CAMPAIGN MATERIAL ON THE 17 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDS OF POSTAL JCA

CAMPAIGN MATERIAL ON THE 17 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDS OF POSTAL JCA

     Dear Comrades / Colleagues - A campaign material on the 17 Points Charter of Demands is placed hereunder by the Postal Joint Council of Action. Download the material and translate into respective Regional languages and use for effective campaigning amongst the employees.

Serve the Strike Notice at all levels on 4.6.2010 jointly by all Unions of Postal JCA when the All India Postal JCA of NFPE - FNPO - AIPEDEU - NUGDS will be serving the Notice on the Department of Posts.

1. Drop the move to outsource any function of the DoP including on the recommendations of McKinsey – Cancel the decision to close down 'C' Class Post Offices – Cancel the orders for down gradation of EDSOs into ED BOs and closure of EDBOs - Roll back steps of privatisation of speed post processing and mail conveyance and data entry work.

The decision of the Postal Board to summarily close down maximum single handed urban TSOs is most retrograde and against to the interest of service. It is nothing but a ruse mentioning the matter of convenience of taking leave by the officials as claimed by the department behind this move but withdrawal of postal services in the existing post offices is aimed in order to outsource the operations through franchisees. The orders on down-gradation of all GDS SOs into GDS BOs and closures of GDS BOs with the neighbouring Departmental TSOs are other retrograde steps with the ulterior motive for the introduction of more franchisee outlets. These steps will result in withdrawal of services to public and also cause adverse impact on staff interests. The Circle Administration here and there commenced operations to privatize the processing of speed post articles and outsource the mail conveyance and data entry work. The outsourcing and privatizing of postal operations is a negative step and huge revenue of the department is being diverted to private concerns. All these retrograde steps are to be rolled back by the Department.


2. Stop violations in the Agreements on Status Quo of RMS & MMS as well as the merger of RMS with less than 10,000 mails – Create scientific norms for the work in CRC, Speed Post, Logistics and EPP – Cancel the orders for replacing the General Line HSG-I by ASPOs in Mail Offices.

Despite agreements reached between the Department and the Staff Side, the Circle Administration in different circles are taking the liberty to close down RMS Offices and transfer headquarters with men and material in violation of the agreements. The attempts of Maharashtra Circle Administration to merge different RMS Offices with more than 10,000 letter mail volume and thus disturbing the status quo agreed to by the Department on 30th November high level discussions is an example. The Administration in total violation of the Statutory Rules is replacing the HSG-I General Line officials with the ASPOs based on some discussions and decisions taken in the workshop held at Bangalore among the officers and without any discussions with the staff side. These violations of agreements and statutory rules are to be rolled back immediately. The earlier agreement arrived with staff side to keep the mail offices with 10000 letter mails per day should be honoured in true spirit.

 JCM Departmental Council meetings; Periodical Meetings with Federations; Sending of the issue of discrimination of pay scales between the Telecom TBOP/BCR and Postal TBOP/BCR w.e.f. 1.1.1996 to Board of Arbitration; and Holding of GDS Committee Meetings periodically with GDS Unions.

Despite reconstitution of Departmental Council JCM and submission of subjects by the Staff Side, no meeting of JCM Departmental Council is being convened. This negotiating forum has been locked up for years together and that is undermining the very basis of joint consultations on staff issues and unilateral implementation of several retrograde orders taking place. Similarly no Periodical Meeting with the Federations and All India Unions are taking place for a very long time and no such meeting has been convened despite recognition granted to the Federations. Similarly the holding of GDS Committee meetings has never re-commenced for a very long time which denies the only opportunity of negotiations to the GDS cadre on their genuine issues. Even the meeting of Departmental Anomaly Committee that has met once in which the staff side insisted for parity of pay scales between the Telecom TBOP/BCR and Postal TBOP/BCR w.e.f. 1.1.1996 but the Official side has not even recorded any disagreement on that issue for referring to arbitration. All these fora of negotiations should commence regular meetings and the issue of pay parity with Telecom should go for arbitration.

4. Stop harassment of staff under Project Arrow – No extraction of work against Rules – No extraction of work beyond 8 Hours – No drafting of staff on duty and for Training etc on Sundays and Holidays – No harassment in the name of 100% Delivery – Withdrawal of all Punishments awarded to Postmen for minor non-delivery of articles.

