To,

All CWC Members, Circle/Divisional/Branch Secretaries,

Dear comrades,

MEMORANDUM RELATING TO RMS AND MMS EMPLOYEES UNION

GROUP-C, TO BE SUBMITTED TO SEVENTH PAY COMMISSION IS PLACED BELOW. PLEASE GO THROUGH IT AND SEND YOUR COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS.

GIRIRAJ SINGH
GENERAL SECRETARY

MEMORANDUM RELATING TO RMS AND MMS EMPLOYEES

GROUP-C

SUBMITTED TO SEVENTH PAY COMMISSION

PREFACE

1. We represent the Group-C employees in Railway Mail Service and Mail Motor Service organizations of the Department of Posts.

2. The Memorandum comprises of two Parts:

Part-III (A) : Service and Working conditions in RMS;

(B) : Service and working conditions in Mail Motor Services;

The Major federations in the National Council (JCM) have submitted to the Seventh Pay Commission for consideration, a detailed Memorandum on :

(A) Merger of DA& Interim relief

(B) Basic Issues

The above may be treated as Part-I.

The above named two Postal Federations have jointly submitted another Memorandum on the common issues of Postal Employees which may be treated as Part-II.

3. The Railway Mail service is playing a vital role in carrying, transmitting, sorting and exchange of mails to the delivery point and due its continuous exhibition of efficiency, the letter mails and other articles are delivered in time. The employees working thereon are most dedicated and hard working.

4. During the period between 2006 and 2014, RMS faced severe attack due to the Topsy Turvy policies preached and practiced by the private consultants and the wrong policies adopted by the Postal Department.

For example: The Department redesigned our RMS mail network operation in respect of First class, Second class mails and Speed Posts . In this connection Department appointed M/s Mckinsey& Co by paying Rs.12.66 crores. Based on the recommendations of the said company, 354 offices were redesigned as 89 Level-I offices and 265 Level-II offices.

5. We had mentioned elsewhere in the memorandum about the withdrawal of sorting work from 283 sorting sections which functioned in the trains. The Postal Board subsequently introduced several measures aimed at staff reduction like abolition of checking work papers and closure of sorting offices in the name of reorginaisation.

6. Based on the M/s Mckinsey& Co report, after redesigning the mail offices, the staff rendered surplus and public mails were subjected to undue delay badly caused detention of articles at all level. However after the several rounds of discussions with the Department by the staff side, the Department atleast, agreed to dilute the M/s Mckinsey& Co recommendations. This has paved the way for the speedy disposal of public mails and put an end to unorganized Couriers in the intra-circles. The above policies are directly responsible for the deterioration in efficiency of the service.

7. The RMS employees, therefore, look to the Seventh Pay Commission for improving and humanizing the working and service conditions. We urge upon the Commission to agree to pay a visit to a few mail offices and travelling sections to realise the actual position and grasp the feeling of the workers.

MAIL MOTOR SERVICES

8. P & T Mail Motor Service came into existence in the year 1944 in Kolkatta. It was expanded gradually from the year 1947 and started functioning at Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Nagpur. The Motor service was made a departmental wing in the year 1948.

9. After the bifurcation of the P & T Department in the year 1986, the P&T Motor Service has been renamed as Mail Motor Service. We have 1223 Mail Motor vehicles and 486 Staff cars in 98 stations. 226 CNG vehicles (environment friendly) are plying in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

10. The following units are controlled by the Senior Manager – Chennai – Mumbai - Delhi and Kolkatta. The units controlled by the Managers are – Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Ernakulam, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Nagpur, Pune, Madurai, Coimbatore, Chandigarh and Bhopal. The remaining MMS Units are under the control of respective SSPOs/SPs of the Divisions where MMS units are located.

MEMORANDUM DEALING WITH SERVICE CONDITIONS OF NON GAZETTED GROUP ‘B’ & GROUP ‘C’PAY SCALES ETC.OF THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICEPERSONNEL

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

CHAPTER-I

AN INTRODUCTION

1:1 INDIA POST – AN INTRODUCTION

1.1.1 The Department of Posts is an organization socially committed connecting individuals and business and an easy reach for everyone with its vast infrastructure and network spreading over the Nation providing basic Postal facilities besides various social welfare and business activities. Extensive Postal facilities are available throughout the country in terms of regular delivery of Mails at the doorsteps of every customer, collection of letters from letter boxes and selling of stamps/stationery is provided in every village irrespective of the terrain through delivery agents while on their regular visit to their respective beats. Besides, there are ancillary activities such as Banking, Insurance, collection of Custom Duty and various business and ‘e’bill services etc.

