Bruhaspati Samal
Divisional Secretary
AIPEU, Group-C, Bhubaneswar
Why NFPE is
so important ? Why should one join NFPE ?
During our
long strenuous journey, we have not only experienced the Divide and Rule Policy
of the British Government but also the administrative dilemma and miseries of
Postal workers in particular and Central Govt. employees in general even during
post-independent era without minimum wage, holidays, fixed duty hours,
recreation, promotion, bonus, advances, overtime allowance, retirement benefits
etc., The employees were badly treated, severally punished and
personally abused. Corruption was rampant. The service of the employees was
hopelessly insecure.
In such a
critical juncture, Babu Tarapad Mukherjee joined
in the Department as a clerk in Bowbazar TSO on 1st February, 1895
and initiated the P & T Trade Union Movement in the name of a Postal Club
in Kolkatta GPO with support of 150 employees only during 1905 which grew and
grew and after 50 years of uncompromised struggles and sacrifices latter became
recognized as National Federation of Post and Telegraph Employees on 24th
November, 1954 under the leadership of Com. B N Ghosh, popularly known as Dada
Ghosh who became the founder Secretary General of NFPTE.
Till it was
bifurcated in February, 1986 to National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE)
and National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE) consequent upon separation
of the Department to Department of Posts and Department of Telecommunications,
NFPTE continued its struggle to give its
members the benefits they deserve in spite of formation of Federation of
National Postal Organizations (FNPO) in 1968 and Bhartiya Post and Telegraph
Employees Federation (BPTEF) in 1977 by the ruling party to weaken the
movements reiterating the so called Divide and Rule Policy of the British Govt.
In spite of hurdles and attacks by the Govt., NFPE has never looked back and is
continuing its struggles as the biggest constituent of Confederation of Central
Govt. employees and Workers not only to protect the interest of the postal and
RMS employees in particular but also to give justice to the entire working
class in general.
It is
needless to reiterate that the benefits now we are enjoining as Central Govt.
Employees are the gifts of the sacrifices of the leaders and loyal workers of
NFPTE (NFPE) / Confederation who have fought bravely without caring for brutal
murders, mass scale arrests, termination, suspension and above all
de-recognition of our Federation by the administration/Govt. The story of
success and sacrifice of NFPTE (NFPE) / Confederation is too long to describe.
NFPE’s
struggle movements in particular are not just confined to pay or leave etc. In
the name of transformation of India Post, the problems of the postal employees
have been multiplied during the last two decades. With formulation of National
Postal Policy, Strategic Plan, Corporate Plan and introduction of Project Arrow
and I T Modernization Project, the employees are now treated in similar nature
prevailed during pre-independence era. With acute shortage of staff due to
arbitrary abolition of posts, increased working hours due to down-sizing,
additional pressure due unachievable targets for POSB, PLI/RPLI and business
products, frequent system problems due to improper software, inadequate
professionals and outdated accessories, compulsion of cent percent delivery in
the absence of adequate staff and support system, introduction of new products
and services without proper education and training to the employees and such
other problems arising out of computerization and modernization, the employees
are suffering like anything. In addition, corporatization / privatization of
India Post through implementation of Task Force report is still a peril like
the sword of Damocles. Over Time duty has already lost its concept due to
non-revision of the allowance for more than two decades. Contradictorily, the
promotional avenues in postal department have been twisted to be confused. The
cadre restructuring proposal has been unnecessarily delayed for last five
years. The fates of 3 lakh Gramin Dak Sewaks have remained unpredictable for
decades together. Thus, we are still demanding to fill up all vacant posts,
creation of new posts, to stop corporatization / privatization / down-sizing,
to give five promotions, to give status and pension to GDS etc. The struggles
have not yet ended.
In addition,
due to rapid migration of Post Office to CBS Finacle and PLI McCamish in the
absence of proper infrastructure, the sufferings of the employees of Department
of Posts beggar description. The nature of fixed duty hours has now lost its
concept. The employees are receiving irregular orders always not to leave
office without permission of the CPC/CEPT. The employees are regularly
struggling for smooth connectivity, proper hardware and adequate manpower to
render proper services to the customers. But all their efforts have fallen to
the deaf ears of the administration. Responsibility is seen to be shifted from Department to Infosys, from
Infosys to Sify or sometimes from both to the Central Server / Data Centre etc.
Due to no fault of the officials, they are falling prey to the anger of the
dissatisfied customers. The issues have been seriously discussed and the Hon’ble
Union Minister, Communications and IT have been addressed in this regard by
NFPE.
