Saturday, June 7, 2014
AIPEU GDS (NFPE) ANNOUNCED STRUGGLE PROGRAMME ..
GDS
CIVIL SERVANT STATUS
DEPARTMENTALIZATION
of BOs
INCLUSION
OF GDS IN 7th CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION
AIPEU
GDS (NFPE) APPEALS TO THE NEW PRIME MINISTER & MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
& IT TO DO JUSTICE TO 2.76 LAKS GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS OF POSTAL
DEPARTMENT
JULY
2014
SUBMISSION OF
MASS MEMORANDUM BY MORE THAN TWO LAKH GDS
TO HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER & MINISTER
OF COMMUNICATIONS&IT
16th JULY
2014.
MASS DHARNA INFRONT OF ALL
DIVISIONAL OFFICES
5th AUGUST
2014.
MASS DHARNA INFRONT OF ALL CIRCLE /
REGIONAL OFFICES
FROM
15th TO 19th SEPTEMBER 2014
5 DAYS RELAY HUNGER FAST IN FRONT
OF ALL
CIRCLE
FOLLOWED
BY PARLIAMENT MARCH
(Dates
will be declared after confirming the dates of Parliament session)
Dear
Comrades,
General
Elections are over and a new Government has come to power. The UPA Government
which has not done justice to GDS employees and the common people of the country
and faced a humiliating defeat. Now it is the turn of Shri Narendra Modi
Government. New Communications Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad has taken
charge. People of the country has high expectations about the Govt. As the Govt.
has only just taken charge, from our earlier experiences, coming to any sudden
conclusion about the Govt., may not correct.
7th Central Pay Commission &
GDS
Even
before the terms of reference of the 7th CPC is declared by the
Govt., the recognized GDS Union has signed an agreement with the Department
accepting separate Committee. Naturally, the Govt., excluded GDS from the Terms
of Reference of 7th CPC. NFPE, AIPEU GDS (NFPE) & Confederation
of Central Govt. Employees & Workers conducted two days strike on Feb
12th & 13th 2014 demanding inclusion of GDS in
7th CPC. The recognized Union cheated the GDS. As election was declared during
April & May, we could not conduct any further agitation during the said
period. As per the call of NFPE & Confederation, we conducted intensive
campaign against the anti-GDS stand of the UPA Govt., and also against the
cheating of the recognized GDS Union.
SUPREME
COURT TRANSFERRED THE CASE TO DELHI
You
are well aware that NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) filed a Writ Petition in the
Supreme Court, requesting :
(1) Implementation of the 1977 Supreme Court
Judgment and grant of Civil Servant status and all benefits of Departmental
employees to GDS.
(2) Scraping of the GDS (Conduct&Engagment)
Rules 2011
(3) Inclusion of GDS
under 7th CPC.
The
case is came up for hearing on 07-05-2014. Advocate for the Govt.,
of India , Department of Posts
appeared in High Court and requested six weeks extension of time for filing
their reply statement. The High Court granted six weeks time for Govt., and also
time for filing additional reply statement, if any, by our Advocate. Next
hearing of the case is on 19thSeptember, 2014, the anniversary day of
1968 Sept 19th strike and 19th September 1984 was the
first one day strike only for the cause of GDS Employees.
BEFORE GOING FOR AN AGITATIONAL PROGRAMME ON GDS DEMANDS,
SUBMISSION OF MASS MEMORANDUM TO PRIME MINISTER & COMMUNICATION
MINISTER
As the new Govt.
has just taken charge, it will not be appropriate on our part to go for an
agitation immediately. Further such a sudden agitation may not get public
support also. Hence the CHQ has decided to submit a mass memorandum signed by
maximum number of GDS about two lakhs to the Prime Minister of India &
Communications Minister in the month of July 2014.
The copy will be supplied to all Branches & Divisions by the CHQ.
The copy will be supplied to all Branches & Divisions by the CHQ.
Proforma
of the Memorandum will be published in the web sites also. Please obtain maximum
signatures of GDS in the Memorandum and submit to CHQ before 15-07-2014 to the
following address :
P.Pandurangarao
General
Secretary
AIPEU
GDS (NFPE)
Dada
Ghosh Bhawan
2151/1,
New Patel Road
Agitation
will start intensively in the month of August 2014 if the Govt., takes a
negative stand or delaying tactics. As Seventh Central Pay Commission has
already commenced its work, we can not wait indefinitely.