1:1:2 India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. At the time of Independence, the number of post offices was 23,344. Now the number of post offices has been expanded to 1,54,822 as on 31-03-2012 of which 1,39,086 are in rural areas and as an average, a post office serves an area of 21.23 sq. km and a population of 7871. Mail processing, transmission and delivery are the core activities. Mail is collected from 5,62,075 letter boxes in the country. This is processed by a network of 390 RMS offices and 286 Sorting sections with transit sections to the extent of 236. During 2011-2012 the Department of Posts handled 637.18 Crores articles, including 19.11 Crores registered articles. It also handled 698.65 lakhs of money orders amounting to Rs. 10201.49 Crores. The Speed Post and registered letters have been computerized and the ‘CRCs’ have been formed exclusively to deal the registered articles.

1:1:3 The trend of actual growth in mail volume (2004-05 to 2007-08) together with projections for the period from 2008-09 to 2013-14 as mentioned in the Department of Posts report is as follows

(In Crores)

Years	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Unregistered Mail	714.61	649.21	645.98	649.21	652.46	685.08	787.84	906.02	1000	1100
Registered Mail	21.42	20.85	21.73	21.95	22.17	22.83	25.57	28.64	29.25	30
Speed Post	9.59	10.86	12.86	14.79	17.75	21.30	26.62	33.27	37.00	40
Total Mail Traffic	745.62	680.92	680.57	685.95	692.38	729.21	840.03	967.93	1066.25	1170

1:1:4 As on 31-03-99, the department had 2,92,672 full time regular employees and 3,09,915 Extra Departmental Employees and this has been shrunk to the extent of 211107 & 263467 as on 31.03.2012 respectively in both the categories. The postal and RMS employees are being overburdened and facing untold miseries every day due to this unscientific drastic cut in the establishment. The manpower provided in the RMS is inadequate, which causes untold miseries to the existing staff. At present there are about 16500 Sorting Assistants, 1053 LSG supervisors, 415 HSG II & 415 HSG I officials maintaining the service very efficiently.

1:1:5 The Postal Department is headed by a Secretary who is also the Chairman of the Postal Services Board and also the Director General of Postal Services. There are 22 postal circles headed by Chief Postmaster General or Principal Chief Postmaster General as the case may be. Each circle is co-terminus with a state except Gujarat circle which includes Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli; Kerala Circle includes the Union Territory of Lakshadweep; Maharashtra Circle includes Goa; North Eastern Circle consists of Arunachal, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura; Punjab Circle includes the union territory of Chandigarh; Tamil Nadu Circle includes Pondicherry; West Bengal Circle includes Sikkim & the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

1:1:6 Each circle is divided into regions comprising groups of field units, called divisions (Postal / RMS Divisions). Each region is headed by a Postmaster General and assisted by a Director of Postal Services. Each division is headed by Senior Superintendent of Post Offices / Sr. Supdt of RMS / Superintendent of Post Offices /Supdt of RMS.

1-2 RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE

1:2:1 The RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE (R.M.S.) was aptly described by Shri Geofray Clarke, Director General in his book “Post office and its System” as the “main artery of the Postal Body Politic through which the postal life blood flows.”

1:2:2 The RMS is the main nerve of the system which carry, transmit and ensure the correct reach of articles in time. From the point the mails received by the post office which are transferred to Railway Mail Services (RMS), to the point of delivery of mails to the post office at the destination, it is the R.M.S which does the functions of:

1. Collecting all the mails from the post offices;

2. Conveying to the R.M.S. Mail offices: which are called stationary offices;

3. Receiving the mails in closed bags by the R.M.S sections directly from the post offices and R.M.S offices;

4. Opening the mail bags addressed to the office, sorting them according to the directions of trains, plane services, bus routes and according to class of articles etc. to near and far off places;

5. Sale of Stamps, Booking of Speed Post & Registered Articles late night.

6. Dealing with Speed post and EMS mails.

7. Express Parcel Service (E.P.P.)

8. Bulk Mail Service

9. Bill Mail Service

10. Logistic Posts

11. Business Mails

12 Business Parcel Services

1:2:3 That is, the R.M.S does the miracle of collecting, sorting and safely handing over to the destination post offices from where it is delivered by the postal staff to the public at the other end. The R.M.S does not come under the public gaze and few alone know its inside working occasionally the members of the public see some red coated vans in some trains. But what is going on inside the van is not known not only to the members of the public, but also to many in the Postal Department. In short, the RMS functioning inside is leading the service for quick and effective delivery of articles in time to the common public and business commodities.

1:2:4 Thecomputerized Registration channels were established in metro cities since 1994 and other important places from 1996. Now it is well recognized in all the mail offices and the software used for this is R. Net. Similarly the parcels are dealing with Parcel Net software. Speed Post articles are handled with speed net software. Major TMOs are handled with Sankaraman software, most of the HROs and SROs are being handled the EMS articles (International Mails) with IPS software. Thus the computerization in the RMS offices is also in the half way and there is a proposal to modernize the entire RMS before the end of 12^th Five year plan period.