Adding salt
to injury, the 7th CPC submitted its report with most disappointing,
retrograde and worst ever recommendations to the Govt. on 19th
November, 2015 restricting the pay hike to 14.29% without any change in the
annual increment and promotional avenues even after a gap of 10 years and more
importantly withdrawing all the 12 interest-free advances and 52 allowances and
thus deceiving as many as 47 lakh Central Govt. employees and 52 lakh
pensioners. The demands of the JCM Staff Side to implement the recommendations
from 01.01.2014, to fix the minimum wage at Rs.26000/- with multiplying factor
of 3.27, annual increment to 5%, 5 promotion during the entire service career,
abolition of Grade Pay etc have been squarely rejected by the Commission. No
change has been recommended for Casual Leave, Maternity Leave and Leave
encashment. Rather, the Commission has recommended to reduce the HRA from
30/20/10% to 24/16/8% and 20% less pay in the 2nd year of Child Care
Leave. Relating to our specific issues, the commission finds no justification
for enhancement of minimum educational qualifications for Direct Recruits for
Postal Assistants/Sorting Assistants from Class XII to Graduation and the entry
grade pay from GP 2400 to GP 2800 and also no justification for upgrading LSG,
HSG-II& HSG-I. Similar is the case of Postman, Mail Guard and MTS. The
demand for separate cadre for S As / B Es has been denied straightway. The
issues relating to GDS remained untouched.
In
protest against such retrograde measures of 7th CPC, NFPE has
already hold protest demonstrations throughout the country and JCM Staff Side
has already submitted a notice to the Cabinet Secretary with suggested
modifications. If our demands are not settled amicably through proper
negotiation, the National Joint Council of Action comprising Confederation,
Railway and Defence Federation has already decided to go for nationwide
indefinite strike from 11th July, 2016.
Thus, the
revolution has just begun which needs the effort of every single individual for
retaining the hard-earned benefits we have achieved through our struggle
movements. Human revolution, in just a single individual can help achieve a
change in the destiny of a nation and further in the destiny of all human kind.
So unfettered by narrow nationalist or sectarian concerns, it should be
considered that every individual is equally empowered with inner brilliance of
life and however small the effort, every individual effort certainly makes a
definite difference. The thing is that everyone should be loyal to the voice of
conscience that issues forth from deep within. When one is affected
by wrath, his mind will not be correct, when one is affected by fear, his mind
will not be correct, when one is affected by fondness, his mind will not be
correct or when one is affected by worries and anxieties to any extent, his
mind will not be correct. When the mind is not present, we look but we do not
see, listen but we do not hear and eat but do not know the taste of the food.
As a result, we fail to serve whole-heartedly. No progress is possible unless
we have a mind free from anxiety and sufficient leisure for the development of
our higher nature.
Workers are not beggars. So, to make ourselves free from all
worries and anxieties, to live with a status and to serve our nation whole
heartedly on one hand and to retain the hard-earned benefits already achieved
through rigorous struggles and sacrifices on the other, we have to go for
united struggle only under one umbrella in the name of National Federation of
Postal Employees. To be more active and more progressive, let’s
promise to strengthen the hands of NFPE which has remained always more militant and aggressive on our issues.
Together
we can move the world. One, who can’t be taught by reason, shall be taught by
force. And our force is our togetherness and unity. We have already proved it
through our several rigorous struggle programmes from pre-independence era till
date. We have fought and achieved. The glorious history of P & T Trade
Union Movement tells us that nothing can stop us. We can achieve all our demands through our
unity and agitation, through one platform and one voice. We have just to carry
forward the glorious traditions of NFPE with additions of new ideas that will
suit our future needs. A
recall to NFPE’s historic struggles in the past will definitely add to our
future success.
So
Comrades, NFPE is NFPE which is continuously struggling for problems of entire
working class in general and postal employees in particular in addition to fighting for common causes and welfare of the
society. It is the
largest.
It is the
oldest. You can’t compare it with any other organization.
Now the
annual membership collection is going on which will be completed by 30th
April, 2016. On behalf of National Federation of Postal Employees, we take this
opportunity to appeal all the new entrants to the Department who have not yet
enrolled themselves as bonafide members
of NFPE and are being confused to submit the authorization letter and to those who have been misguided
and joined in such other organizations which have been created with a definite
intention to weaken our Postal Trade Union movement only, to think for a
while for the organization only and not for any individual with clear understanding of the truth and
choose the right organization which can save
and protect their interests. There should be no second thought
while we are joining National Federation of Postal Employees which is the only
Federation in the Department continuously fighting for giving justice to the
staff members since pre-independence era till date.
Only 10 days
left. Let’s hurry to join NFPE and strengthen it for our benefit.
Thanks comrade .Keep writing.God bless u.
ReplyDeleteRajesh PURI