MEETING WITH
HON’BLE MOC SHRI KAPIL SIBAL
A
delegation of All India Trade Union Congress and leaders of the All India
Postal Extra Departmental Employees Union, S.S. Mahadevaiah, General Secratary met the Minister for
Communication & Information and Technology, Shri Kapil Sibal, on 23.7.2013
and discussed the following demands:
1.
RAISING BONUS CEILING TO RS.3500/- IN THE CASE OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS
The Minister after ascertaining from Secretary (Post) indicated that the matter
is still under consideration of the Finance Ministry who had earlier sought
some clarifications from Department of Post. Indications are that it is being
considered favourably. Department of Post has again recommended favourably. One
more letter from the General Secretary, AITUC was given to Minister – letter
published in the issue of magazine.
2.
CONTRIBUTION BY GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS TO PENSION FUND.
The
Minister agreed that Govt. is willing to consider the question of
allowing Gramin Dak Sevaks to make matching contribution to Pension Fund
so that quantum of pension may increase
3.
RASHTRIYA SWASTHYA BIMA YOJANA
Applicability
of this scheme to Gramin Dak Sevaks is under active consideration and has been
referred to govt. for approval. Indications are that about Rs.30,000/- per
annum may be invested in the medicare of Gramin Dak Sevaks
ALL INDIA POSTAL EXTRA DEPARTMENTAL
EMPLOYEES UNION
(Central
Head Quarter)
First
Floor, Post Office Building, Padamnagar, Delhi 110007
President: D.N. Giri
General
Secretary S.S. Mahadevaiah
GDS/CHQ/4/2/2013 Dated:
23.07.2013
To
Sri Kapil Sibbal,
Hon'ble Minister of Communications
& I.T.
Government of India,
Electronic Niketan, CGO Complex,
New Delhi-110003
MEMORANDUM
Respected
Sir,
Most respectfully we are submitting herewith a memorandum
on most urgent and pressing problems of the Gramin Dak Sevak employees for your
kind perusal.
The Department of Posts is the only department of the
Government of India where there is a special category of employees working
called Gramin Dak Sevaks. In fact the Gramin Dak Sevaks are the backbone of the
postal department. The postal functions rendered at the nook and corner
villages of the country covering 74% of population by the Gramin Dak Sevaks are
of high order and quality. Almost every postal service i.e. M.N.R.E.G.S.,
Postal Life Insurance ( P.L.I/R.P.L.I) old age pension is provided in one or
the other way at the Branch offices manned by the Gramin Dak Sevaks. The GDS
officials are working more than ten hours a day to serve effectively to the
villagers. But they are getting wages only for three to five hours work.
Unfortunately, most of the facilities granted by the department to the
departmental employees are denied to these low paid poor employees where as the
duties, services, functions, risks and responsibilities of the G.D.S employees
are similar and equal to those of departmental employees. Unlike other Bureaucratic committees,
the independent committee headed by a retired Justice Charanjit Talwar had
studied the service conditions of GDS, traveling length and breadth, and
recommended all benefits due at par with Departmental staff but unfortunately
the same were not implemented by the then Govt. in 1999. A few benefits were extended to them,
that too with the same tradition of continuing exploitative policies. In fact the recommendations were based
on rational and justified reasoning!
Central
working committee of AIPEDEU was held at an historical and Holy place Prasanthi
Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Ananthapur District in Andhra Pradesh, discussed and
decided the relay hunger fast programme before Circle/Regional offices from5.8.2013to 8.8.2013 for
the settlement of the following justified demands of Gramin Dak Sevaks. THE CRAVINGS AND THE URGES OF THIS EXPLOITED
SECTION OF THE SOCIETY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE WE STRONGLY FEEL SIR.
CHARTER OF DEMANDS:
The only one demand of the Gramin Dak Sevak is that they
should be treated at par with departmental staff for which all measures may be
taken to regularize the services rendered by the 2.7 lakh postal GDS employees.
All the benefits of departmental staff should be rationally extended to GDS
employees without any further delay as they are the salt of the rural service
under postal system. They are also doing
commendable job in urban areas also.
Their pay and service conditions deserve consideration in the next pay
commission that is demanded by the central Govt. employees by suitably changing
the nomenclature as GRAMIN DAK KARMACHARI/RURAL POSTAL EMPLOYEE.
