POSTMEN UNIONs ALONG WITH FEDRETIONS
JOINT STRUGGLES - NEGOTIATION – SETTLEMENTS
WE ARE MARCHING AHEAD
During 2010, 2011 and 2012 we have mobilized the entire postal workers under banner of JCA for indefinite strike and the Department was compelled to negotiate with us to avoid the indefinite strikes. Through continuous struggles, mobilization, negotiations and settlement, the postmen union has been able to settle many long pending issues. On other issues also favorable decision has been arrived at and orders are expected to be issued soon.
For the first time in the history of Department was compelled to constitute a DDG level committee with staff side representatives, to examine the issues relating to postmen/MTS and to take final decision. JCM Departmental council was revived and most of our issues are discussed in that forum also. During the discussion on strike charter of demands also many of our issues were discussed. The final outcome of the continuous effort made jointly by the Postal JCA, in respect of the postmen, MTS and Group ‘D’ demands are furnished below.
1. During the 2010 July strike discussion the Department agreed to fill up all the vacant posts of Postmen and MTS for the year 2009 and 2010 and also thereafter/Backlog unfilled posts, if any, are also agreed to be filled up (other than screening Committee abolished posts). Accordingly Directorate has given instructions to all Chief PMGs to conduct Postmen examination in all circles to fill up vacancies upto the year 2010 December. Orders for filling up of MTS vacancies was also issued Thus about 12000 vacant postmen posts were filled up by promoting eligible GDS employees and about 4000 MTS posts are also filled up by GDS promotion. Never before such mass-scale promotion of GDS has taken place.
2. Departmental issues New Recruitment Rules for filling up postmen and MTS posts from 2011 onwards. We have objected the 25% outside recruitment in Postmen cadre. Department finally agreed to modify the postmen Recruitment Rules to avoid 25% outside recruitment in the postmen cadre. Revised recruitment Rules of Postmen and MTS will be issued within one month and immediate action will be taken to fill up all the vacant posts of postmen and MTS for the year 2011 and 2012.
3. Department issued orders abolishing all sorting postmen posts. During the 2011 July strike discussion the Department was compelled to cancel that order and revised orders restoring the nomenclature of sorting postmen and also restoring all the abolishing/Sorting Postmen posts were issued. This is one of the greatest achievement of joint struggle.
4. Department agreed to issue instructions to all Chief PMG to fill up all vacant posts of sorting Postmen (after reviving the abolished posts) and also mail overseer, cash overseer and Head Postmen Posts. Member (personnel), Postal Services Board, will be writing D.O. letter to all Chief PMGs this month itself.
5. Regarding uniforms, Chappals, umbrellas etc our demand for cash payment is not agreed as it is a Govt. of India decision applicable to other departments of Central Government also Postal Board alone cannot take a decision in this regard. However our demands to ensure supply of good quality uniforms and kit items is agreed and Postal Board has already issued instructions to all chief PMGs in this regard. Instructions are also issues that before selection the uniforms and other/kit items union representation should also be involved in the process and those items selected by the union representative may be supplied.
6. Our long pending demand of grant of full TA and DA to mail overseer instead of Night Halt Allowance (NHA) was finally agreed by the department and orders already issued. Again this is a great achievement. This item was pending for the last more than 20 years.
7. Regarding creation of more promotional avenues for Postmen and MTs, it was assured that this item will be discussed in the cadre Restructuring committee. The proposal of the cadre restructuring committee will be finalized before April 2012. We will make maximum efforts to get more promotional posts for postmen and MTS through our negotiation in the cadre restructuring committee.
8. Regarding extraction of data entry work from postmen staff department has agreed to provide time factor for this work equal to the time factor now being given to Postal Assistants. As some postmen find it difficult to make computer data entry, it is also agreed to impart necessary computer framing to the postmen. As knowledge in computer will be an additional qualification for getting better pay scale for postmen in future, we are not totally opposing the data entry work.
9. Regarding irregular computation of norms and working hours of postmen working in field units, the department has agreed the following points.
(a) Higher time factor will be provided for delivery of unregistered articles in multi-storied buildings where separate post boxes are not provided in the grounds floor.
(b) For person-specific speed post articles, the norms provided for registered article will be provided.
(c) Time factor provided for travelling distance by foot and by bicycle in the hilly and mountainous terrains of less congested areas needs to be relaxed in view of the extra physical effort and time involved in covering such areas. Department agreed to consider this aspect and to issue orders early.
