Recognised union (Mahadevaiah) accepted the stand of the Government and Postal Board that GDS are NOT Government employees (Civil servants) and hence they cannot be included in the Seventh Pay Commission which is for Government Employees.

Government and Postal Board cleverly managed Mahadevaiah to sign a written agreement accepting their stand, so that he cannot go back from the agreement again.

All organizations in the staff side, JCM National Council including Railways, Defence, Confederation, NFPE & FNPO has taken a firm stand that we will not accept separate committee (Whether separate Judge or Bureaucrat) for GDS this time and GDS should be included in Seventh CPC itself. Recognised GDS union leader (Mahadevaiah) became an Agent of the government and signed Agreement accepting the Government’s stand. Mahadevaiah admitted that GDS are not civil servants and hence a separate committee is enough.

 

NFPE & FNPO and also the GDS unions of NFPE (AIPEU-GDS-NFPE) & FNPO (NUGDS) strongly condemn and protest against the foul play and treachery of Mahadevaiah and Postal Board.

 

Hold Protest Demonstrations in front of all offices on 26.02.2014 demanding cancellation of the agreement and inclusion of GDS in the 7^th Pay Commission itself.

 

Dear friends and Comrades,

All of you are aware that all the Unions and Federation of the Staff Side, JCM National Council including Railways, Defence, Confederation, NFPE & FNPO have taken an unanimous stand that Gramin Dak Sevaks of the Department of Posts should be included in the 7^th Pay Commission and we will not accept any separate Committee (Whether Judge or Bureaucrat) for GDS. This is the first time the entire JCM (Staff Side) including Railways and Defence is taking such a firm stand. Accordingly JCM (Staff Side) has submitted a letter to the Government (DOP&T) to include GDS in the terms of reference of 7^th CPC. The matter is now pending before the Government for a decision. NFPE & FNPO and the GDS unions of NFPE (AIPEU-GDS-NFPE) and FNPO (NUGDS) has conducted two days nationwide strike demanding inclusion of GDS in the terms of reference of 7^th CPC. Both NFPE & FNPO has already declared that they will jointly go for an indefinite strike, if the demand for inclusion of GDS under the 7^th CPC is not accepted by the Government.

But to our shock and surprise, the recognised GDS Union leading by Mahadevaiah has signed an agreement with the Postal Board agreeing for the appointment of a separate committee for GDS. No Unions/Federations including Mahadevaiah’s union have demanded a separate committee (either Judge Committee or Bureaucratic Committee) in their charter of demands submitted to the Government and the Department of Posts. The 7^th Pay Commission is appointed for Central Government Employees (Civil Servants). Separate Committee (even if it is a separate Judge) means GDS are not civil servants and they are only Extra-Departmental. Why should Mahadevaiah accept such a stand of the Department and Government? Earlier also one separate committee of Retired Judge (Justice Talwar Committee) was appointed for GDS. But even now GDS are Extra-Departmental and not treated as Civil Servants. Inclusion in 7^th CPC means Government accepting our demand that GDS are Government employees (Civil Servants) and their service conditions and wage structure will be examined and recommended by 7^th CPC alongwith other Central Government Employees. Thus a century long discrimination towards GDS shall come to an end. Even Justice Talwar Committee has recommended that in future, no separate committe (either Judge or Bureaucratic) should be appointed for the GDS and they should be included in Pay Commissions itself. By accepting a separate Committee, Mahadevaiah has spoiled the entire future of GDS.

By signing an agreement with the Postal Board, the Recognised GDS Union (Mahadevaiah) has signed the Death Warrant of the 2.76 lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks. He has played a drama with the Postal Board and Government and cheated GDS and defeated the very purpose of the united stand taken by all the JCM Staff side organizations. Postal Board has cleverly managed Mahadevaiah to sign an agreement itself. Normally after discussions with the unions, minutes are signed and copy given to unions. In this case, the Postal Board was very particular to get an agreement signed by the Recognised Union (Mahadevaiah) so that he cannot go back from the agreement in future. Ironically, for all other demands raised by Mahadevaiah in his Charter of Demands only separate minutes is given by the Department. Departmental officers and DOP&T are very inteligent and shrewd and they obtained what they want!!!

When Recognised union signed an agreement, tomorrow the Government will say to the staff side that as the recognised union has already agreed for a separate committee, we are not including GDS in the 7^th CPC. Thus, the Recognised Union of the GDS (Mahadevaiah) has become an agent of the Government. As already stated by us, Postal Board and the Government have succeded in their game of “Divide and Rule”. That is why Mahadevaiah has not joined the joint strike of two days conducted by NFPE, FNPO and the GDS union of NFPE (AIPEU-GDS-NFPE) and FNPO (NUGDS) on 12^th & 13^th February 2014. In the coming days the hidden agenda behind the separate strike held by Mahadevaiah and the agreement will come out with more clear.

The Department and the Government always used to told NFPE & FNPO that by appointing a separate committee (either Judge or Bureaucratic) GDs will be much benefited. They have compelled NFPE & FNPO to accept separate Committee. We rejected the offer of the Government & the Department as we are well aware, from our past experience, the danger behind it and also the hidden agenda of the Government & the Department. Finally after the two days strike the Secretary, Department of Posts has given us a letter informing that our demand for inclusion of GDS in Seventh Pay Commission is referred to Government (DOP&T) for a decision. The Government understood that when the entire JCM staff side has taken a firm united stand, it will be very difficult for them to reject our demand. They wanted to pre-empt the united stand of the staff side. That is why the indefinite strike drama was played (eventhough participation was very less) and finally an agreement was signed behind the curtain and declaring that this is a greatest achievement (!) and this is a first step towards the liberation of GDS (!!!), as if there was no separate Judge Committee (Talwar Committee) appointed by Government earlier. It proved beyond doubt that both the Recognised Union (Mahadeviah) and the Government want to keep the GDS always outside the Pay Commission and always as “extra-departmental employees”.

NFPE and FNPO and the GDS Unions of NFPE (AIPEU-GDS-NFPE) and FNPO (NUGDS) strongly condemn and protest the anti-GDS agreement signed by the Postal Board and the Recognised Union (Mahadevaiah) and we demand the Government to include the GDS in the terms of reference of the 7^th CPC itself instead of a separate Committee (Whether Judge or Bureaucrat). We call upon the entire Postal and RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks to recognise the danger behind the agreement and expose those who signed the agreement which is nothing but a
“DEATH WARRANT OF 2.76 GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS”.

We further call upon the entire employees to conduct protest demonstration all over India on 26.02.2014 in front of all important offices against the stand taken by the Postal Board and demanding to remit the GDS issues the purview of the Seventh Pay Commission.

Yours sincerely,

                                                                                               

M. Krishnan                                                                                         D. Theagarajan

Secretary General                                                                               Secretary General

NFPE                                                                                                    FNPO

                                                                                                           

                                                                                   

P. Pandurangarao                                                                                P. U. Muraleedharan

General Secretary                                                                               General Secretary

AIPEU-GDS (NFPE)                                                                               NUGDS (FNPO)