In the Project Arrow Offices the staffs are being harassed to violate Manuals of Department but all such orders are kept as oral orders. The Staff side insists that all orders with regard to the functioning of the Project Arrow should be issued in writing by the Officers and no staff should be forced to implement oral orders of officers. There shall be no extraction of work against the Departmental Rules. The harassment against Postmen for 100% delivery should be stopped forthwith as 100% delivery is humanly impossible without violating Rules. There should be no drafting of Staff for training or duty on Sundays and Holidays without compensatory off and monetary compensation as well as expenses towards travelling etc. The full complementary strength as per blue book instructions should be maintained in Project Arrow Offices for which measurers like exclusive leave reserve staff for such offices shall be stationed without disturbing the actual strength of other offices. Punishments awarded for short of 100% delivery should be withdrawn immediately and Officers at all levels are to be instructed not to be vindictive. The unilateral extension of counter hours without providing staff and harassing the staff to look after the additional work without any compensation should be dispensed with. Ordering the officials to attend all Sundays and holidays without any off or weekly holidays to complete the pending work for core banking solutions should be stopped forthwith. The ILO norms on weekly holidays should be honoured.

5. Fill up all vacant posts: [a] Undertake reassessment of vacancies in PA/SA cadre to rectify mistaken calculation of vacancies in all circles; [b] Fill up all vacant posts in all cadres in Department of Posts [Postal, RMS, MMS, Admn, DPLI, Postal Accounts, SBCO, Civil Wing etc] as on 31.12.2009; [c] Allow local recruitment as one time measure in Postal Accounts similar to 1997 at Sundernagar.

There are large numbers of vacancies unfilled even now in different cadres. There were grave calculation errors in almost all the circles in assessing the vacancies of PA/SA cadre resulting more than 30 to 40% vacancies in the sanctioned establishment posts. The vacancies occurred due to LSG promotions were not taken as vacancies of those particular years. The vacancies kept under residual vacancies are not filled up and more than 5000 PA/SA vacancies are still kept unfilled under this category. This error should be rectified by causing reassessment of vacancies in all circles duly taking all the unfilled up vacancies in the establishment register and roll of the divisions as on 31.12.2009 as current year vacancies for 2009 and filled up the same in a time bound manner. As far as the Postal Accounts is concerned, local recruitment similar to 1997 recruitment at Sundernagar has to be permitted as one-time measure to come out from the heavy shortage of staff prevailing there. All vacant posts in all cadres of PA/SA postal; PA/SA RMS; Drivers and Workshop staff in MMS; PA CO in CO/RO/DPLI; PA SBCO; Postman/Mailguards/Multi Task Staff; and Civil Wing Ministerial and Technical should be filled up.

6. Comprehensive Cadre Restructuring of Group 'C' employees in PA/SA Cadre; [b] Withdrawal of unilateral orders on piecemeal cadre restructuring of Postmasters' cadre until comprehensive Cadre Restructuring of PA/SA cadre is completed; [c] Comprehensive Cadre Restructuring of LDC, Sorters & DEOs in Postal Accounts by amalgamation into a single Accounts Assistants cadre in the pay of Pb-1 with 2400 GP; [d] Comprehensive Cadre restructuring in PA CO cadre in CO/RO/DPLI; [e] Comprehensive cadre Restructuring of PA/SA cadre in SBCO; and [f] Comprehensive cadre restructuring of Postmen/Mailguard/Multi Task Staff.

Proposals for comprehensive cadre restructuring of all cadres in Postal Department was submitted immediately after the formal meeting held by the Secretary [P] on 13.01.2009 but even after one year and five months, no action has been initiated so far in this matter. The cadre restructuring in other CG Departments like Income Tax and Railways are gone to final stages. Unfortunately, the Department instead of going into comprehensive cadre restructuring of Group 'C' officials, has preferred to unilaterally restructure the 'Postmasters' cadre' distorting the existing promotional structure on the face of staff side objections. We demand immediate measures to comprehensively restructure all the cadres in the Department of Posts including the PA/SA in Postal and RMS/MMS, the Postal Accounts, Circle Offices, DPLI, SBCO, Postmen/Mailguards, Multi Task Staff.

7. Grant of Pension, Departmental status to GDS extending the all benefits such as HRA/CCA, ACP etc, including Trade Union rights and welfare measurers – Remove discrimination on Bonus ceiling – Modify the 20,000 unilateral imposition of cash handling work points for GDS BPMs – Withdraw orders denying revised TRCA w.e.f. 1.1.2006 in respect of BPMs – Compute work norms to all types of work performed including NREGS, PLI,RPLI, Pension Payments etc to GDS – Implement enhanced Social Security to GDS like Ex-Gratia Gratuity and Severance Amount w.e.f. 1.1.2006.

