Postal employees cease work, hold protest demonstration
From our Special Correspondent
SILCHAR, Dec 12: Postal employees along with all central government employees across Barak Valley today observed ‘cease work’ and held protest demonstration in front of the zonal post office here today in support of their 15 point charter of demands. They also raised slogans intermittently during their day-long protest. They were addressed by Soumitra Baishya as well as Sudip Ranjan Dey, union leaders in order to make them aware of their demands and the justification for the strike.
The demands as outlined included constitution of 7th pay commission on the basis of January 1, 2011 and to enhance their dearness allowance by 50 per cent on that basis. The dearness allowance of gramin dak seva employees should be linked with time related continuing allowance. The pension to them should be paid according to the old rules and there should be no FDI in it.
The services of the gramin dak employees should be treated as government employees and extended all the facilities and allowances in order to remove disparity. New pay structure is to be decided after every 5 years on the pattern followed for employees of nationalized organizations and their pay should be paid on enhanced rate from January 1, 2011. One among the deceased family of the central government employee is to be provided job and the cap on 5 per cent quota has to be abolished.
The charter of demands has also pressed for lifting of ban on recruitment and creation of new posts as required, besides abolishment of all sorts of retrenchment, contract and outsourcing. New rates for overtime works should be introduced. Productivity linked bonus for all is to be made effective and the ceiling on it should be done away with. The right to protest and strike should not be disturbed and any employee for his affiliation to any union should not be penalized and that central government employees have to be assured of at least 5 promotions during their service period, they demanded.
Hammering on these demands and for their implementation without delay, the All India Postal Union, Cachar division, under the banner of Central Government Employees Federation, also pressed for settlement of their pending arbitration awards, regularization of the services of casual and contingency employees and above all drastic measures to check unabated inflation. The union leaders have cautioned the authorities concerned that if their demands are not met, they will have no option than to intensify their agitation.
Source: http://www.sentinelassam.com
