Dear Comrades,
POSTAL
CRUSADER EDITORIAL: NOVEMBER-2012
THOUSAND LIES CAN NEVER BECOME A
TRUTH
NOBODY
CAN BREAK THE UNITY OF POSTAL WORKERS
* LESSONS OF THE FRAGMENTED STRIKE *
The
GDS strike of Mahadeviah group ended on 22.10.2012. In fact it was fizzled out. Eventhough from 16.10.2012 onwards the
leaders claimed 100% participation in all circles, the truth was entirely
different. Out of 22 circles, in 10
circles it was less than 5% and 6 circles only less than 10% of the Gramin Dak
Sevaks went on strike. In the remaining
six circles it varied from 12% to 27% of the GDS. All India average of the
strike is 18.1% of the total GDS. This
is the real picture of the strike. All
other claims are false and naked lies.
The percentage came down day-by-day and on 22nd the All India average was only 5% of the total
of about three lakhs GDS. Thus the
strike fizzled out without any settlement.
(Those who have doubt about the figures can get it under RTI from all
Circles and verify the truth). Senior
officers of the Department including Secretary, Department of Posts, Member
(Personnel) and Minister Communications and Minister of State for
Communications also rejected the request of the leaders for a last minute
face-saving settlement.
NFPE has
not made any adverse comment or statement against the strike or against the
false claim of the leaders regarding All India Strike percentage, eventhough
the Mahadevaiah group spread canards against NFPE and its leaders before the
strike and also during the strike. If
NFPE had put it in its website the actual percentage of the strike in each
circle, the strike would have fizzled out in the second day itself. But NFPE never wants to break any strike,
whether percentage is less or large. Breaking
the strike is not the tradition of NFPE.
So we tolerated every malicious attack against NFPE and its leaders till
the strike is over. Even now, while
exposing the lies and hidden agenda of the Mahadevaiah group, we respect the
sentiments of the GDS who participated in the strike without knowing the evil
designs of the leadership. We hope
that those GDS who are misguided by the leaders, shall join the united struggle
of the Central Govt. Employees on 12th December
2012 and also join the united movement of the Postal Employees led by National
Federation of Postal Employees.
Everybody
knows that the attack against the Postal Employees, whether it is GDS
regularization or New Postal Policy 2012, is due to the neo-liberal economic
policies pursued by the Central Government.
To fight against these policies, the largest unity of the employees and
workers is the need of the hour. Other
than united struggle there is no shortcut.
When NFPE is trying to build up such a united struggle, unfortunately
everytime the Mahadevaiah group is trying to break the unity at any cost. During 2008 when NFPE and all its affiliated
unions decided to go on indefinite strike from 06.01.2009, against the
retrograde recommendations of the Natarajamurthy Committee, Mahadevaiah gave a
call for indefinite strike from 17.12.2008, i.e., 20 days ahead of the joint strike of
NFPE. Now again, due to our efforts when
all the employees unitedly decided to go on strike on 12th December 2012, in
which GDS demand is also one of the main demands, Mahadevaiah gave another
sudden indefinite strike call from 16.10.2012.
He is playing in the hands of the ruling class and deliberately trying
to break the unity among the departmental employees and Gramin Dak Sevaks. The leader is behaving as an agent of the
Government and poor GDS are the victims.
GDS are not going to be benefited by such sectarian strike. Realising this majority of the GDS refused to
join the ill-motivated strike this time.
On
10.05.2012, Sri. Mahadevaiah made following comments in his signed circular,
copy of which is available with us:- “The
AIPEDEU is the single largest Postal Union, larger than all other Postal
organisations, including NFPE...... They
are afraid of AIPEDEU” (!!!). When
somebody claims that I am bigger than everyone else and all are afraid of me,
we can imagine the mindset of such a person.
NFPE leaders will never make such egoistic statements. Again in another circular which was
circulated among the GDS throughout the country without putting name, the
following derogatory and insulting comments are made against the legendary
leader of the Postal Trade Union movement Late Com: K.Adinarayana - “Nobody
including the great person repeatedly mentioned as the messiah of Postal
workers including EDAs could even stir.
What was he doing?” Thus it
is very clear that the intention of Mahadevaiah is to project himself above all
the leaders of the Postal Trade Union movement right from Tarapada to
Adinarayana. In fact he was elected in
the year 1999 and became the General Secretary of the only recognised Union with
the help of Com. Adinarayana and NFPE.
But after 1999, there was no gain for GDS, eventhose benefits achieved
by NFPE through several years of struggle upto 1999, was taken away by the
Government during the tenure of
Mahadevaiah. He continued his attack
against NFPE. His number one enemy is
NFPE. This time the leader thought he
can score through making it a fragmented game.
He want to avoid larger unity of entire Postal employees (Departmental
and GDS) and also he want to avoid NFPE as he thought that if he join the joint
struggle with NFPE he cannot become the hero.
He wanted to play one-upmanship over NFPE.
Naturally
those who loved NFPE said “goodbye” to such a leader who is undemocratic,
anti-NFPE, egoistic and decided to form separate GDS Union called AIPEU-GDS
(NFPE) declaring themselves that they will work under the banner of NFPE and
will be a part and parcel of NFPE. NFPE
decided to give associate membership to the new GDS Union led by Com. Panduranga
Rao. After formation of the new NFPE GDS
Union Gramin Dak Sevaks of majority of the Circles joined the new union
enbloc. Remaining circles also GDS
stated deserting Mahadevaiah group in a big way and joined NFPE GDS Union. The very existence of the so-called
recognised union was challenged due to the mass-scale exodus of the GDS. Even in Karnataka which is the home-circle of
the leader, 60% of the GDS joined the new union. (Anybody can collect the strike percentage of
Karnataka Circle under RTI and verify the fact). It is at this moment the leader decided to
declare a sudden strike from 16.10.2012 for his own existence and to prevent
remaining GDS from deserting him. But
majority of the GDS realised his hidden agenda and refused to join the ill-motivated
strike. That is why the strike fizzled
out and ended without any settlement.
NFPE
calls upon the entire Postal Employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks to draw
lessons from this fragmented strike and guard against those elements who are
trying to break the unity of Postal employees again and again by spreading
hatred among Departmental employees and Gramin Dak Sevaks. Let us defeat such forces of destruction and
unite together under the banner of our great organisation, National Federation
of Postal Employees. Let us strengthen
the new GDS Union, AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) and ensure cent per cent unity among all
Postal employees. Let us work unitedly
to make the historic strike of 12 December 2012 a grand success.
Remember,
we are fighting against the anti-people, anti-working class policies of the
Central Government. Only a class
oriented militant trade union like NFPE can alone build the unity of the entire
Postal Workers and lead such a struggle in the Postal department. Fragmented strike will create disunity and
disappointment and will weaken the striking potential of the Postal employees and
ultimately the Govt. will take advantage of it. Our enemy is the ruling class and all the
toiling masses are our comrades-in-arms in the struggle against the imperialist
neo-liberal globalisation policies of the ruling class. Let us not allow anybody to break this unity.
NFPE