FIRST PHASE OF
AGITATION
One
day mass dharna infront of all Divisional Offices on
16th July
2014
SECOND PHASE :
One
day mass dharna in front of all Chief PMG & Regional PMG Offices on 5th
August 2014.
THIRD PHASE :
Relay
hunger fast in front of all Chief Post Master General Offices for five (5) days
from 15th to 19th September 2014.
FOURTH PHASE
Massive
Parliament Dharna and March in October / November 2014
(Dates will be decided after
the announcement of the dates of Parliament sessions)
FIFTH PHASE
If
the Govt., still refuses to concede the demands of GDS, the CWC of AIPEU GDS
(NFPE) shall meet and Trade Union action including indefinite strike will be
decided. In the mean time the decision of the Delhi High Court may also
come.
All
Circle / Branch / Divisional Secretaries are requested to make the above
programmes a grand success.
Yours
fraternally
(P.Pandurangarao)
General
SecretaryNFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) SUBMITTED MEMORANDUM TO THE GOVT. ON GDS ISSUES
NFPE
& AIPEU GDS (NFPE) JOINTLY SUBMITTED A DETAILED MEMORANDUM ON GDS
ISSUES
TO
Shri
NARENDRA MODI JI, THE HON'BLE PRIME
MINISTER OF INDIA,
Shri RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD, HON'BLE MINISTER FOR
COMMUNICATIONS & IT
Ms. KAVERY BANERJEE, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF
POSTS
ON 02-06-2014
Sub: - Submission of Memorandum –
request benign consideration.
At
the outset, we whole heartily record our wishes and appreciations for assuming
the charge as the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and seeking your mercy in
mitigating the hardship of the poorly paid GDS employees. With due respect and
regards, NFPE & AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) are submitting the following issues for
your kind and sympathetic consideration and favourable decision in resolving the
genuine demands of the 2.73 lakhs downtrodden and poor GDS employees working in
the Department of Posts.
1. DEPARTMENTALISATION OF RURAL POST OFFICES AND ALSO
GDS
The
Supreme Court in its judgement delivered on 22.07.1977 held that the ED employee
now called as Gramin Dak Sewaks is not an agent, not a casual labourer, and not
a part time worker but he is the holder of civil post outside the regular civil
service and therefore declared that Article 311(2) of the constitution of India
is attracted. Except conduct and service and application of disciplinary
provisions, no other benefits available to the Departmental employees are
extended to the GDS employees. The question of departmentalisation of GDS
remains pending for long and is being denied continuously on one pretext or the
other.
In
the present set up of the socio - economic structure of rural areas, the daily
wages for an agricultural labourer has been fixed much above the daily rate of a
GDS. Resultantly, the GDS employees are not able to meet the family expenses and
have one square meal a day.
The
declaration of Justice Talwar Committee that “95.70% joined the Postal
Department as ED agents hoping to get full time absorption and only 4.08% took
it as a side occupation” is the real fact still prevailing and they are solely
depending upon their wages for their livelihood”. In rural areas, still many of
them are underpaid and lesser in the standard of living while comparing the
MNREGS beneficiaries.
Specific
Recruitment, Disciplinary and Appeal Rules for the ED agents were framed by the
Director General P&T Department in the year 1935 and by the year 1947, as
has been noticed by the First Central Pay Commission, the ED agents were
subjected to Government Conduct Rules and Postal Regulations. Thus their status
was recognised as Government Servants and eventually, in the year 1959, as civil
servants by promulgation of the statutory rules under the proviso to Article
309. Therefore, this is an unfair labour practice and subtle violation of the
judgement of the Supreme Court of 1977 in non-grant of civil status to GDS. It
is violating of Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution."The repeated attempt to
read Article 311 (2) in isolation is entirely misconceived and untenable. ED
Agents who are being treated as 'outside the regular service and not to be
considered as civil servants excepting for the purpose of disciplinary inquiry
is unfortunate and symbol of continuous exploitation despite the liberation
ensured in the Apex Court. The present system of class within the class among
the Civil servants shall be dispensed with.
