Thursday 31 October 2019

LDCE for promotion to PS Gr-B cadre scheduled to be held on 01.12.2019 postponed


Merger of identified Postmaster Grade POs with other POs consequent upon merger of Postmaster Cadre with General line




Veteran Trade Union Leader Gurudas Dasgupta expired.

Com. Gurudas Dasgupta, a Veteran Trade Union Leader, former MP and a great politician expired on 31.10.2019 in Kolkata.

Gurudas Dasgupta became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1985. He was elected as the General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in 2001.

 In 2004, he was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Panskura in West Bengal. In 2009, he was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from Ghatal in West Bengal.

 He is a member of JPC on 2G spectrum case and accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of "dereliction of duty", alleging that he (the PM) was fully aware of irregularities in dispensing of telecom licences. He cited a note from then Cabinet Secretary, stating the value of licences of spectrum should be increased.

On behalf of NFPE, Odisha State CoC, we convey our deep condolences  to the bereaved family members.

Let the divine soul rest in eternal peace.

Wednesday 30 October 2019

Meeting of NFPE Odisha State CoC on 10.11.2019



No. P3NFPE-Odisha/03 - 10/2019
Dated at Bhubaneswar the 29th October, 2019
To
All Circle Union Office bearers 
AIPEU, Gr-C, Odisha Circle

Sub: Programme of action by NFPE, Odisha State CoC in connection with Nationwide Strike on 08.01.2020

Dear Comrades,
Please find attached here with NFPE Odisha State CoC Circular No. NFPE – ODI / 05 / 2019, dated 29.10.2019 on the above subject which is self-explanatory.

 It has been decided to conduct a joint meeting of all the Circle Secretaries and Circle Union Office bearers of all NFPE Unions in Odisha Circle in the PRC, Bhubaneswar GPO on 10.11.2019 at 10 AM to decide the future programme of actions to be undertaken in Odisha Circle to make the forthcoming one day strike on 08.01.2020 successful.

Therefore, all elected Circle Union office bearers are requested to make it convenient to attend the above meeting as scheduled.


With struggle greetings.
Comradely yours,
 
(Bruhaspati Samal)
Circle Secretary

Copy for kind information to all Divisional Secretaries of AIPEU, Gr-C, Odisha Circle.


No. NFPE – ODI / 05 / 2019
Dated at Bhubaneswar the 29th October, 2019

To
All Circle Secretaries
NFPE Odisha State Coordination Committee

Sub:-Programme of action by NFPE, Odisha State CoC in connection with Nationwide Strike on 08.01.2020

Dear Comrades,
A copy of the declaration made in the National Open Convention of Workers held in New Delhi on 30.09.2019 along with the programme of action during next three months culminating to one day strike on 8th January, 2020 is attached here with which is self-explanatory.

In this context, as the first phase programme, it has been decided to conduct a joint meeting of all the Circle Secretaries and Circle Union Office bearers of all NFPE Unions in Odisha Circle in the PRC, Bhubaneswar GPO on 10.11.2019 at 10 AM to decide the future programme of actions to be undertaken in Odisha Circle to make the forthcoming one day strike on 08.01.2020 successful.

Therefore, it is sincerely requested to motivate all your elected office bearers for effective participation in the above meeting. Though the number of participants from each union/association is expected to be 15, yet, all the Circle Secretaries are requested to intimate the actual number of participants latest by 07.11.2019 so that we can make lunch arrangement on the day.

Expecting your whole-hearted cooperation.

With struggle greetings.

