LESSONS FROM OUR EXPERIENCES
Postal Trade Union movement has always been in the
forefront of the struggle against the anti-labour and anti-people policies of
the ruling class. During the Britishraj
it fought many a battle against imperialism and for the freedom of our great
nation. Many Postal leaders and workers
sacrificed their entire life for the nation and for the workers. Right from freedom struggle, the Postal trade
union movement has been a part and parcel of the progressive forces of our
country and always solidly stood with the mainstream of the working class
upholding the traditions of progressive, democratic, socialist and secular
forces and also for the principles enshrined in the Constitution of India. We are proud that NFPE still keep up this
tradition.
After
Independence we have been fighting for the cause of the working class in
general and Postal employees in particular.
In that saga of struggle many of our comrades lost their lives, many
dismissed from service and severely punished for participating in strikes against
the policies of the Government. We learn
lessons from our past experiences and move forward uniting the entire postal
employees including Departmental employees, Gramin Dak Sevaks and Casual,
Part-time, Contingent and Contract workers.
We always fought for changing the policies of the Government and are
still in the battle field.
All of
us are aware that unless and until we succeed in our attempt to change or defeat
the neo-liberal globalisation policies of the ruling class, the future of the
Central Government Employees including five lakhs postal employees will be in
danger and ultimately the private sector may take over major portion of the
service sector and Government functions, just as it happened in Telecom
sector.
It is
a fact that we have defeated the attempt of the Government to close down 9797
Post offices and about 300 RMS offices by putting up stiff resistance under the
banner of Joint Council of Action. We
succeeded in compelling the Government to lift the ban on recruitment and to
fill up all the direct recruitment vacancies and promotional quota
vacancies. But we should not forget that
the policy of downsizing, outsourcing, contractorisation and privatisation is
still hanging as a democles sword over our head. The draft bill for amendment to the Indian
Post Office Act to grant licence to the multi-national private couriers is
still kept pending and not dropped. Our
demand for inclusion of Gramin Dak Sevaks under the purview of Seventh Central
Pay Commission is not accepted, though the recognised GDS Union leader has
signed an agreement with the Department of Posts accepting separate committee
for GDS thereby admitting that GDS are not Government employees (Civil
Servants). Our demand for DA merger,
Interim Relief etc. are also pending. Revision of wages of casual labour is
long overdone. The New Pension Scheme introduced by NDA Government and
legalised by UPA Government has snatched away the right for statutory pension
to those employed on or after 01-01-2004.
When it
comes to the question of implementation of imperial neo-liberal globalisation
policies, those supporting the capitalist class join together to protect their class
interest. Our past experience has taught
us that change of Government alone cannot change the plight of the working
class and common people and it is the change of policies that matter. We believe that only those forces which
oppose the anti-labour, anti-people neo-liberal imperialist gloablisation
policies can safeguard the interest of the working class and the common people
of our country. Let us strengthen those
progressive, democratic and secular forces and strive hard for a better
tomorrow along with the manstream of the working class.