Notwithstanding
our genuine claim to declare the GDS as holders of civil posts and dispense the
class within the class which is in violation of Article 14 & 16 of the Union
Constitution, we wish to put forth the feasibilities of such departmentalisation
of GDS and improve the services with the existing infrastructure in an effective
manner.
With
the hope of departmentalization at one day, the GDS are prolonging their life
with more expectation of their future. Their hopes can be considered by
introducing various new services in the rural areas with the cooperation's of
the Human resource ministry and by introducing various social and developmental
activities.
The
Post office alone has such a vast network and infrastructure and it can be fully
utilized by providing various new services to rural public through post offices
by its own saving bank scheme to distribute the Govt welfare measures as if we
are doing under the MGNREG Scheme.
We
may attempt with the following works to provide more services to public as well
as in paving way for the justification to departmentalise all the existing
BOs.
1.
The work likes pension payment, sale of certificates, direct booking of
money orders, SB operations with maintenance of independent ledgers may be
assigned to the departmentalized branch office so that the existing branch
postmasters will be entrusted with more work.
2.
If the proposal of full computerization of BOs is materialised in the ensuing
year as proposed, there is every possibility of introducing all kinds of bill
services and commercial activities in the rural areas like acceptance of
Electricity bills, land revenue, panchayat taxes etc under the business
activities of the Postal department or tie up with such governmental
organizations.
3.
Large scale expansion of telecom can be explored through the branch offices and
acceptance of all telephone bills, mobile bills may be entrusted. The Department
of Posts may also consider in taking licences for running telecom services in
rural areas with subsidised rates to cater the requirement of rural public as if
in vogue in many foreign countries.
4.
Since all the BOs are proposed to be provided with hand held computers and
decided to introduce various new financial services, it is possible to maintain
the following works also in the BOs very efficiently with the manpower available
in abundance which is underutilized at present.
a)
Collection, maintenance and modifications of any of the work related to
Census in rural areas.
b)
Maintenance, Verification and preservation of records pertaining to the
Citizens identity card issued by the Govt of India directly by the Dept of
post.
c)
Extension of MGNREGS work through post offices by providing work norms
for the work instead of incentive as at present
extended.
d)
Enhance the working hours for eight hours and introduce various new
works at village level with the cooperation of other Govt and public sector
organizations.
e)
Ensuring all various new schemes introduced by the Govt as its policies
will be reached to the village level through our network and infrastructure
spread over the nation.
5.
It is pertinent to mention that there are more than 20% of the existing
BOs having the work load for more than six hours. In accordance with Marathe
time test under para 93 (iv) and para 114 (i) if a single handed post office is
having 11 hours’ workload, the second PA can be augmented. On the similar
analogy such BOs having more than six hours workload can be straight away
departmentalized. The recommendations of the Justice Talwar Committee to freeze
the GDS system in order to departmentalize all the existing GDS should be given
a due consideration.
6.
In order to departmentalize the GDS, the department should consider for
fixing the norms for the following works
immediately.
1.
Work related to MNREGS payment.
2.
Work related to verification of Electoral roll & Election
work.
3.
Work related to collecting statistics for Census
etc.
4.
Work related to verification of mobile phone connections of BSNL &
others.
5.
Work related to acceptance of Electricity bills, water bills &
telephone bills.
6.
Work related to business activities, social security schemes introduced
in various circles.
If
time factors for all the work performed by the GDS is formulated, certainly it
will pave way for full time
8 hours duty for GDS.
If
all the GDS are departmentalized by scrapping the existing GDS system with eight
hours work and each official is assigned with various new works to improve the
functioning of rural post offices in order to make it more remunerative will
overcome the financial problem. This vast infrastructure will really be an
invaluable asset to the department in this era of e-commerce and e-governance
and not at all a liability. If post offices are kept open for more hours by
introducing more new items of work, there is every possibility of increasing the
workload.
It
is humbly requested to kindly consider the above and cause action to
departmentalise the rural post offices and improve the rural postal
network.
