Isokyrian Mail

Isokyrian Mail (Isokyrian: ᛁᛋᛟᚲᛁᚱᚢ ᛗᚨᛁᛚ, Isokiru mail), founded as the Royal Mail Service, is the official post courier for the State of the Isokyrians. It is run as a state-owned corporation which derives revenue from the sale of postage and parcel transportation fees. It was established in 1801 by royal charter under the rule of King Grunner V by merging four existing mail courier companies together. It obtained its current name after the civil wars and establishment of the Nororist government.

The company serves all Isokyrians, totaling some 32 million people, every year by delivering mail, parcels, and providing other services with its fleet of 14,000 vehicles and staff of over 72,000. It is the sole parcel delivery company in Isokyria and, through its "World Delivery" service, even competes internationally with, , and due to its low prices and wide range of service. In the parcel industry, it serves an additional 50 million people, most of whom live in North America. It is known for using a unique form of postage in addition to traditional stamps.

In 2017, it reported US$19.54 billion in revenue and expenses of US20.22 billion, a loss of US$680 million, the smallest loss the company has seen since the 1980s. It is projected the Isokyrian Mail will turn a profit by 2020.

The company is governed by the Board of Managers and led by the Director of the Isokyrian Mail, appointed by the Chairman and confirmed by the National Assembly. The company's current Director is Christian Wiljamsson.

History


Before the turn of the 19th century, there was no uniform reliable means of transporting messages, mail, and packages across Isokyria. Four different companies arose (United Mail, Drunner & Sons Mail, North Delivery, and Isokyria M.C.), each serving a different region of the country but with some gaps in service. In response to wide dissatisfaction with the system, Parliament drafted a resolution to nationalize all four companies, merge them together, and name it the "Royal Mail Serivce." The proposal was granted royal assent by Grunner V and thus the modern company was formed in his name on September 1, 1801.

The new company made it drastically easier for Isokyrians living in rural areas to communicate across long distances, which added to its popularity. Now, a person who left their rural village to work in the city would not be totally isolated from their family and could stay updated on events at home. The concept of penpals became popular shortly after and the Royal Mail Service facilitated hundreds of thousands of cultural exchanges between Isokyrians and people of other nations.

The advent of the electric telegraphy came as a boon for the company, which began delivering short messages that were transmitted electronically across vast distances. Someone living in Fisbae could go to a post office, turn in a short message and the post office would then send the message via telegraph to another office in Kuthor, which would transcribe it and have it delivered to the addressee, all within three hours.

The first major challenge to the company was a strike of postal workers near the end of the 19th century. On November 17, 1899, 5,000 workers went on strike, protesting low wages and working conditions. The strike, which occurred just before the Christmas season, cost company back thousands of pounds in productivity and delayed delivery by weeks. It led to the formation of the Isokyrian Postal Union which collectively bargained for an agreement with the company, guaranteeing incremental wage increases, paid vacation time, and the adoption of safety standards.

Services were once again interrupted with the outbreak of the First Isokyrian Civil War in which the monarchy was overthrown and the Republic of Isokyria was established. The mail company still retained the name "Royal Mail Service" until the conclusion of the Second Isokyrian Civil War, when it was renamed "Isokyrian Mail" by the new Nororist government. The Nororists also forced the Isokyrian Postal Union to disband but still retained the labor standards they had bargained for.