Commonwealth Post

Part of the industry series of articles

Overview #

Commonwealth Post
State Corporation of Vekllei
Parent	Ministry of Culture
Bureau	Bureau of Post & Telecommunications
Industry	Postal service
Headquarters	Oslola
Founded	1422
Employees	58,200
Traded as	GAF
Accounted Revenue	AK ✾ 44.6 billion
S.c.L.

The Commonwealth Postal Service (commonly known as Commonwealth Post or the Post) is the national postal carrier of Vekllei. It handles almost all postage in the country, and delivers nearly 50 million pieces of mail daily. The Post is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in Vekllei, and its history can be traced to the founding of the Royal Mail Corporation in 1422 in Oslola, when it served as a courier system between the Oslolan Kingdom and its largely mercenary military force. In 1742, it was formalised as a modern postal system available to the civilian public, and was reformed in the postwar period to provide a variety of services available to all Commonwealth residents.

Next to Commonwealth Airways, the Post is perhaps Vekllei’s most visible organisation overseas. For many foreigners, Commonwealth Post cargo aircraft may be the closest they ever come to seeing the obscure Atlantic country for themselves. For Vekllei residents, the historic organisation is a living relic of the country’s diverse and ancient history, and its evolution as a company reflects Vekllei’s own development under the historic kingdoms, colonial occupation, and federal independence.

Today, the Post is headquartered in Oslola across a dozen or so city blocks dedicated to administration, manufacturing, vehicle storage and Vekllei’s General Post Office. There are over 6,400 post offices across Vekllei today, connecting all 68 of its far-flung republics. Oslola is also home to the United Nations Universal Postal Union, the body responsible for coordinating international postage.

History #

Read more: The Men and Women of the Royal Mail in Vekllei

Although most Vekllei republics have had independent or foreign postal services throughout their histories, the Post as a continuous institution was founded in 1422 by the Desimou VII, King of Oslola, in the late Period of Rest. During this time, the lords of Oslola had established significant mercantile holdings across the North Atlantic, and had developed reliable systems of trade throughout Ireland and Denmark. The Royal Mail of Oslola was first established as a royal communications organ that sought to ensure stability of Desimou rule across its North Atlantic Empire. In this period, the Mail consisted of a handful of messengers attached to the feudal military apparatus of the Vekllei monarchy.

The Royal Mail would not come to resemble a conventional civilian postal service until 1652, when the Kingdom expanded postal contracts to the privy councils of the Aismious and Kala territories. It was not until nearly a century later, in 1742, that company services were opened to all land-owning Oslolans, and the Mail came to resemble its contemporary mandate. During Oslola’s colonisation as part of the British Atlantic Territories, it operated as the Royal Mail Service, a name it retained in independence.

The Commonwealth Postal Service was established in 2015, at the founding of the 2nd Vekllei Federal Republic and 4th Commonwealth. It consolidated existing mail services across the republics, and replaced British services that operated during occupation. In 2017, the first year of independence, Mi Miou was elected as the world’s first female Postmistress General. The postwar period of the Post has been marked by a rapid expansion of services in Vekllei and abroad. World Post, the international for-profit arm of the Post, was established in 2034.

Structure #

Read more: The Postmistress of Vekllei

Commonwealth Post is a constituent corporation of the , which is part of the federal Ministry of Culture. As is typical of state monopolies in Vekllei, the Post is vertically integrated, and the majority of its contract work is consolidated directly into its organisation.

The Post has two offices of administration: the General Office and the Office of the Postmistress, which are responsible for daily operations and interdepartmental administration respectively.

Services #

Read more: Philately Foolery

Commonwealth Post offers universal service to Vekllei people, delivering all postage anywhere in the world or, indeed, beyond it. It maintains 6,424 post offices across Vekllei, including its antarctic and peripheral territories. The Post’s first lunar post office opened in 2059. In addition to its domestic monopoly, the Post contributes nearly VK❦ 2.6 trillion each year towards the Commonwealth Sovereign Wealth Corporation through its international postage and courier services abroad, under the name World Post.