Comradely yours,

(Bruhaspati Samal)
Chairman
NFPE Odisha State CoC 

30th September 2019, Parliament Street, New Delhi

DECLARATION

The Modi-led BJP Government has completed its 100 days of its second term in Office. And the country and her people are facing a continuing economic slowdown, continuing job-losses, sky-rocketing unemployment, widening and deepening impoverishment, faster decline in average level of earnings, reckless privatisation and foreignisation of national productive assets, destruction of indigenous manufacturing capabilities leading to deindustrialization and abnormal rise of economic inequality in the society to an obscene level- mocking at the slogan of “sabka sath sabka vikash”. Now, with a greater arrogance, the same destructive economic policies targeting the democratic rights and livelihood of the mass of the people are being pursued, setting in motion further worsening of the situation.   And more undemocratically than ever before – be it the passing of Wage Code Bill, introduction of Code on Occupational Health, Safety and Working Conditions, amendment to the RTI Act to cripple it, amendment to Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to make it even more draconian and vindictive, abrogation of Article 370 without consulting people of J & K, in fact by gagging them, or rendering lakhs of people homeless/ stateless through the NRC process. Now many BJP ruled states have been advocating for NRC process to divide people on communal lines. This ongoing destructive process must be combated for the unity of the people. 
Each and every demand in the 12-point charter, of the Central Trade Unions, independent federations and associations, supported by the Joint National Forums of Peasants’ Organizations and highlighted through various agitations with a continuity such as nation-wide strikes on 2nd September 2015  2nd September 2016, the three day Maha-padav, on 9--11th Nov, 2017  before the Parliament, the Nationwide strike by Scheme Workers on 17th January 2018, Satyagrah and protests in almost all the states on varying dates beginning from 23rd January to 23rd February 2018 and the two-days’ strike on 8-9 January, 2019,  adoption of ‘Workers’ Charter’ in a joint national convention of trade unions on 5th March on the eve of the general elections, have simply been ignored by the BJP Government. The budget presented on 5th July was out and out pro-corporate and anti-common people. The Government has announced its intention to introduce the remaining two Codes: Code on Social Security and the Code on Industrial Relations, all together aiming at imposing conditions of extreme exploitation of the working people. 

The Central Govt. not only failed to respond to the genuine demands of the working people, but continued its brazen aggression against the rights of workers, in the interest of their Corporate masters. Bipartism and tripartism is given a go-by. Labour laws are being sought to be overhauled in favour of the employers’ class.  The BJP Govt. continues to vindictively deprive the biggest Central Trade Union in the country, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) from all representations. No Indian Labour Conference has been held after July, 2015. Pre-budget consultations have become a shame. 

Continuing phenomenon of alarmingly increasing unemployment along with joblosses across the sectors, declining GDP rates, increasing gap between the rich and the poor- all revealing a terminal slowdown in the national economy  are sought to be brushed under the carpet by fudging figures. The phenomenon of closure and shut-down of automobile industries and the ancillaries and the forecast of huge job-losses including in the IT sector is adding fuel to the fire. Price-rise of essential commodities including public transport, electricity, medicines etc is mounting miseries on daily lives of the people in general, both in urban and rural areas, leading to widening as well as deepening impoverishment. Drastic cut in Government expenditure in social sector and various welfare schemes has made the conditions of workers, particularly those in unorganized sector more precarious. 

The anti-labour authoritarian character of the Government is all the more evident in their refusal to implement even the consensus recommendations (in which the Government was also a party) of the successive Indian Labour Conferences in respect of equal pay and benefits for equal work for the contract workers, formulation of minimum wage and workers status for the scheme workers viz., Anganwadi, Mid-Day-Meal and ASHA etc. have not been implemented. Shockingly, the Labour Minister in the Modi Government contradicted their own Committee’s recommendation on National Minimum Wage (which in itself was in contravention of the recommendations of the 15th ILC) by declaring a ridiculous figure of Rs.4628/-pm instead ! Replacing gradually the workers by apprentices through NEEM, Fixed Term Employment etc, to grossly alter the employment-relations towards slavery, amendments in Prevention of Child Labour Act to allow employment of Child Labour, reduction in ESI contributions and the move for pro-employer Amendment of EPF&MP Act, including attempts to corporatize the EPFO and the ESIC-- all such anti-worker steps are justified as incentives to employers for ease of doing their business at the cost of workers. The Government stubbornly refuses to implement the recent Judgments of the Supreme Court on issue of “equal wage and benefits for same work” and on EPS, 1995 on contribution and calculation of pension on actual pay and dearness allowance. On the other hand, the Government is misusing the tax-payers money to incentivise the defaulting employers to implement laws such as the Maternity Benefit Act and the EPF Act.

Another assault has come through the move for amendment of the Trade Union Act 1926. The Government intends to change the definition of the Central Trade Unions and their recognition procedure as per discretion of the executive.  The mala fide intention is also to have Govt. interference into the functioning and internal matters of trade unions.

