Translate

FROM THE RECORDS - WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

 WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

As we have no other option except to embrace the three ACP scheme, applicable to all Central Government employees at this juncture and even opted for that too, We could not answer to the questions such as will it be the salvation for the long awaited promotional avenues which is lacking in the postal services or will it replace the existing TBOP, BCR which were earlier called as regular promotions as per the agreement made with the service unions then. Yes. ACP cannot be equated with the regular promotions. They are only financial up gradations with many riddles and riders.

What is the position of promotional avenues existing in the Postal? Will it be sufficient or at least equivalent to the extent of 50% available in other Govt departments like Income tax, Railways etc.? Will it be at least equal to the extent available in the Postal Accounts in our same organization? Not at all. Promotional avenues are plenty everywhere including the Postal accounts except others in postal department. Promotional avenues are too meager palpably very low in the case of postal employees.
During 1974, the 20% LSG scheme was introduced with the good intention to provide minimum of 20% operative staff shall be elevated to the LSG to avoid stagnation and frustration in the minds of the employees in the absence of required regular promotions. To improve the position further, the staff unions accepted the TBOP and BCR promotions which were equated with the regular LSG and HSG II promotions by accepting the staff cut to the extent of 20% in the supervisory and 6% in the operative sides. It was the accepted on the basis of agreement made after discussions in the JCM.

The postal department violating the agreement made with the Staff side had declared in 1999 that the TBOP and BCRs are not regular promotions and they are only financial up gradations at par with ACP ignoring the fact that the schemes were part of cadre reviews with the acceptance of staff cut at the time of its implementation which should not be equated with the two ACP promotions scheme introduced by the Govt to all its employees without any staff cut. We have miserably failed to counter the same and the department had once again revived the old LSG, HSG II schemes during 2002 and digging out the old files to grant notional promotions right from 1983 resulting in chaos and confusions which is still a never ending process. 

Now what is the position on promotions? Is the assured 20% LSG vacancies available or restored after rolling back to the pre 1983 position? No. The present posts available in LSG are less than 9 percent of the total basic posts. As a model employer, will it not be the responsibility of the department to restore pre 1983 position while rolling back and deviating unilaterally the agreement at least by ensuring 20% LSG posts. Will it not its responsibility to revive the posts abolished at the time of implementation of TBOP and BCR promotions since it were equated with the normal ACP promotions available for others. The irony in this case, even after 1999, the perennial staff cut agreed for TBOP and BCR in establishment review every time is continuing till today and there are no orders to stop the review so far. 

Much water has flown under the bridges and we were the mute spectators because of the negative attitude of the postal board in deciding the promotional avenues for the lower cadres even though they have implemented five cadre reviews for the higher officers. Since the TBOP and BCR are now equated as ACPs, virtually there is no cadre review exercised for the operative staff. After adopting the three ACP promotions which are only financial up gradations, what is the way out to restore pre 1983 position by reviving 20% LSG and reviving the post surrendered earlier. 

The Cadre review is the only option available before us after adopting the three ACP promotions. Promotional posts should be enhanced in the service to off shoot the matching savings we already surrendered at the time of TBOP and BCR schemes. We should not allow the department to shut its eyes over the operative toiling employees of the department after the implementation of the three ACP without restoring the staff cut and 20% LSG but exert pressures and compulsions to make them to discuss with the Staff side seriously for a cadre restructuring by providing more regular promotions to the employees and settle the issues like PO & RMS Accountants, Systems Administrators etc.
The Central working committee is meeting shortly to take stock of the situation and decide the future course of action and it is the time to act to wrest our foremost demand of cadre review by our concerted moves of the rank and file at all levels. We must involve all the workers and muster their strength to wrest the same. We must challenge the decisions of the department taken unilaterally without any discussions with the respective representative trade unions like in the case of Postmasters cadres etc. duly ignoring the theory of collective bargaining.

If this is not done, we will forfeit our credibility. What will happen if we fail to do this?
Trade unions will be rendered irrelevant.

(Editorial July 2009)


Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post