Dear Comrades,
Despite our desire to maintain peace
and tranquillity for the advancement of service and the workers, we have been
pushing again and again towards the wall and forced us to take confronting
position just in order to save the service and its workers.
During the July settlement, we were optimistic
that the Postal Board would honour its commitments which were given in writing
and led a peaceful passage for better improvement of service. Perhaps it is our
apprehension, that it may be due to the clear mandate of some sitting at the
decision taking level with the collusion of some courier agencies or with
foreign forces which have taken pledge to pull to pieces the postal from Govt.
Services.
When the department introduced freight carrier through Air India, we record our
observation that it would not improve service but deteriorate. But nobody
hears. What happened? The freightcarrier has been dropped after one year
resulting in the known minimum loss of 300 crores! Just to justify the weight
of the freighter carrier, speed post and other articles were back routed and
inordinate delay was noticed resulting hue & cry from the circle heads
too.
The very same coteries which were responsible for the freighter
carrier,is now annoying to introduce L1 & L2 in sorting despite the fact
that they know very well that it will lead to delay in delivery and cause
inconveniences to the staff. The inordinate delay in delivery of speed post
articles within intra circle resulted in growth of couriers in towns. If there
is a loss of even one rupee, the contributory factors are misused against the
innocent officials. Whereas for the known Rs 300 crore loss, who was held
responsible? What action was taken against them? Whether the same persons’
harpingon L1& L2 will be taken forward as a reward for the loss
caused by them in freighter carrier? We are suspecting that as such in the past
many senior postal board members and senior officers became the consultants of
couriers and licence holders of franking machines to loot the postal revenue.Is
there any lobby or a conspiracyin existence in the Directorate for
deterioration of the postal services leaving behind the brighter chance for the
growth and development of postal service?.
Can the department come out with the real
picture about the realisation of BNPL dues to be cleared by the firms? One
institution inChennai has not paid BNPL amounting to the tune of 14 lakhs over
nine months despite the fact that it should have been cleared within a
month.Crores of rupees are being kept unrecovered amount under BNPL. Is it real
business, the department is entertaining now? Without settling the existing
loopholes in the service and revamping the service by motivating the staff, the
department proposes to introduce L1 & L2 with the definite intention to
cause delay in delivery of letters.Can we remain mute spectators allowing the
things or will it not be our responsibility to resist such move from the point
of a constructive and disciplined organisation? This is the million dollar
question before us.
The Secretary, Department agreed to revise the cash handling points for GDS and
also to give protection of TRCA. It was agreed to consider revision of bonus
ceiling to GDS as Rs 3500/-. The proposals for the above were simply turned
down by the internal finance (not Finance Ministry). Shall the postal Board not
be vested with powers to set aside the unwarranted objections raised by IFW and
honour its commitments in writing with unions during July agreement? Payment of
minimum wage to casual labourers as per 6th CPC wages is the right
as per Supreme Court and earlier orders of DOPT. But this has been denied
repeatedly by internal finance by raising unwarranted queries and calling for
details? What the Postal Board is doing?
The IPS officers started their lobbies for the
seventh cadre review! Even some minutes were issued for the discussions had
with IPO/ASPOs! Whereas more than seven meetings were held so far but there is
no minutes; no process. Still we are remaining in the in the initial stage only.
The delay over three years in deciding cadre review exhibits the unfairness
being extended towards the lowest cadres of the department. The cry of the
system administrators could not reach the deaf ears. The acceptance to allow
for IPO/Group B exam of Postmaster Grade I officials has not been honoured.
There is no periodical
meeting with unions over eight years. There was only one Departmental Council
meeting held over six years. The Department is bluffing in the JCM National
Council that the meeting are being held regularly in the Postal Department! It
appears in the JCM National Council minutes also. Is it not shameful to give
such false reply to the JCM National Council, the biggest body constituted by
the Govt of India to redress staff grievances? There is no action yet by the
department for acceptance of nomination from postal side to represent the
national council.
The postal workers’ distress has reached the climax
and they are not in a mood to await further with hopes any longer as they are
totally ignored and neglected by the authorities. There is a sign of
desperation and frustration everywhere and in every one’s mind due to
protraction in finding the first cadre review proposals where the powers
started silently to pursue their seventh cadre review.
Inspite of the best efforts made by the Federations and unions to proceed
cautiously, the mounting discontentment and dissatisfaction prevailing among
themasses of postal workers due to the firm determination of the Govtand Postal
Board in deterioration of mail services by the proposed L1 & L2
introduction arbitrarily against the wishes of the postal workers, are now
finding exposition through sporadic actions here and there like Karnataka,
Kerala & Maharashtra Circles.
All these incidents are but writing on the wall and
should serve as a pointer to the authorities responsible for running the
administration in the country. They should take a note of it before it is too
late.This is our last word and in a sense and a warning to the authorities. Let
us hope that good sense will prevail and everything will be considered with a
changed outlook so that the postal workers are enabled to serve the postal
department with contentment and zeal and render every possible for cause of
service in the current days of competition.
Let us therefore organise the
workers for a massive strike from 17.01.2012 and record our protest and
discontent demanding a fair settlement on all the charter of demands.
Rise
like lions after slumber
In
unvanquishable number,
Shake
your chains to each like dew,
Which
in sleep has fallen on you –
You
are many – they are few.
Shelly.