2. CONSIDERATION OF GDS ISSUES BY THE SEVENTH
CPC
The
observation of the Fourth Central Pay Commission on this issue is
furnished inter alia:
"A
letter was received from the Ministry of Communications (P&T Board) for
exclusion of the extra departmental employees, numbering about 3 lakhs, from the
purview of our inquiry. It was stated that the system of extra departmental
agents was peculiar to the P&T organisation and was designed to extend
postal facilities in rural and backward areas where opening of regular
departmental post offices was not justified due to inadequate workload. The
remuneration and the conditions of service of Extra Departmental Agents were
also different from those of regular Government employees. The Third Pay
Commission accepted the view that the extra departmental agents were not holders
of civil posts and decided to exclude them from its
purview.
The
matter is, however, beyond controversy after the decision of the Supreme Court
in Gokulananda Das's case where it has been declared that an Extra Departmental
Agent is not a casual worker but 'holds a post under the administrative control
of the state' and that while such a post is outside the regular civil services,
there is no doubt that it is a post under the 'state'. In view of this
pronouncement, we were unable to accept the contention that extra departmental
employees were outside the purview of the terms of our commission. They, no
doubt, have their own peculiar conditions of service and, in that sense, their
case is somewhat special. We, therefore, could not exclude them from our
consideration, but we accepted the Government's suggestion for the setting up of
a one - man committee to look to their conditions of service as was done by the
Second and Third pay commissions."
From
the above observation, it is crystal clear that the Fourth Pay Commission was in
the conclusion that the ED Agents are civil servants even though they are kept
outside the regular civil service and therefore their cases are included within
the purview of the pay commissions. In fact, all the earlier committees headed
by the officers did no justice to this category and the report of the Justice
Talwar on GDS had gone to dust bin by rejecting almost all the recommendations.
We have explained in details that they should be treated as holders of civil
posts for all purposes and their service condition, pay and other issues should
be considered only by the Pay Commission. Justice Talwar has observed in his
report that in future, there is no need for separate committee to address the
problems of GDS and it will be remitted directly to the Pay Commissions. The
Dept of Posts also sought clarifications from the nodal ministries whether their
case can be remitted to the proposed Seventh Pay Commission vide its letter
dated 17.2.2014 and therefore we request that the issues of the GDS may please
be remitted to the seventh pay commission for
consideration.
3. WITHDRAW THE NEW GDS (CONDUCT & ENGAGEMENT) RULES,
2011 AND BRING THEM UNDER THE CCS (CCA) RULES
1965.
The
P&T ED Agents (Conduct & Service) Rules 1959 were framed treating the ED
agents as holders of civil posts within the ambit of Article 309 and 311 of the
Union Constitution on the advice of the Law Ministry itself. But after the
2nd Central Pay Commission, the Extra Departmental Agents (now called
Gramin Dak Sevaks) were separated from the regular Central Govt. employees and
treated as a distinct category by framing separate set of rules called “Postal
Extra Departmental Agents (Conduct & Service) Rules, 1964” which are not
statutory.
The
Supreme Court in its remarkable Judgement in 1977 in the case of P.K. Rajamma
held that the EDAs (GDS) are holders of civil post and comes under the
provisions of the Article 311 of the Union Constitution. Despite the fact, the
Department of Posts modified the EDA (Conduct & Service) Rules, 1964 into
Gramin Dak Sevak (Conduct & Employment) Rules, 2001 which is also a
non-statutory Rules. After the Nataraja Murthy Committee, the said non-statutory
rules were again amended and modified as Gramin Dak Sevak (Conduct &
Engagement) Rules, 2011. All these rules are non-statutory ones. The following
two provisions will exhibit the cruelty of the revised Rules
2011.
i. The Rule 3 of GDS
(Conduct & Engagement) Rules 2011 affirms that the GDS employees shall be
outside the civil service of the Union and a sevak shall not claim to be par
with the Government Servant (this should be deleted and the facilities should be
extended to the GDS officials as applied to the whole time Govt
Servant.)
ii. The Rule 9 does not
classify the penalties into minor and major penalty. There is no provision of
withholding of increment for specific years and a reduction in TRCA. (In the
absence of such provisions, even for minor charges, the GDS employees are
awarded with a major penalty of removal, dismissal etc.)
Therefore,
it is requested to withdraw the non-statutory rules and apply the Central Civil
Service (Classification, Control & Application) [CCS (CCA)] Rules 1965 to
the Gramin Dak Sevaks as they are declared as the holders of the civil post by
the Apex Court in 1977 itself.
