Postal Crusader - Editorial

MAINTAIN UNITY – DEFEAT THE DISRUPTORS

The tradition of the Postal Trade Union movement, from the very day of its inception, is the total unity of the entire Postal employees and Central Govt. Employees – Whether they are called Departmental Employees or Extra – Departmental Employees. Late Comrades: Tarapada Mukherjee, Dada Ghosh, K. G. Bose, N. J. Iyer, Adinarayana, K. L. Moza and all those great leaders stood for the unity of the entire Postal workers. Unfortunately, of late, deliberate attempt is being made repeatedly, from certain quarters, to split and weaken the rock – like unity of Postal employees.

In 2008, all the unions of NFPE took an unanimous decision to go on indefinite strike from 6^th January 2009, raising the main demands of the Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) i.e.; reject the retrograde recommendations of the Nataraja Murthy Committee report. But suddenly a strike notice was served by the then GDS union General Secretary for indefinite strike from 17.12.2008 i.e, 18 days before the proposed indefinite strike of NFPE. Other unions were not consulted. After serving the strike notice only it was known to others. What was the need for going on strike in a so hurriedly manner, when NFPE was ready for a joint strike from 06.01.2009. Will be sky come down if the strike is delayed for 18 days to ensure cent percent unity of Postal Employees. The intention was very clear to divide the unity of the Postal workers. The leadership of the so – called GDS union played in the hands of the Govt. and the Postal bureaucracy who are hell-bound to demolish the rock-like unity of Postal workers. With the help of the so-called GDS union General Secretary, the Government succeeded to some extent in creating a division among Departmental employees and GDS.

Now again, the same thing is being repeated. The entire Central Government Employees, including the National Federation of Postal Employees has decided to go on a nation-wide one day strike on 12^th December 2012. One of the major demands of the strike charter is the issues related to the GDS employees – i.e.; 7^th Pay Commission to examine the wages and service conditions of GDS, 50% DA merger for GDS and not 5% TRCA increase, Departmentalization of GDS and extending all the benefits of departmental employees, Bonus discrimination, protection of allowance, Health Scheme, time bound promotion etc. Intensive campaign all over the country is taking place for making the strike a grand success. The strike was declared on 2012 July 26^th in the historic Parliament March in which about 20000 Central Government Employees participated in which a large majority of them being Postal & RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks.

Again, all of a sudden, the General Secretary of the truncated GDS Union, gave another strike notice for indefinite strike from 16^th October 2012. When the entire employees are preparing for a joint strike, what is the need of giving a sudden notice for another strike. Again, the intention is very clear. They are playing in the hands of the Government. The Central Government wants to scuttle the December joint strike by creating division among the Departmental Employees and GDS. The leader is behaving as an agent of the Government and poor GDS are the victims. GDS are not going to be benefited by such sectarian strike.

Shall we allow such leaders to break the unity of Postal workers, by stabbing from the back? Shall we allow the Government to break our unity by joining hands with such leaders? No, we shall not. We shall expose those disruptors and at any cost, shall uphold the unity of the Postal workers and march forward under the banner of NFPE for protecting the interest of the Postal employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks. Let us fight against the policy of the Government and make the 12^th December strike a thundering success.