EDITORIAL POSTAL CRUSADER SEPTEMBER-2017

HISTORIC STRIKE 23^rd AUGUST-2017

After a long gap One Day Strike on 23^rd August -2017 was conducted by NFPE alone and only for Postal Sectional Demands. This was the decision taken in Federal Council held at Guwahati from 7^th to 9^th September, 2016.

In so many AICs and CWCs of our affiliated unions this demand was raised. This was the concern of many of our Comrades that so many internal problems are emerging in the Department which are adversely affecting our members and fellow workers.

NFPE Federal Executive held on 12.05.2017 at North Avenue, New Delhi decided a phased programme of action and chalked out 10 points charter of demands covering the burning problems of all sections.

We as NFPE submitted a memorandum to Secretary Post on 5.06.2017 intimating the decision of Federal Executive about phased agitational programmes culminating in to one day strike on 23^rd August-2017.

Secretary Post appealed us not to go on strike and gave a reply on each of our demand on 16^th June-2017. We again wrote a letter to him on 19^th June under which we clearly mentioned that we want things to move and settle in a time bound manner. Instead of assurances, we want result oriented action.

All of our phased programmes were conducted successfully. 1^st phase of programme i.e. Mass Dharna in front of all divisional offices on dated 20.06.2017 , IInd programme Mass Dharna in front of all Circle/Regional Offices on 12.07.2017 and IIIrd programme Mass Dharna in front of Dak Bhawan (Postal Directorate) , New Delhi on 26.07.2017 were conducted successfully.

We submitted strike notice for One Day Strike on 23.08.2017 to Secretary (P) on 26.07.2017.

The Department again appealed  NFPE and intimated that out of your ten demands, three demands (1)Membership Verification of GDS (2) Cadre Restructuring of P-3 and (3) CGHS facility for all Postal Pensioners have been settled. But our Main Demand i.e GDS Committee Report implementation and declaration of result of regular Membership Verification along with  others were not settled and we were told that the file of result of Membership Verification as been submitted to Minister (C)  and GDS Committee report is in process in Finance  Ministry. For  other demands we were told that necessary action is being taken by the Department on each demand and these are time taking  matters. We were requested to defer or call off the strike but we told clearly that without result we will not defer the strike.

Some of our Comrades were having some doubts that we are going on strike alone. Whether it will get success or not? But our Comrades, the soldiers of NFPE  have proved again that NFPE has such potential and the strike was made  grand success by our Comrades and grass root level leaders and workers for which , we on behalf of NFPE  extend thanks , congratulations and revolutionary greetings to entire rank and file.

This strike has boosted the moral of our Comrades and once again we have carried forward the legacy of our fore fathers.

The Strike was very good in some Circles e.g. Kerala, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam, North East, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It was good in Circles i.e. Telangana, UP, MP, AP, Punjab, Haryana, HP, and Bihar. In some circles like Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Gujarat and J&K it was average or partial. We have to find out our weakness and try to remove and get ready for future struggles as the coming time is going to very tough for Working Class and Trade unions. The neo-liberal economic policies being pursued by the Central Government are posing so many threats on the constitutional rights of Working Class. We have to understand these policies being guided by the politics  of present Government which are adversely affecting the interest of Common workers. We are badly suffering with the shortage of staff in each section of our Department. The procedure adopted by the Department for recruitment is not adequate to meet out the situation. Every employee is over burdened. The poor GDS are waiting for their wage revision. The implementation of Kamleshchadra Committee report is being delayed unnecessarily. The result of regular membership verification is also being delayed politically. So many new services are being introduced in the Department without caring the employees and proper infrastructure Due to introduction of technology more frauds are being committed and innocent employees are being made victim under contributory negligence factor. Payment of revised wages and arrears as per 6^th CPC and 7^th CPC is not being made to the poor Casual labourers. We will not allow any type of privatization and out sourcing in our Department..

The Cadre restructuring for left our categories other than P-III is also pending for more than two years in nodal ministries. The new pension scheme is also harmful for the new recruits and it will prove as No Pension Scheme after watching the behavior, activities and functioning of Corporates and Companies in whom this fund of NPS will be invested.

There is more work pressure on each employee and Now a day’s every employee is working more than 8 hours and they are highly stressed. So to give some relief to them 2 days weekly off is required to meet out their domestic and social requirements. When 5 days week is already in operation in administrative officers than why it cannot be implemented for all to give them natural justice.

Struggle for unity and unity for struggle is our slogan. We believe in unity and we tried our best to conduct the agitational programmes including strike under united platform but our sister unions were not ready to go on agitational path.

 Therefore, we decided to go alone and we got success. We should try for unity but we should not fall victim of unity sickness. Though the action has been started in Department on our demands but we want to make it clear that our struggle will not stop here and we will keep our fight continuously and consistently till our demands are met.

If no proper result comes within stipulated period we can again go on serious agitational programme including indefinite strike.

Therefore, NFPE after extending revolutionary greetings to all the Comrades appeals the entirety of Postal, RMS and GDS to keep the tempo high and get ready for another struggle.