Aggressive move for Privatization of even all the strategic PSUs and government sector through different routes, including Defense Production, Public Sector Banks and Insurance and also Railways, public road transport, Ports, coal, power, steel, Petroleum etc through disinvestment, strategic sale, outsourcing in favour of private sector, promoting 100 per cent FDI in defense, railways, coal, and many vital, strategic sectors is increasing day by day. Deliberate and vindictive weakening of Air India, BSNL, MTNL, not allowing them level playing field, is being carried on with a destructive zeal in total disregard to the human sufferings (no salaries for months together). Plundering and looting the RBI reserves to contain budget deficit caused by tax concessions to the Corporates is going to destabilize our economy further. Defence Sector privatization move is actually designed to destroy the indigenous Research initiatives and manufacturing capability, -demonstrating a betrayal of national interests. The dubious game plan to outsource more than 50 per cent products including weapons and critical equipments, being produced by the Ordinance establishments is finally followed up by move to corporatizing the Ordnance Factories to facilitate complete privatization.  Complete privatization of the Railways, step by step, is going on. Operating private trains on the existing tracks built by Railways and free access of railway yards/workshops/sheds for private players is being permitted. Railway Printing Presses are being closed. Railway production units are being corporatized to facilitate privatization.  Besides the railway employees becoming the worst victims, mass of the common people will suffer more owing to inevitable hike of railway fares and increase in freight charges owing to elimination of subsidies in passenger fares and freight on essential commodities. 

The Government has announced another round of merger of 10 Public Sector Banks into four despite negative impact of previous rounds of merger, on banking services and employment. The reasons being offered for merger are utterly false and deceptive.  The lowering of interest rate on deposits of common people will make them suffer, particularly the senior citizens who depend on it in absence of any meaningful pension. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) procedure legitimizes the loot of the bank money by the defaulting corporate besides neglecting the dues of the workers of the bankrupt companies. In addition to all these the Government is entering into free trade agreements with different countries and group of countries like Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which is detrimental to our economic sovereignty. 

The plight of the unorganized sector workers is even worse, as they bear the brunt of the ongoing economic slowdown despite their sizable contribution to GDP. Their number will swell as the workers lose employment in formal sectors. Construction workers, beedi workers, street vendors, domestic workers, loading/unloading workers had separate laws/welfare boards. Instead of making them functional, they are sought to be abolished through social security code exercise. The Government has made a cruel joke on them promising first pension under PMSYPY of Rs.3000/-pm in the year 2039 !  It is even forcing this so-called voluntary scheme on the scheme workers. The government employees are demanding scrapping of NPS and restoration of the old Pension Scheme.  Sections such as home based workers, waste recyclers, salt workers have no legal protection whatsoever.

But the workers have not accepted these measures meekly, as shown by the surge of struggles all around. Workers of 41 ordnance factories across the country went on total strike from 20th August for a month against the corporatisation move forcing the Govt to step back for the time being just after five days of the complete historic strike.  The Government’s plan to corporatize seven Railway production units was immediately responded to by protest actions by the mass of the workers and their family members.  The bank merger news was denounced by nation-wide protest demonstrations of bank employees and officers. Now, strike action is being planned in the banking sector.  The coal workers have staged a massive strike action on 24th September, 2019 against allowing 100% FDI in coal sector. There have been   agitations in various CPSUs, including the core and strategic sectors like Energy, Petroleum, Telecom, Metal, Steel, Mining, Machine Building, Road, Air and Water Transport, Port & Dock against the government plans to privatise them. The Convention extends full support to these struggles. 

The Convention notes with dismay that this Government, spinelessly surrendered to threat and pressure of their private corporate masters, indigenous and foreign, by shamelessly withdrawing the measures for making the shortfall in CSR spending by private corporates a criminal offence and also withdrawing the surcharge on speculative profits of foreign portfolio investors.  Shri Modi had to placate them in his 15th August speech, saying they are the “wealth creators” and cannot be viewed with suspicion. This is over and above the budget announcement of the huge sop of reducing the income tax rate by 5% for the 99.3% of the corporates. Now in the name of addressing the economic slowdown, the Finance Minister has further announced cutting back taxes on corporate from 30% to 22% whereas the workers and employees have to pay the same 30% income tax.  The stimulus package to the tune of Rs.1.4 lakh crores, a bonanza to the corporates, does not increase the purchasing power of the working people, does not create any jobs or even does not ensure job security to the workers being retrenched every day, will further aggravate the recession.

Now the BJP Government is facing a backlash from the common people as the draconian measures of the newly passed Motor Vehicle Act are put in practice. The federations of transport workers had repeatedly warned against these measures during the last five years of BJP Government, through various mass actions.