WE REQUEST THE
MINISTER TO LOOK INTO THE FOLLOWING FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION:
1. Harsh Punishment of removal and dismissal – a death
sentence to the GDS: There are no graded
punishments like recovery of loss from the pay of GDS, postponement of increment,
reduction in pay etc. Hence removal and
dismissal are commonly used to impose penalty for even routine lapses. The local level officers are suspending them
for even petty matters, imposing heavy punishments of termination from
employment – most unfortunately using it as a tool to EXPLOIT THE GDS to the
maximum.
2. REVISED RECRUITMENT RULES FOR PROMOTION TO THE POSTMEN AND
M.T.S CATEGORY: The introduction of
revised syllabus to promote GDS to postmen and MTS cadre is nothing but to deny
the promotional opportunity to the senior GDS employees. Old pattern was more or less satisfactory as
both MERIT AND SENIORITY were taken as the criteria for promotion. Now in the present system the Question papers
are very tough and only those preparing for competitive exams can answer
them. This change is with an inner
agenda to snatch the benefits of this section which is opposed by all. Kindly intervene and cause to restore old
syllabus and pattern of exam with modification if any in consultation with
recognized unions. For, the only hope of
getting departmental status of a GDS is shattered by the change. Please note that hitherto all out efforts are
to take them to the departmental status and not to deviate from the IDEAL.
3. LIMITED TRANSFER POLICY – AGAIN TO DENY A WELFARE
MEASURE: Now the power to transfer of a
GDS is vested with the Head of the postal circle/state. This is causing more problems to the
administration as well as the GDS affected.
The power should be delegated to the divisional heads in case of transfer
within divisions and like wise Regional head and circle head according to their
purview as done in case of departmental employees. The low paid GDS should not undergo reduction
in their pay(TRCA) as their hard earned increments are snatched in many cases
on transfer. The transfer policy should
be to help the system/employee we strongly feel and urge kind intervention.
4. DENIAL OF COMPASSIONATE APPOINTMENT – ANOTHER ATTACK: Hitherto all most all wards of GDS were
assured compassionate appointment as the GDS is not assured of pension or
family pension. Compassionate
appointment is to support the family of those who die in harness. The condition
of a low paid and the exploited GDS family would be more critical when compared
to a departmental employee. A strange
and unscientific condition of earning minimum of 51 points to decide indigent
circumstances of the family is anti GDS and anti worker a decision! This should be removed and all wards of GDS
should get compassionate appointment without any condition.
5. BONUS CEILING SHOULD BE Rs.3500/- FOR GDS ALSO: It is rather discriminatory if the benefit
already extended is withdrawn. In fact
his low paid section should get more percentage of Bonus when compared to his
departmental brother! This deferred wage should be double the pay as the GDS
employees have been denied of their due all along. Since the honourable MOC has taken pains to
look into the matter and recommend Rs.3500/- ceiling for GDS the issue may be settled
early in favour of GDS, pending upward revision of Bonus ceiling for the
ensuring year. The matter is pending for
the last one year and a committee constituted to look into the matter also
recommended justification to enhance ceiling to GDS. Kindly cause to expedite the matter.
6. CAUSE TO STOP ALL KINDS OF EXPLOITATION BY EFFECTIVE
INTERVENTION: Since the exploitation of
this section is seen from the British regime we request the hon’ble MOC to put
an end to this system. To cite an
example in rural parts GDS staff are forced to undertake combination of various
duties without adequate compensation. In
urban and metro city like Bangalore the GDS services are utilized for delivery
of speed post articles under exploitative terms and conditions. The GDS use their own two wheelers for delivery
work and fuel compensation of Rs.35/- per day is given. Vehicle maintenance, depreciation in its
value etc., are not thought of which is still inhuman. Despite instructions to minimize GDS
recruitment in urban areas the system is continued to exploit the
humble/poor. Court cases are on increase
and therefore we request the hon’ble MOC to regularize the services of all GDS
working in urban areas without any further delay. Our demand is equal pay for equal work
performed. So is the case of GDS Mail Packers
who are working from opening of the office till its close. But their work is assessed most
unscientifically to deny their due. They
should be treated as regular MTS and full pay and other benefits should be
extended them.
The
above are mere illustrations to give a glimpse of exploitation of the GDS in
postal department. It is high time that
the Hon’ble and the learned MOC would look into the matter seriously to
mitigate the hardship of this community and cause to extend at least minimum
that is demanded/highlighted in this memorandum and for such objective and
justified look towards the hard working GDS, real back bone of the postal
department, we shall be ever grateful to the honour minister.
With
high regards
Yours faithfully,
(S.S. Mahadevaiah)
General Secretary.
