial delivery services. Closed offices include: Terrebonne Parish (Houma, Bourg, Chauvin, Montegut, Schriever, and Gray); Other 703 offices (Grande Isle, Galliano, Golden Meadow, and Larose); Lower Plaquemines - Port Sulphur and Buras (Mail delivery will be provided by Belle Chase Post Office); Barataria Post Office (Mail delivery will be provided by Chalmette Post Office). There are no embargos or restrictions of mail or special services to the hurricane affected areas.
United StatesSeptember 3, 2008According to the USPS, as a result of Hurricane Gustav, the following areas in Louisiana are currently experiencing delays in mail services: Zip Codes 700-701 (will resume normal delivery as of 9/4/08); Zip Codes 703-704 (will have partial delivery services as of 9/3/08); Zip Codes 705-714 (have resumed normal operations). Once safety can be guaranteed and power is restored, the USPS fully intends to resume delivery and collection operations. Customers can continue to send mail to the affected areas as there are no embargos or restrictions of mail or special services destined to the hurricane affected areas.
United StatesJune 16, 2008Due to severe weather, mail services to the Waterloo, IA, 50701 Post Office have been suspended. The Waterloo, IA, 50701, facility was evacuated at 8 p.m. June 9 due to flooding. All operations at the Main Post Office have been suspended. A temporary facility has been secured at 306 Thorson Avenue in Waterloo. The Waterloo Post Office also has suspended the acceptance of business mail at the office's Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) until further notice. For updates, please visit http://www.usps.com/communications/news/serviceupdates.htm
United StatesJune 16, 2008Due to severe weather, mail services to the Cedar Rapids, IA, 52401 Post Office have been suspended. Numerous evacuations have been ordered in the city and Interstate 380 has been closed down through much of the city. The office will not be accepting drop shipments. All drop shipments destined for Cedar Rapids 52401 must be redirected to the Quad Cities Processing & Distribution Facility, 7700 68th St, Milan, IL, 61264-9997. The Finance Unit located at 311 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52401, has been evacuated and will have no retail services until further notice. The Main Post Office, West Station and Southeast Station are all without power. For updates, please visit http://www.usps.com/communications/news/serviceupdates.htm
United StatesJune 16, 2008Due to severe weather, mail services to the Gays Mills, WI, 54631 Post Office have been suspended. Due to flooding, all operations, including distribution, rural and PO Box service for the Gays Mills, WI, Post Office have been relocated to the Soldiers Grove, WI, 54655 Post Office on June 9, and will remain there indefinitely. For updates, please visit http://www.usps.com/communications/news/serviceupdates.htm
United StatesJune 16, 2008Due to severe weather, mail services to the Viola, WI, 54664 Post Office have been suspended. Due to flooding, all operations, including distribution, rural and PO Box service for the Viola, WI, Post Office have been relocated to the Readstown, WI, 54652 Post Office on June 9, and will remain there indefinitely. For updates, please visit http://www.usps.com/communications/news/serviceupdates.htm
UruguayMarch 30, 2007According to the USPS, due to a strike, the postal administration of Uruguay has no delivery service for ordinary international letters and printed matter at this time. Parcels, EMS items, registered items and insured items will be delivered as usual.