 Now that the euphoria of a phenomenal win in the elections is fading, jingoist claims on abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A recede, NRC turns out to be a hoax, the people are waking up to the bitter truth of a failing economy – caused entirely by the Pro-employer,  anti-worker, anti-people and utterly destructive anti-national policies of this BJP Government. Relentless crisis in jobs and bread cannot be camouflaged by any amount of rhetoric.

This National Convention of Workers appeals to all the workers, irrespective of their affiliations, to join hands and co-ordinate their sectoral struggles into a mighty countrywide movement to force the government to reverse their anti-national policies. Let us send a clear message to the powers that be, that WE ARE THE WEALTH CREATORS. The wealth that we create is being looted by the corporates in connivance with the government that has caused suppressing of effective demand and consequent economic slowdown. We demand equitable redistribution of the wealth that we create. We want National Minimum Wage of Rs.21000/- pm (as per the current Cost of Living Index), Rs.10000/-pm minimum pension for all by Government funding, we want effective  Employment Guarantee Act to cover all rural and urban households, implementation of MGNREGA with increased number of days and budget allocation, increased public investment to mitigate rural distress, remunerative price as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations for the agriculture produce with procurement facilities and loan waiver  of the peasantry, we want permanency of employment in decent work, we want Worker status for all Scheme Workers as unanimously recommended by the ILC, abolition of contract system and regularisation of contract workers, equal pay and benefits for equal work and implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. 

This National Convention of Workers records its strong denunciation of the Communal forces which are cultivating an atmosphere of conflicts within the society on non-issues, giving an opportunity to the government to deflect the attention of the masses from core issues of unemployment, run away price rise etc. They are seeking to disrupt the unity of the workers and the toiling people in general, so vital to carry forward the ongoing struggles based on our 12-point Charter of Demands. Working class must raise their strong voice of protest against these divisive forces which are threatening the very social fabric of our society and endangering the basic ethos and core values of Indian Constitution.

The task before the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and independent National Federations and Associations is to further intensify the surging struggles in various sectors through a concerted united agitation and mobilization for action. The National Mass Convention of Workers calls for a countrywide general strike action as a consolidation of all sectoral struggles. This Convention therefore adopts, inter alia, the following programmes for mobilisation of workers for the grand success of the strike:

PROGRAMME OF ACTION OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS:

1. Joint Conventions of Workers at Sectoral Level, at State Level, at District Level during two months of October and November, 2019

2. Widest possible circulation of Declaration down to factory, establishment, institution and base level through the above activity during December, 2019

3. Country-wide General Strike On 8th January, 2020

The National Convention calls upon working people across the sectors and throughout the country irrespective of affiliations to make the strike action a grand success and further appeals to prepare for bigger actions if the government fails to pay heed to our demands.  We call upon the people at large to support the strike action.


          INTUC          AITUC              HMS           CITU             AIUTUC

          TUCC           SEWA           AICCTU         LPF                 UTUC

And Independent Federations, Associations and Unions of Workers and Employees.

Circle Union writes to C O for immediate settlement of technical issues inviting undue delay in disbursement of GPF advances / withdrawals



No. P3NFPE-Odisha/02 - 10/2019
Dated at Bhubaneswar the 29th October, 2019
To
The Chief Postmaster General
Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar – 751 001

Sub: Request for immediate settlement of technical issues inviting undue delay in disbursement of GPF advances / withdrawals  

Respected Sir,
It has been brought to the notice of this Circle Union that disbursement of GPF withdrawals / Advances has been delayed by D A (P), Cuttack  due to mismatch of GPF debit / credit schedules  with the trial balance submitted by the DDOs.

As ascertained, the DDOs have failed to reconcile the Debit / Credit differences with the trial balance due to some technical deficiencies in SAP. As a result, the employees in urgent need of money are suffering a lot in spite of sanction by the DDOs.

As such, it is requested to kindly arrange for immediate settlement of the technical deficiencies so that GPF can be paid to the needy employees within the prescribed time frame.

An early action in the matter is highly solicited.

With regards.
Yours faithfully,
 
(Bruhaspati Samal)
Circle Secretary

NB:


As confirmed today from Circle Office, all the Divisional heads have been asked vide C O letter No. WL/21-8/2017, dated 30.10.2019 to intimate about the above technical issues of their respective units. Copy of the said letter has been addressed to the AD (TO) endorsing copy to DA(P) Cuttack.