4. ENSURE MINIMUM STATUTORY MONTHLY PENSION OF
RS.3500/- TO GDS AND GRANT ALL OTHER RETIREMENT BENEFITS LIKE GRATUITY ETC.,
BASED ON THE FORMULA APPLICABLE TO DEPARTMENTAL EMPLOYEES AND UNDER GRATUITY
ACT, 1972 BESIDES FAMILY PENSION FACILITY TO GDS.
It
is long a pending demand for Gramin Dak Sevaks who expected to get some social
security for their old age life, retiring at the age of 65, after serving the
department for decades with meagre allowances. The Supreme Court held that they
are holders of Civil Posts. Their relationship is Master and Servant. As such,
they are entitled for pension and other retirement benefits. Justice Talwar also
observed that the ED Agents deserve grant of pension not only because of the
social obligation of the State but also due to Rule 2 of the Pension Rules which
is applicable in their cases also. Justice Talwar categorically emphasised that
they are entitled and eligible for pension and other retirement benefits at par
with departmental employees. This was not
accepted.
Though
a scheme introduced later after the Natarajamurthy Committee recommendation for
GDS called ‘Service Discharge Benefit Scheme’, no minimum guarantee has been
provided to get certain amounts in a benefitable way besides the amount earned
from GDS remained with others without any obligation from the Dept. or Govt. A
minimum guaranty amount in the name of pension should be ensured and it also
should be extended to the eligible bereaved family member as a family
pension.
Similarly,
under the provisions of Gratuity Act, 1972 GDS should get the benefits of
Statutory Gratuity and the existing one is against to the provisions of the
Gratuity Act 1972. The Hon’ble Supreme Court also held and declared that full
benefit of Gratuity would be given to GDS under the State’s
Act.
It
is therefore requested that they should be brought under the Pension scheme at
par with regular departmental official and also covered under the Gratuity Act
1972.
5. REDUCE CASH HANDLING NORMS
FROM RS.20,000 TO RS.4,000 AND ALSO STAMP SALE NORMS.
The
Natarajamurthy Committee has drastically reduced the work norms around twenty
times which determines the Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) of GDS and
in particular, the norms for cash handling has been revised twenty times higher
than the existing which reflected reduction of wages to the maximum Branch
Postmasters and brought them to minimum TRCA. The Committee appointed under the
Chairmanship of Sri P. Gopinath to review the retrograde recommendations of
Natarajamurthy Committee by the Secretary, Department of Posts before their
implementation had recommended that atleast the cash handling norms should be
Rs.10000/- instead of the proposed Rs.20000/-. Whereas, it has not been
considered by the Cabinet stating that the second committee appointed by the
Department is not the statutory committee and not considered any of its
recommendations on this subject. This gives a big blow and kicking below the
belt of the GDS and on the nature of working conditions of the BO. The reason
behind imposing such a norm is far away from the practical observations
prevailing in the work spot of the department.
The
same was discussed once again by the Special committee appointed for the same
purpose under the Chairmanship of Sri V. P. Singh and the Committee through its
report submitted on 27.4.2012 recommended to reduce the cash handling amount
from Rs.20000 to Rs. 10000/- for getting one point. The Internal Finance Wing
has raised queries and not allowed to implement the decisions of the two
Committee’s recommendations as well as the assurance of the Secretary,
Department of Posts in various occasions to Unions in writing. The genuine
problem is being protracted, prolonged and snatched away the salary of the poor
GDS who faced reduction of monthly wages heavily.
At
present, the 50 points for fixation of TRCA to GDS BPM could be earned only
after making transactions to the tune of Rs.10,00,000/- per month in rural
offices under the small savings schemes viz., Post Office Recurring Deposit
(PORD), Post Office Time Deposit (POTD), Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) and
Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI). On an average a BO works for 25 days in a
month, the BPM has to handle cash Rs.40,000/- per day by working in a BO for 3
hours which is practically not feasible and unimaginable to do the transactions
in rural areas apart from handling cash to such
extent.
Similarly
it is not at all possible to sell the stamps in a BO to the extent of Rs. 900/-
to earn one point for the BPM. The norms revised can be applied to bigger head
post offices not to the rural branch post offices. This has resulted in erosion
of wages to the BPMs. Further it resulted in abolition of many GDS stamp vendors
posts.
