Gramin Dak Sevaks demand better service conditions

Tirupati: Disrupting the postal services, about 2.5 lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) in the country have been on indefinite strike for the last four days. More than one lakh branch post offices across the country have been closed down because of the strike. They were resenting Central government’s attitude towards their long pending demands. 

It may be recalled that GDS went on strike in May this year for 16 days with several demands. They were demanding better service conditions. Though government assured to appoint a cabinet sub-committee to look into their demands and made them to call of their strike in May, nothing was done since then, alleged the leaders. “Except in scales and maternity leave issues, we were kept in dark regarding other demands.

We protested on several occasions during the last six months. We have no alternative but to go for strike again within six months,” said the State President of National Union of Gramin Dak Sevaks (NUGDS) M Murali. He said that, all the GDS employees across the country are not attending duties and services were totally disrupted.

The government and department have been exerting pressure on them through various means to call off the strike but never tried to call their leaders for deliberations and to resolve the demands amicably. The department has warned the GDS of taking disciplinary action on them if they do not resume their duties by calling off the strike.

They threated to implement the Emergency Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) also on the striking GDS. The Department of Posts has sent circulars to all the divisional offices to issue show cause notices to GDS, who were on strike. Condemning this attitude, Murali has said that they will not go back. 

The national leaders of GDS have already made their stand clear in this regard. “ESMA was not imposed on any government employees so far. Even, one or two states have tried to invoke it but could not succeed to do so. GDS need not worry about such warnings as the government cannot resort to such an act on 2.5 lakh GDS,” he averred.

The GDS associations were asking the government to implement all the recommendations of the committee that looked into their demands from January 1, 2016. The same date should be taken into consideration for giving retirement benefits. Other demands include the increase in gratuity amount from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh and additional increments for those who have completed 12, 24 and 36 years of service.

GDS wanted the implementation of three types of voluntary retirement schemes to those who wish to retire at the age of 65 years. Also, they want to convert all single-handed branch post offices as double-handed post offices by sanctioning another post. 

Former MP Chinta Mohan and MLC Y Srinivasulu Reddy have visited the GDS protest camp at the Head Post Office and expressed their solidarity to their demands. GDS leaders E Sivarami Reddy, G Satyanarayana, A Sankar Reddy, S Shafiulla, K Eswaraiah Naidu, P Reddeppa, I Ravi and others were present at the camp.