Seeking status of 141 posts of HSG-I which were earlier being manned by /earmarked for IP/ASP line officials - reg

Dear Comrades,
You are aware that for last few months we have been continuously writing / discussing to / in all forums for merger of three posts of HSG-I cadre now under IP line in Odisha Circle i.e. Dy. Postmaster, Bhubaneswar GPO, Postmaster, Puri HO and Postmaster, Sambalpur HO in general line and thereby increasing the total number of sanctioned strength in Odisha Circle to 117 ( Existing 96 + Postmaster Grade III 18 + IP line 3) in accordance with Department of Posts, Higher Selection Grade – I in Post Offices and Railway Mail Services, Group ‘B’ Posts Recruitment Rules, 2014.

As replied to us by C O, the case has already been referred to Directorate for a clarification and now Directorate has clarified the position to all HoCs vide its letter No.25-14/2019-PE.I , dated 23.10.2019  which is reproduced below.

In the meantime, we have already discussed the issue with AD(Estt) and confirmed that C O has already supplied the required information to Directorate.

= B SAMAL =
Circle Secretary



Consolidated Guidelines regarding MACPS

PFRDA permitted now Overseas Citizen of India to enroll in NPS at par with Non-Resident Indians

Ministry of Finance

PFRDA permitted now Overseas Citizen of India to enroll in NPS at par with Non-Resident Indians

Posted On: 30 OCT 2019 12:08PM by PIB Delhi
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has now permitted Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to enroll in National Pension Scheme (NPS) at par with Non-Resident Indians vide Circular No: PFRDA/2019/19/PDES/3 dated 29th October 2019. The Government vide notification S.O. 3732(E) dated 17th October, 2019 on Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 of Dept. of Economic Affairs, has specified that an OCI may subscribe to the National Pension System governed and administered by PFRDA, provided such person is eligible to invest as per the provisions of the PFRDA Act and the annuity/accumulated saving will be repatriable, subject to FEMA guidelines.
Contributions made towards NPS are eligible for an additional tax deduction under section 80CCD(1B) upto Rs. 50,000 which is over and above the Rs 1,50,000 limit of deduction available under sec 80CCD(1). In the Union Budget 2019, the tax exemption limit for lumpsum withdrawal on exit/maturity from NPS has been increased from the present 40% to 60% under section 10(12A) of the IT Act and the remaining 40% of the corpus is already tax-exempt as it is mandatorily utilized for annuity purchase.
About PFRDA:
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is the statutory Authority established by an enactment of the Parliament, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the National Pension System (NPS) and pension schemes to which this Act applies. NPS was initially notified for central government employees joining service on or after 1st Jan 2004 and subsequently adopted by almost all State Governments for its employees. NPS was extended to all citizens of Indian on voluntary basis from May 2009 and to corporates in December 2011 and to Non-Resident Indians in October 2015.
As on 26th October 2019, the total number of subscribers under NPS and Atal Pension Yojana has crossed 3.18 crores and the Asset under Management (AUM) has grown to Rs. 3,79,758 crores. More than 66 lakhs government employees have been enrolled under NPS and 19.2 lakhs subscribers have subscribed to NPS in the private sector with 6,812 entities registered as corporates.
PFRDA in its endeavor to promote and develop NPS has taken several initiatives towards increasing the pension coverage in the country. Now, any Indian citizen, resident or non-resident and OCIs are eligible to join NPS till the age of 65 years.

Implementation of recommendations of Kamlesh Chandra Committee on giving preference to Casual Labourers in selection to GDS posts-reg.

No.17-31/2016-GDS
Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Posts (GDS Section)
Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg.
New Delhi-110m 001
Dated: 30.10.2019

Office Memorandum

Subject: Implementation of recommendations of Kamlesh Chandra Committee on giving preference to Casual Labourers in selection to GDS posts-reg.

The undersigned is directed to refer to para 14.26 of GDS Committee on giving preference to Casual Labourers in selection to GDS posts. The Committee observed that, the scheme of employing casual labourers is not in vogue from 01.09.1993 onwards and those eligible among those who were selected before 01.09.1993 would have been selected to eligible posts by now. Department has earmarked 25o/o of vacancies for them for recruitment as Multi Tasking Staff in Post/Mail Offices as per Recruitment Ru1es. The committee is of the view that there is no necd to notify GDS vacancies to Casual Labourers as of now. Such a provision will indirectly pave the way for backdoor entry of ineligible candidates to GDS service. Department may examine this aspect.