The Department has agreed to provide norms for cash remittance from branch
office to account office vice versa in January 2012 itself whereas no action has
so far been taken to provide points to the BPM for fixation of
TRCA.
Apart
from the above, the following irregularities and injustice prevailing in
determination of norms may be sorted out
1.
In case of item of work (i) – the assessment of points on handling of
unregistered letter 3 days test figures to be taken during the middle of the
month. This will not suffice to fulfill the norms as there are vast changes are
taking place in transmission of mail etc. and suggested that at least 15 days
average figures may be taken into consideration and the staff check may be for 5
days.
2.
Savings Bank transactions – There is no norms fixed on the work related to
Indiramma Housing Scheme accounts, BPL accounts
etc.
3. There is no specific mention about the
periodicity for revision of allowances to BPMs based on new norms.
4. Assessment of work load on the average
of four quarterly month is unjustified as there is vast diversity of nature of
work in BO depending upon various conditions prevailing in villages, the
necessity for availing leave by BPMs etc. caused fluctuations in points arrived
that too last year of the periodicity leads discontinuance of regular work in
BOs and suggested to take an average of 12 months during the periodicity for
revision.
It
is therefore requested to review the revised norms scientifically and protect
the GDS for the unwarranted wage cut.
6. ENSURE FULL PROTECTION OF TRCA WHEN THERE IS FALL IN THE
WORK LOAD. TRCA SHOULD NOT BE REDUCED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
The
provision of protection of allowances (TRCA) to GDS was introduced in 1970s and
there are clear cut instructions that under any circumstances, the wages of the
GDS should not be reduced. As the policy decision that the salary drawn by a
Govt official should not be reduced under any circumstances, the provision was
made as a security to this poor GDS. Recently, after the drastic and unrealistic
cut in the norms, many GDS have lost their pay to the extent of Rs.1500 to
Rs.1800 per month and they have lost more than 25% of their monthly income. When
the issue was discussed with Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications &
IT on 17.1.2012, the Hon’ble MoSC assured that there will be no reduction in the
wages of the GDS. Whereas, in the orders released by the department, the
protection of wages was extended only to one year. In no department, such wage
reduction is taking place.
It
is therefore requested to consider and rescind the orders of the department
providing protection for one year thereby confirming the provisions prevailing
in more than three decades that under no circumstances, the wages should be
reduced to these GDS in the Department of Posts.
7. REMOVE
THE OUTSIDE RECRUITMENT QUOTA FOR POSTMAN & MTS RECRUITMENT AND 100% POSTMAN
& MTS VACANCIES BE GIVEN TO GDS.
The
Revised Recruitment Rules, 2012 curtailed the opportunity of the
seniority-cum-selection from the GDS to Postman and vacant unfilled posts after
the selection through departmental examination from GDS & MTS would be
thrown to open market which is unjust and against the stand adhered over five
decades. Similarly, the vacant unfilled posts of MTS (25%) offered to open
market is also much discouraging for the senior GDS officials for their
selection under seniority-cum-selection provision. The provision of 50%
seniority cum selection has been totally snatched away. The promotions to MTS
and Postmen from the GDS cadre are treated as direct recruitment only. As such
there is no need to remit the unfilled up vacancies again to open market. The 50
years old age practice has been modified resulting in the freezing of fair
chances to the three lakh GDS who are waiting for the regular absorption in the
departmental posts like postmen and MTS.
As
the GDSs are rendering their unblemished and efficient services for the
department with meagre allowances for decades, the little opportunity of
selection ensured earlier to enter departmental cadre shall be
protected.
8. REMOVE THE 50 POINTS CONDITION AND PROVIDE
COMPASSIONATE APPOINTMENT TO ALL ELIGIBLE DEPENDENTS IN THE FAMILIES OF DECEASED
GDSs.
The present parameters laid down for the selection of eligible candidates from
the bereaved families of deceased GDSs for compassionate appointment in GDS
posts is totally unjustified. The selection of an eligible and qualified person
from a bereaved family is nothing but to ensure and protect the family of the
deceased GDS and that should not be restricted in the name of merit points
etc.
In many cases, the conditions could not fulfilled up to 50 points due to village
conditions, education etc. Resultantly, the compassionate appointments are
summarily rejected and the family of the deceased GDS are in lurch and left with
the same indigent conditions.