Retirement benefits like ex-gratia and severance amount which were enhanced as recommended by the GDS Committee should be paid w.e.f. 1.1.2006 since all retirement benefits to regular employees on the recommendations of 6th CPC were implemented not from a prospective date but from 1.1.2006. Comprehensive schemes for departmentalisation of GDS by allocating proper work norms for PLI/RPLI, NREGS, Pension MOs and Bill Payments etc to enhance the work hours of GDS for facilitating departmentalisation should be worked out. Now with the large scale of expansion of PLI/RPLI as well as NREGS work coming up in a big way, there shall be change of approach towards GDS System to comprehensively departmentalise them. Grant of Pension, Grant of all benefits, Grant of Trade Union facilities, Grant of Welfare measurers etc to GDS shall be considered. The discrimination perpetrated in the name of GDS Committee to deny the parity on the matter of PLB Ceiling of 3500/- should be removed. The unscientific tightening of BPM work norms by enhancing the quantum of cash handling to 20,000/- per point should be modified.

8. Grant of Parity in Pay Scale [PB-1 with GP 2400/-] for MMS Drivers on par with Drivers of Parliament Secretariat – Recruitment of adequate number of Drivers – Sanction of OSA for the long distance logistics van drivers of MMS – Technology training to Work Shop staff and grant of Data Entry Operators scale of pay to Work Shop Staff.

The Drivers in MMS are to be granted PB-1 with GP 2400/- on par with the Drivers of Parliament Secretariat and all vacancies of Drivers shall be filled up immediately taking into account of total mail vans including the new vans purchased. The Drivers engaged in long distance logistics vans shall be granted with OSA. The Work shop staffs are to be imparted with the technology training and since they are involved in operations of computers for maintenance of modern power vehicles, they should be granted with the pay scale of PB-1 with 2400/- GP. There should be a system of third party insurance for Government vehicles also to off-set the liability of recovery of compensation from the Drivers on accidents.

9. Implement Supreme Court Orders for revision of wages from 1.1.2006 [6th CPC wages] to all RRR Candidates, Casual Labourers, Contingent staff, GDS Substitutes etc – Grant Temporary Status to eligible Full Time Status Casual labourers; Convert Part Time into Full Time; Absorb Full Time, Part Time, contingent in vacant GDS Posts.

All Casual labourers other than those conferred with Temporary Status are to be granted refixation of wages on the basis of minimum wages granted by the 6th CPC for corresponding category of staff w.e.f. 1.1.2006. The non-fixation of revised wages by the Department of Posts is contrary to Apex Court Judgement and directions. The GDS substitutes also shall be refixed with their wages on par with the revised GDS Wages w.e.f. 1.1.2006. It is seen that several eligible full time casual labourers in Department of Posts for conferment of Temporary Status are denied the status; Part Time casual labourers are not converted into full time casual labourers wherever possible; no recruitment as GDS is taking place from amongst the casual labourers. The casual labourers of all types are to be comprehensively absorbed in to the main stream either by granting temporary status or by providing GDS appointments as one time measure.

10. Fill up all vacancies of Postmen and Mailguards - Roll back the unscientific scheme of Single Postman Beat System – Modify certain unscientific work norms of Postmen / MTS finalised by Work Study Unit - Enhance the Postman Double Duty Allowance as per the recommendations of 6th CPC.

All vacancies of Postmen/Mailguards are to be filled up immediately. The unscientific insistence for conversion of double postmen beats into single postman beats should be stopped and reversed and at least blind insistence of single beat system in metro cities should be dropped in order to maintain efficiency and to compete the couriers. The work norms finalised by the department on the recommendations of Work Study Unit is unscientific in some areas, like delivery of ordinary letters; delivery of CD Articles etc. There is no time factor allotted for delivering 'Intimations' to addressees. There is no limit prescribed for the maximum distance of a Postman beat which is leading to construction of very lengthy beats for more than 50 kilometres, which is unscientific and humanly impossible. The double duty allowance payable to Postmen cannot be construed as overtime allowance but should be equated to at least to a minimum of a postman specific allowance paid for looking after the entire work of the absentee postmen. This allowance has to be enhanced by delinking this allowance from the concept of OTA.

11. Remove all local anomalies in MACP Scheme like application of benchmark for the period prior to introduction of MACP Scheme; Grant MACP on 'Average' benchmark like Department of Railways; Denial of MACP for acts of denial of regular promotion earlier to introduction of MACP; Denial to grant PB-2 while upgradation to Grade Pay 4200 and above to Group 'C' Officials etc.

MACP scheme is introduced in department of posts with several local anomalies. Prior to introduction of MACP scheme we were covered under the TBOP/BCR Scheme in which the question of 'benchmark' did not exist for grant of promotion or upgradation. Therefore the 'benchmark' should not be applied for the earlier years prior to introduction of MACP scheme. Moreover we find that the Railways have granted MACP on 'average' benchmark only. Similarly in the earlier system of TBOP/BCR, declination of regular promotion did not affect grant of TBOP/BCR and therefore the declination of regular promotion if any by officials in the past shall not be taken against grant of MACP for the past years before introduction of MACP. The Departmental orders on MACP wrongly denied PB-2 even when officials are to be upgraded into 4200/- GP and this mistake should be rectified by appropriate corrigendum. There are several queries raised and wrong implementation resorted to in many circles and therefore a comprehensive clarificatory instruction from Directorate with appropriate illustrations should be issued.