2. The matter has been examined and following orders are issued:-

(i) As per the scheme for Casual Labourers (Grant of Temporary Status and Regularisation, temporary status is granted to those Casual Labourers who were in employment as on 10.09.1993, subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. Such Casuai Labourers who complete 13 years of service are to be treated at par with temporary   MTS employees and are entitled to various benefits viz. leave, holidays, CGEGIS, GPF, Medical aid, LTC etc. and counting of temporary service after regularization for retirement benefits. Further, engagement of Casual Labourers is not permissible after the cutoff date.

(ii) There is already provision in the Recruitment Rules of MTS 2018 issued vide Directorate letter no.37-33/2009-SPB-I dated 27th August 2018 giving preference to Casual Labourers for regularization in service on seniority basis. Department has earmarke d. 25Yo of vacancies for Casual Labourer. If Casual Labourers are engaged as GDS, there may be a scenario wherein a Casual Labourer, who was about to get regularized as per the Recruitment Rules 2018 of Multi Tasking Staff, may not be considered for regularization as MTS.

 (iii) In view of the above, it has been decided by the Competent Authority that, GDS vacancies should not be notified for Casual Labourers from the date of issue of this OM. 3. The above instructions will come into effect from the date of issue of this O.M

4. . Hindi version will follow
(SB Vyavahare)
 Assistant Director General (GDS/PCC)
 Tele No. 011-23096629

REMOVAL OF ARBITRARY CEILING ON COMPASSIONATE APPOINTMENTS-REG: DOPT

GRANT OF ONE TIME RELAXATION TO THE CENTRAL GOVT.EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE AVAILED LTC - 80 AND TRAVELED BY AIR BY PURCHASING TICKET FROM AUTHORITIES OTHER THAN AUTHORIZED AGENTS.


DRAWAL OF NEXT INCREMENT UNDER RULE 10 OF CENTRAL CIVIL SERVICES (REVISED PAY) RULES. 2016 – REGARDING

RATE OF DEARNESS ALLOWANCE APPLICABLE W.E.F. 01.07.2019 TO THE EMPLOYEES OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND CENTRAL AUTONOMOUS BODIES CONTINUING TO DRAW THEIR PAY IN THE PRE-REVISED PAY SCALE/GRADE PAY AS PER 5TH CPC

RATE OF DEARNESS ALLOWANCE APPLICABLE W.E.F 01-07-2019 TO THE EMPLOYEES OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND CENTRAL AUTONOMOUS BODIES CONTINUING TO DRAW THEIR PAY IN THE PRE-REVISED PAY SCALE / GRADE PAY AS PER 6TH CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION

Tuesday 29 October 2019

UPU head meets with US President following Geneva agreement on remuneration rates

16.10.2019 - President Donald J. Trump participated in a drop-by with the Director General of the Universal Postal Union Bishar Abdirahman Hussein and officials on Tuesday, Oct 15, 2019, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead
The White House invited the UPU Director General to Washington to receive the country’s formal notice that it would remain part of the organization following the positive results of the UPU’s third Extraordinary Congress in Geneva this past September.
Speaking on the White House visit, the Mr Hussein said, “I am convinced that the maintenance of the worldwide postal system is a victory for everyone on this planet.”
“The United States of America is not simply a founding member of the UPU, but also a modern day leader in the fields of security, and many other areas of postal operations,” he added, also thanking the President for his warm welcome at the White House.
On October 17, 2018, the Director General received a letter from the United States Government notifying the organization of the county’s intent to leave the Union effective one year from that date. The country cited the system used to remunerate the exchange of international letters and small packets – known as the terminal dues system – as the main concern driving its intent to withdraw. Member countries later decided to hold a third Extraordinary Congress in 2019 in an attempt to fast-track a decision on potential changes to the system.
Member countries adopted a proposal, known as “Option V”, by acclamation during the Congress’ plenary session on 25 September. The decision will introduce self-declared remuneration rate for the delivery of inbound international letters and small packets beginning as early as July 2020.
The Director of the UPU's Executive Office, Mutua Muthusi, and UPU Director for Policy, Regulation and Markets, Siva Somasundram, also attended the meeting.