Even the Worms Will Turn! Why Not We?

Even the Worms Will Turn! Why Not We?

 SEVENTEEN YEARS BEFORE THIS WAS WRITTEN BY ME IN THE BHARTIYA POST EDITORIAL. NOT A MAJOR CHANGE COULD BE SEEN

Look at the post offices at  8:00 p.m. in the night.  Though these offices were closed by 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., the postmasters, Postal Assistants are running here and there to close the day's work! Perhaps not with full satisfaction.  Carrying over the arrears is neither  possible nor permissible in the work spot so far in the case of post office. A total inhuman and exploitation of labour and they are how being dumped driven as cattle.  No one to carry their sufferings.

 The ban on creation is in continuance from 1983 onwards and no one at the helm of affairs bother about the new works introduced without extra manpower.  'Everyday - a new product or programme' - the new concept of the postal department is with no additional manpower or augmentation.  Not even a single post of officer's post brought under reduction.  Whereas the personnel implementing the various new schemes at work spot faced reduction to the extent of 19% in the last five years. More than 45000 posts were brought under reduction in the Group C & D in the postal alone. 

The sufferings of the postmasters, Postal Assistants at the post office are not the concerns of the powers at the helm of affairs.  No tangible action has so far been taken by them to get an exemption for the postal from the purview of the screening committee.  No pressure is exerted by them with the Government to mitigate the sufferings. Rather indulged in introducing various new projects without minding the tears of its own employees.

 The promotions to LSG, HSG.II brought (bought) under matching savings by the postal unions had lost its relevance. The staff cut to the extent of 20% in supervisory and 6% in operative for TBOP & BCR become the savings to the Government without extending the fruits to the givers.  Even the axing of 680 posts for upgradation of 1622 HSG.I posts become meaningless as more than 80% of the HSG.I posts are still kept vacant and seniors are retiring without availing any benefits.

No circle head is bothering about the implementation of the Directorate instructions on filling up the posts of LSG, HSG.II & HSG.I.  The process is not completed even after 9 months from the issue of revised Recruitment Rules. They are not concerned with the promotions of Group C & D but will review their expected promotion list every day.  They did not bother about filling up the residual vacancies kept unfilled since 2000-01 onwards in their circles.  Approximately more than 10000 posts are being kept unfilled by the circle heads due to their lethargy and treating them as unconcern for them.  The Directorate is merely keeping silent over these and did not intervene effectively to fill up these posts by all circle heads.

 The genuine and reasonable demand of the GDS union to constitute a Judicial Committee to consider their demands has been denied and diluted.  The injustice caused to the exploited class of GDS by rejection of all positive recommendations by Justice Talwar Committee will be authorized and approved by the proposed bureaucratic committee.  They may be no other reason behind the rejection of the Judicial Committee except this. We cannot shut our eyes and remain as silent spectators while the exploitation of GDS comrades continues further. 

The attacks on the postal service and its employees by merger / by abolishing the post offices / divisions, opening private (franchise) post offices, curtailment of delivery / letter box clearings closure of RMS sections etc. cannot be ignored. There is no compromise on this anti-service and anti-worker move.  Instead of creating adequate staff required for the service, the department is unleashing various moves to curtail the services as if cutting the legs to suit for the shoes.

The amendment to Indian Post Office Act 1898, ensuing the monopoly of articles up to 300 grams of the postal department placed in the Parliament, as learnt, is now diluted and it is ready for issuing licenses to couriers without any restriction of weight.  The lobby exerted by the business community had succeeded.  Without any autonomy to the Postal Board and has to depend for any decision with the nodal ministries, the Department of Posts could not take any decision to protect the interest of its own and also its employees.

We are in the doldrums.  Many more are the grievances stagnating without redressal. The Government never obliges.  The Government must be made to yield.  Our task is not defeating the Government or scoring a point. We must make it yield to the pressures that we can generate and exercise.

The writing on the wall "Even the worms will turn". Why not Postal Employees?

(Editorial March 2007)