Blogs
Shipping Incident bulletin 13th December 2019
Direct Link Incident Bulletins are sent weekly with information about situations that affect postal distribution world wide. Direct Link Incident Bulletins are published here by permission from Direct Link. Thanks to Direct Link for this valuable service.
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This week’s bulletin contains updates about: European services, Italy, Australia, Iceland, Brazil, Madagascar, Israel.
European services – industrial action
Start date: 5th December
End date:Â Ongoing
Further to Incident Bulletin 06 12 2019 the designated operator of France, La Poste, asks us to inform other Union member countries and their designated operators that the national strike affecting many sectors in France is ongoing. The end date is not known at present.
We will provide further info as soon as La Poste have more visibility on a recovery of the situation.
Italy
Start date: 10th December
End date:Â 11th December
The designated operator of Italy, Poste Italiane, informs other Union member countries and their designated operators that, since the evening of Monday, 9 December 2019, it has been experiencing problems with the sorting equipment used to process inbound tracked (L) and registered (R) items from outside the European Union, causing temporary disruption of operations and delivery for these flows.
Normal processing of these flows has resumed, but it may take a few days to clear the backlog.
Iceland
Start date: 10th December
End date:Â Ongoing
A snow storm hit Iceland 10th of December, causing severe delays in international and domestic transport and distribution.
From noon 10th of December until the morning of 11th of December all flights to and from Iceland were cancelled. No mail was sent from Iceland on the morning of 11th of December.
Domestically transport out of Reykjavik to rural areas was cancelled 10th of December and  continues to be heavily restricted. The current disruption is mostly in northern and eastern part of the Iceland.
Australia
Start date: 10th December
End date:Â 11th December
The designated operator of Australia, Australia Post, informs that hazardous air quality in Sydney, caused by bushfires in regional New South Wales, was affecting the processing of all mail products at the Sydney Office of Exchange. The entire state 2000–2999 was affected, and products destined for interstate delivery was also affected. The Sydney Gateway Facility and Australian Border Forces stopped processing mail on 10 December 2019.
The situation has resumed on 11 December 2019 following the improvement of air quality in Sydney.
Brazil
Start date: 16th December
Expected end date:Â 16th December
Labor leaders threaten truckers strike: On December 9, media sources reported that several labor leaders, including those of the autonomous truckers’ unions and the Rio de Janeiro regional subdivision of the Central Unica dos Trabalhadores (CUT) trade union center are threatening a nationwide truckers’ strike on December 16 at 6 am local time to express their dissatisfaction with the state of promises made by the Bolsonaro administration.
Start date:Â 9th December
End date:Â Ongoing
The Brazilian postal operator copes with unexpected high mail volumes to be processed. Therefore the delivery of post and parcels for Brazil is likely to be delayed.
Madagascar
Start date: 9th December
End date:Â Ongoing
Cyclone Belna makes landfall: Tropical Cyclone Belna, the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane, is currently located north of Madagascar and forecast to make landfall over the northwestern coast of Madagascar by the afternoon of Monday, December 9. Disruption to road and air transportation to be expected.
Israel – customs delay
Start date: End of November 2019
End date:Â Ongoing
Please be advised that Israel customs are currently experiencing processing delays, due to high volumes being injected into the network.
Customs clearance times are taking much longer, therefore, delivery delays are to be expected.
We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will update as soon as we have further information.