Newspaper carriers in the US, delivery drivers in Australia (paperboys & girls in some parts of the country), have their day on October 13. It will International newspaper carrier day as designated by the Newspaper Association of America.
It is smart of newspaper publishers to recognise those so responsible fort getting their product delivered to their customers. We could use something like this in Australia but recognising carriers and retail specialists in awards run and judged by the publishers.
Totally agree! NANA should award delivery drivers the same as they do shop employees at their annual awards.
Jenny I’d prefer to see newspaper publishers drive this.
Jenny,I am pretty sure the QNF does .
International Newspaper Carrier Day is a great idea. It is an opportunity for all all involved in the delivery process to be recognized and to feel recognized.
However individual awards at an annual event are just tokenism. There are too many workers in this industry who are unseen and unheard to make an authentic selection of outstanding or exceptional people. Lets just consider that they are the unsung heros of our industry.
Actually what really needs to happen is a process whereby it can be checked if these people are being paid properly according to the appropriate industrial award.
100s of delivery drivers are being ripped off and underpaid, and have been for years. It is the big fat elephant in the T2020 room. The years of cost increases, margin shrinkage and lack of price increases have all been absorbed by the last point of delivery. Will T2020 bring some reality back into this and will customers be prepared to pay the real cost of home delivery.
That should be a focal point of the International Day of the Newspaper Carrier
Nice Post Mark.
Azeem – Although I am replying in the wrong post, Whatever happens the last point of delivery will continue to absorb costs in my view even if the T2020 gains momentum. Once the publisher gains subscriber details they will together with distribution agents be competing vigorously with retail Newsagents for these customers and potential ones via digital or physical distribution.
I still have much faith for the retail Newsagent for selling Magazines, Very high customer service will win out in the end. This is a growth area within our business’s that can be very profitable.