Daily Service #

Read more: Racing the Post Office to the Station

The Post aims to provide next-day delivery during weekdays in zero-code (republic) regions. Overnight delivery is also generally available between larger Commonwealth republics. Most Lunar territories are available on Mondays and Fridays, and other territories are available according to the Post’s region table.

Although Vekllei people do not pay to post items, stamps are affixed with coloured squares called chromacodes which are used in the automatic sorting machines common in the country. International postage uses traditional stamps with price listed, and franking is used for tracking and identification.

Special Delivery #

Special, commercial and industrial postage is managed by the Office of Special Postage through certain sorting facilities and a dedicated postal network. Regular business post is funnelled through regular daily service, but hazardous, oversized and dangerous goods are accepted by special post offices able to accept them. The Post does not provide special services for regular residential or courier delivery.

International Service #

Commonwealth Post is best known overseas as the World Post, which offers services for foreign customers. Like domestic postal systems in other countries, the World Post offers flat rates for delivery anywhere in the world, priced according to size and weight. In addition, its sister company Universal Express offers next-day weekday delivery in certain markets. Most employees of the World Post and Universal Express are foreign workers paid a regular salary or banking labour-hours for immigration to Vekllei. Unlike domestic service, the World Post and Universal Express often use private courier contracts to fulfil orders.

Finance #

Postal banking is accessible via the Commonwealth Bank through the Post’s Financial Services Office. These serve an important role in financial management for immigrant populations, facilitating money transfers and overseas accounting.

Telecommunications #

Cosma is Vekllei’s largest telecommunications company, and has deep ties to Commonwealth Post. It was founded as part of the Royal Mail in the 20th Century, but was spun off as an independent company upon the Post’s reincorporation in 2015. They retain close corporate ties, and joint services like phone franking and dial-a-letter have demonstrated the value of close cooperation between the Vekllei postal and telecommunications industries.

Operations #

Read more: The Stamp Manufacturie

In addition to being one of the oldest active postal organisations in the world, Commonwealth Post is among the busiest, since physical post has scarcely been displaced by the telephone in the country. Even without the Post’s international services, domestic mail each day can exceed 12 million pieces – enough for 1 in 2 people, including commercial mail and periodicals.

As is typical for government-owned corporations in Vekllei, the Post alleviates the pressure of daily service through its vertically-integrated infrastructure improved by automatic (automen vehicles) and permanent fixtures (pneumatic systems and automatic sorting/franking machines). It is precisely this commitment to infrastructure that makes the Post so visible in daily life, and contributes to its ongoing cultural relevance among Vekllei people.

Staff #

Commonwealth Post employs 58,200 people full-time across its various offices, and nearly 200,000 automen in various roles. Although the Post does retain a staff of postmen and couriers, most urban daily service is now provided by automatic vehicles and sorting, which account for nearly half of the total automen owned by the organisation. Most Vekllei people are served by post offices rather than home delivery.

The majority of Post employees are involved in the running of the organisation – mostly as clerks, engineers, and administrators. Around 10,000 postmen are employed by the Mail in daily delivery, called “posties”. There are around 8,000 postal routes in the country.

Although at first glance the number of automen dramatically exceeds demand, the total count is misleading – most automen with the company are integrated into the infrastructure of its sorting centres and post offices, and very few are traditionally autonomous robots commonly seen in public in Vekllei. Only about 8,000 automen are employed in physical mail delivery.

There are 16,220 post boxes in Vekllei, which are iconic for their red and gold paint and intricate detailing.

Fleet #

Read more: The Fairie

The unique challenges of Vekllei’s disparate and diverse geography have necessitated a unique inventory of vehicles, some of which have became iconic in Vekllei and overseas. From bicycles to space planes, the Post’s fleet of machines rivals postal services three times its size in diversity.