12. Creation of System Administrators Cadre with higher pay scales and absorption of all System Administrators in the new cadre during initial composition – Uniform Norms for System Administrators including work hours, number of systems, distance factor – Financial compensation for special and extra work performed by System Administrators.

There approximately more than 2000 System Administrators working in Department of Posts without any such cadre creation. Their work is above the work of data entry operators. Either their work is comparable to System Engineers or to Data Processing Assistants or hence they should be a separate cadre with higher pay scales. A separate cadre should be created forthwith duly considering the cadre restructuring proposals submitted by the Group C unions and the existing systems administrators should be absorbed in the newly elevated creation posts by conducting a simple trade test. There are no uniform norms for their work, work hours, attendance etc. Their work should be codified with number of systems as well as distance factor uniformly. Additional financial compensation for special and extra work they put in shall be provided for.


13. Early finalisation of Recruitment Rules for upgraded Group 'C' in PB-1 with 1800 GP – Ensure present system of absorption of GDS and TS CLS in Group 'D' posts into the new RR without insisting for the educational qualification – Filling up all the posts of Multi Tasking Staff without any delay.

The Recruitment Rules for upgraded Group 'C' in PB-1 with GP 1800 is yet to be released in Department of Posts even after the model RR released by the DOPT. It should be ensured that the present system of recruitment into the cadre of Group 'D' from amongst the GDS and TS CLs on 75:25 basis without any condition on minimum educational qualifications should continue. These sections have been adversely affected due to large scale abolition of Group D vacancies in the recent past. Early finalisation of RR and commencement of recruitment should be ordered.

14. Amalgamation of Group 'C' Accounts Cadres of DoP and DoT.

The DoP and DoT Accounts have been merged but this merger has been restricted to Group 'B' and above cadres only. The Committee headed by Chief PMG Delhi Circle Shri.Ragahvlal had recommended that the merger of Group 'C' cadre of DoP and DoT should follow some time later than the merger of Group 'B'. Action may be initiated for merger of Group 'C' Accounts Cadre also.


15. Roll back of the Decentralisation of PLI/RPLI work – Augment required staff strength in PLI branch of CO/RO/DPLI –Maintain centralized accounting system through the Office of DPLI Kolkata – Fill up the vacant posts of COs/ROs/DPLI Kolkata to manage huge shortage;

In the background of technology introduction in the field of PLI/RPLI and its further modernisation, we suggest that there is no need for decentralised work in PLI/PRLI to avoid duplication of work. Due to heavy shortage in operative offices and divisions, the arrangement of extracting the work of PLI/RPLI from the field staff without augmenting their strength is causing difficulties. It is better to augment the PLI Branches of CO/RO to the minimum level and centralise the work in CO/RO with modern technology for better efficiency and customer satisfaction. The accounting system should be centralised and maintained through the Office of DPLI Kolkata. Simultaneously all vacant posts in CO/RO/DPLI should be filled up without further delay.

16. Parity of scale of pay of Ministerial Cadre in Postal Civil Wing on par with the Postal Assistants and upgradation of posts of Works Clerk Grade –II/Grade-I/Head Clerk – Filling up of all vacant posts of technical as well as ministerial posts – Creation of one Civil Wing Circle for each Postal Circle.

The Ministerial cadre in Postal Civil Wing may be restructured on par with the Postal Assistants. The posts of Works Clerk Grade-II/Grade-I/Head Clerk shall be upgraded. All vacant posts in both technical and ministerial posts in civil wing shall be immediately filled up. We urge for creation of Civil Wing Units for each Postal Circle instead of the present arrangement for better management of civil wing work.

17. Regularise the HSG-I, HSG-II, LSG arrangements and grant Officiating Pay & Allowances to all Officials holding the posts.

Once an official is ordered to work in a post with higher responsibilities he/she should be paid the Pay of corresponding higher posts. The denial of officiating pay and allowances for officials who officiated against the HSG-I and HSG-II / LSG posts was struck down by the Courts. Still the officiating pay and allowances to such officials is not sanctioned and officials in HSGII and LSG were ordered to officiate in higher posts without any higher officiating pay. The cases referred by Tamilnadu circle and West Bengal with regard to grant of officiating pay for the past cases may decided favourably. Immediate orders for payment of higher pay and allowances should be issued by Directorate.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Sd/- Sd/-



[D.Theagarajan]                                                                                                              [K.Ragavendran]
Secretary General                                                                                                      Secretary General
FNPO                                                                                                                        NFPE

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K.Ragavendran

Secretary General NFPE