(d) The staff side pointed out that as per the original order issued by the Department in the year 1975,and 1979 area having a density of population of 2500 per Sq. Miles or 1000 per Sq. Kilometer may be taken as congested area. But in the subsequent orders it is wrongly shown as 2500 per Sq. Kilometers staff side produced a letter received from postal Training centre Mysore under RTI, confirming the argument of the staff side. Finally Department agreed to re-examine the whole case and agreed to correct the mistake committed, if the above mistake is corrected then an area having a density of 1000 per Sq. Kilometer will be treated as congested area instead of 2500. At present the time factor given for congested and less congested area is as follows.
Distance travelled Congested areas Less congested
By foot 19 mts. Per Km. 12 Mts. Per Km.
By Bi-cycle 10 mts. Per Km. 06 Mts per Km.
There will be justification for more number of postmen posts in congested areas when the above mistake is corrected by the department.
10. Regarding timely payment of incentive to Postmen for delivery of speed post articles it is agreed to issue suitable instructions to all Chief PMG to the effect that all payments of speed post delivery incentive bills pertaining to postmen must be cleared by 31.03.2012.
11. Regarding the question of unjustified beat length of postmen in many circles, it is agreed to issue instructions to all chief PMGs. To examine all such cases at circle/Divisional level and remedial measures should be taken staff side has give the examples of many circles in writing.
12. After detailed discussion it was agreed that combination of beats should be resorted to only by exception as it adversely impacts the delivery efficiency. Instructions in this regard will be issued by the Directorate.
13. It was pointed out during discussion that Postmen face difficulty in delivery of registered parcels weighing more than 5 Kgms each and EPP articles for which the maximum weight of 35 Kgms per articles has been fixed. It was highlighted that either some reasonable rate and mode of conveyance for delivering EPP articles should be fixed or the rate of mazdoor charges fixed in the past should be revised for efficient delivery of registered parcels. It was agreed to issue necessary instructions to all chief PMGs in this regard.
14. As per the new postmen Recruitment rules there is 25% seniority quota for MTS. MTS are compelled to accept the seniority promotion. If they declined they are not granted MACP promotion in the MTS cadre. After detailed discussion department agreed to issue clarification that before issues seniority quota promotion, willingness from the eligible MTS should be obtained so that the question of declining will not come.
15. The following items are also discussed but decisions pending and we are pursuing the cases
(a) filling up of all LR postmen and MTS posts – we demanded that instructions should be issued to all circles to fill up eligible percentage of LR posts. Member (P) informed that instructions already exist in this regard and chief PMGs can take action to fill up LR posts.
(b) Higher incentive for delivery of Adhar cards.
(c) Keep all measures of Creation of justified additional posts and surplus posts of Postmen posts should be Redeployed based on the old standards until the revised standard as agreed in the postmen committee are finalized.
(d) Providing time factor for many left out items – List of the left out items already submitted to the department.
(h) Reintroduce the “enquiry” remark and “further enquiry” remark to facilitate postmen elucidate proper addressees before affecting delivery or returns of articles as undelivered. Time factor may be provided for this job. Remarks of the postmen written on the undelivered articles may be accepted instead of compelling them to write only remarks framed by department. Postmen should not be sent out for the delivery of same article for so many times on the same day of remarks given.
Dear Colleague: We shall take follow up action in all the above cases and shall try our level best to settle all our genuine demands. We will not hesitate to organize agitation programmers if the departmental fails to implement the assurances given in a time bound manner or if any abnormal delay take place in issuing orders on agreed items.
Let us move onward and forward unitedly. We will not rest, until all our justified demands are settled.
MACP RELATED ISSUES
Regarding MACP our main demand is that the promotion earned through/passing the limited competitive examinations should not be adjusted towards MACP promotion. The MACP orders are issued by the Government of India, Department of Personnel & Training. MACP rules are applicable to all Central Government departments. Any change it the existing MACP rules can be made by the Government of India, DOP&T, only. Postal Board has not powers to modify the MACP orders. Hence we have taken up the above case with the Department of Personnel & Training (Government of India) through N J C M of Central Government Employees and workers. A decision at the Government level is required as the employees of the other Ministries/Departments are also facing the same problem. However we are continuing our efforts to settle the above case also.