It is therefore requested to kindly consider the same and remove the minimum 50
point condition and provide opportunities to the bereaved family members of the
GDS.
9. REVIEW OF CASH CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE
After
introduction of various schemes in the BOs viz., MNREGS, Indiramma Housing
Scheme, Social Security Payments, POSB, RPLI payments, Bill Collections etc.,
the quantum of monetary transactions and remittances have been increased
manifold and the conveyance of cash from AO to BO vice versa is almost order of
the day. The recommendations of the Natarajamurthy Committee to grant Rs.50 as
allowance for cash remittance to meet the expenditure on each occasion has been
wrongly briefed to the Cabinet as Rs.50 per month and it has been approved as
Rs.50 per month only which is not at all sufficient to meet the conveyance with
heavy risk factors carrying lakhs of rupees for MGNREGS payment etc by the GDS
officials. It is necessary to revise the instructions accordingly as per the
recommendations of the Committee to meet the expenses of GDS working in BOs in
such occasions carrying heavy cash in risk.
10. PAYMENT OF RENT FOR BO BY THE DEPARTMENT OR REQUEST
TO ENHANCE THE GRANT OF OMA @ RS.500/- PER MONTH
According
to the rules, the Branch Office should be maintained in the premises or the
house secured by the BPM. In fact in many cases, the selection of a BPM is from
a distant place and the incumbent has to secure house in that BO village by
paying rent to the building for such post offices. The demand of rent is more in
villages near by the towns and caused the BPM hard to afford house rent hugely
from their pocket. The present sanction of Office Maintenance Allowance could
not meet the very purpose of running a BO in the premises of the house of the
BPM and the OMA needs to be revised at least to Rs.500/- per month till such
expenditure borne by the department.
11. WELFARE MEASURES TO THE GDS
Notwithstanding
our request for departmentalisation of GDS, the following sensitive and serious
issues pertaining to GDS are being protracted and not considered for years
together.
i. Grant of all kinds of leave
including casual leave, earned leave, commuted leave and special casual leave as
in the case of departmental employees.
ii. The women GDS are being granted only
three months wages from welfare fund in lieu of maternity leave (not
maternity leave) whereas other departmental women employees are entitled for six
months maternity leave and two years child care leave. The leave salary shall be
paid from the salary head and not from the welfare fund collected from the
GDS.
iii. The restriction on transfers by
mentioning specific cases of GDS and reduction in the TRCA in case of transfer
have not been relaxed.
iv. The request of three time bound
promotions or financial upgradation granted departmental employees may be
extended to all the GDS on completion of 10, 20 and 30 years of service in GDS
cadre, has not been entertained by the department. Some career progression
should be introduced to motivate the GDS.
v. Unscientific combination of duties
resorting in BPMs and other cadres causes reduction of business and also it is
the exploitation. The combination of duties should be thwarted.
vi. At present, there is no incentive
increment for small family norms or there is no provision of educational
assistance like CEA. No welfare provision is available. Even, no medical
facilities have been provided yet. The medical insurance scheme as recommended
by the Committee has not yet been finalized. At present they are not having any
reimbursement of medical expenditure. It should be provided.
vii. There is no Leave Travel facilities
provided to GDS. Similarly, they have not been granted with any advance except
bicycle advance.
viii. There is abnormal delay in sanction of
RPLI incentives to the GDS and in many circles the bills are pending over two
years. This will demotivate the officials in securing more business to the
department. The prompt payment of incentive every month shall be
ensured.
In
short, the GDS system is still remaining as an anachronism and it should be
revamped by making all the GDS as full time employees by entrusting more work,
utilizing them optimum for the postal service which will improve our service as
well as enthusiasm to the GDS further .
We
fervently request you Sir, to kindly bestow your personal attention and mitigate
the grievances of the three lakh workforce in the Department of Posts who are
praying mercy and fair play before you with their folded hands over three
decades.
With
profound regards,
Yours faithfully,
(M. Krishnan)
(P. Panduranga Rao)
Secretary General
General Secretary
NFPE AIPEU-GDS
(NFPE)
09447068125 09849466595
09447068125 09849466595
No comments:
Post a Comment