PRESS STATEMENT OF THE ALL INDIA
GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE ALL INDIA POSTAL EXTRA DEPARTMENTAL EMPLOYEES UNOIN,
CENTRAL HEAD QUARTERS NEW DELHI ON 16-10-2012
During 65 years after independence, the department of post has registered
tremendous progress in rural areas through huge network or extra departmental
Post offices. In the rural areas which represents a population ratio of 74.20%
the postal development is much more phenomenal. A total number of 2.7 lacks of
Gramin Dak Sevaks (ED Employees) are taking care of the postal
needs of the population through 1,27,183 branch Post Offices. This represents
89.42% of total connectivity whereas the urban connectivity is about 10.58%.
The statistical data for the past decades goes to demonstrate the vast growth
of Rural Post Office and GDS staff. It is GDS who are actually running the
country's postal services.
It is illegal and extremely
unfair Labour practice to consider main workforce of the Postal Department
providing 90% of Postal connectivity as "Extra Departmental". The
whole system of maintaining lakhs of workers as Extra Departmental employees is
itself illegal. Since overwhelming part of the postal services are run by them,
almost 90%, they should immediately be departmentalized/made integral part of
the Department and paid all benefits admissible to regular employees. They
indeed are the real Postal workforce in the country running largest and one of
the most efficient Postal services in the world. It is unjust to consider them
as class apart from the regular employees. Time has come to undo the wrong done
to the GDS and treat them as Central Govt. employees as ordered by the Supreme
Court.
All the 2.7 lacks of
Gramin Dak Sevaks (ED Employees) working throughout the country will go on an indefinite
strike from 16.10.2012.The formal
due strike notice was served to the Director General Department of Post New
Delhi on 21.09.2012. The Charter of Demands of the strike is as
follows:
1. Grant Status/Regularisation as
government servant to GDS employees as recommended by Justic Talwar Committee.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its land mark judgement date 22-04-1977
held that the Extra Departmental agents (now Gramin Dak Sevaks) are holders of
civil posts. He is doing multifarious activities
viz.,RPLI,Savings/NREG,Business etc. and most of the GDS are working more than
5 hours and it is high time to consider the demand.
2. Grant Bonus ceiling of Rs.
3500/- at par with Departmental staff. It is grass injustice and discrimination
done to Gramin Dak Sevaks by denying Bonus ceiling of Rs. 3500/-.
3. Grant compassionate
appointments in all cases by removing irrational conditions and
restrictions/norms prescribed recently.
4. Scrap new recruitment rules of
Postman/Mailguard and MTS. Restore the previous recruitment rules. The promotion from GDS to postmen and MTS is
direct recruitment in the version of the department. Promotion under seniority quota should be
restored.
5. Stop abolition of GDS posts and
fill up of all vacant posts in all categories of GDS in postal and RMS offices.
6. Withdraw illegal order of
reduction of TRCA of GDS. Protection of
pay and right to life is the fundamental right.
Implement Sri V.P. Singh, then D.D.G (Estt.) committee recommendations
regarding cash handling points to BPMs, cash conveyance, Pay protection etc.
7. Implement immediately Restriya
Swasthya Bhima Yojana (RSBY). The scheme has already been approved by the
cabinet.
8. Grant immediate pro-rata
revised scales to Casual labourers including part time and full time and MMC
workers and restore DA which has been stopped for the last four years.
All the participants are insisted that the strike
was inevitable since the Department of Post and the Central Government is much
adamant to implement even the Hon’ble Supreme Court Verdicts and the reports of
committees headed by Hon’ble retired Hight Court Judge Justice Talwar and
others which was duly appointed by the Government
Gramin Dak Sevaks are on Indefinite Strike
2.7 lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks are going on Indefinite Strike started from
16-10-2012 morning all over the country to achieve the following Charter of
Demands. General Secretary of Gramin Dak Sevaks S.S. Mahadevaiah reported that
1,29,442 Branch Post offices are stand closed due to the indefinite strike. He
urged the department to settle the justified demands of GDS immediately.
To,
The News
Editor,
Sir,
For favour of
publication in your worthy journal.
(S.S. Mahadevaiah)
General Secretary
AIPEDEU(CHQ)