1:3 BRIEF HISTORY

1:3:1 The R.MS branch of the postal services was first created in 1870 and was placed under the charge of ‘Superintendent’. In 1880, he was designated as ‘Inspector General of the R.M.S.’, but he also functioned as Assistant Director General till 1890. Again in 1905, the organization underwent a slender modification. Due to further expansion and for rendering efficient service, it was placed under three Deputy Postmasters General with headquarters inAmbala, Calcutta and Poona. In the year 1921, in pursuance of the Ryan Committee, it was entrusted to the Heads of Circles. In the year 1934, the Postal Enquiry Committee, known as Pasricha Committee’, enquired into the working of the Postal and RMS wings.

1:3:2 In the year 1948, on the basis of the recommendation of the First Pay Commission, an Expert Committee was appointed to study into the question of working hours, weekly holidays, overtime and out-station allowance, etc. But various of its valuable recommendations have not been considered and implemented.

1:3:3 In the year 1957-58, another Committee headed by Shri R.V. Marathe, the then Deputy Director General (Staff) as Chairman was appointed to evaluate into the functioning of the R.M.S and inattention of its problems. One of its recommendations was that the R.M.S administration should be put under the exclusive charge of Heads of Circles and be separated from the Postal side. As the recommendation was not implemented in full, the very first step taken in this regard proved to be a miserable failure. Consequently, the scheme was scrapped in the year 1967.

1:3:4 ‘All Up Scheme’ was introduced in the Railway Mail Service in order to complete the work on the same day and all the mails were sorted out and sent by air. The running RMS sections were performing the duties of sorting of lakhs of letters in the running train and this was abolished in the year 1984. The department has given up the ‘All Up scheme’ resulting in piling of unsorted letters in the RMS offices. The sorting office, thereafter introduced, could not cater to the requirement to the extent of earlier schemes.

1:3:5 The Department, as a part of modernization, appointed McKensey Consultancy for the improvement of the mail, sorting and delivery system; not only for the consultation, but also to implement its decisions under the guise of Mail Network Optimization which has resulted in further deterioration of service in the recent past in the functioning of the RMS and the sorting offices. The Mail Network Optimization project introduced after their consultations came to stay with many modifications. In between there were more abolition of sorting offices which were protested by the service unions and after sometime it was halted to some extent. But the damages caused to the service were not retrieved. Meanwhile, the Department experienced with the engagement of air freight carriers as a part of MNOP which was dropped subsequently due to the delay of mails and causing heavy loss to the Government exchequer.

1:3:6 The main object of briefing this back ground is that the administration underwent several changes and efforts were made to tone up its efficiency and improve the structure of the administration, but desired improvement is yet to come.

1:4:1 Despite the fact that the Airlines are operating their services between distant cities and towns, instead of utilizing such services, still the mails are being routed through the railways. The conversions of all sorting sections into transit sections and abolition of sorting in the running trains & back routing of mails caused heavy impairment to the service.

1:4:2 As the representatives of Major organizations, we are having a concern with the developments but very optimistic, in the days to come, the organisaton will rise up to the occasion and clamp the service a better and efficient one.

CHAPTER-II

PAY AND ALLOWANCES

JUSTIFICATION FOR HIGHER PAY TO SORTING ASSISTANTS

2:1: Accepted Principle

2:1:1 The Department has ventured various new mail services and there is a sea change taken place in its functioning. The Government’s initiation under the ‘Mail Network Optimization Project’ has changed the working condition of the RMS. Many of its branches were already modernized and role and responsibilities are in increase.

2:1:2 At the outset, in general, the Pay & Allowances of the Sorting Assistants are being equated with that of the Postal Assistants working in the Postal Department. This is the fair comparison and we desire the same to be continued. Whatever the pay prescribed for Postal Assistants, this may please be made applicable to the sorting assistant also.

2:2 Job Profile

2:2:1 The category called ‘sorting assistant’ exists only in R.M.S. There is no such similar post in any other department or industry inside the country. There is, therefore, difficulty of evaluation with any such similar category of posts elsewhere.

2:2:2 The job of Sorting Assistants is skilled operative-cum clerical category. They have to perform manual operations in the course of performance of the job. They are constantly in motion and have to be mobile as well. Their nature of work cannot be clubbed or treated as performing a sedentary nature of the job..

2:2:3 The Fair wages Committee applied the following criteria for higher wage differentials:

(a) Degree of skill

(b) The strain of work

(d) The training required

(e) The responsibility undertaken

(f) The mental and Physical requirements

(g) The disagreeableness of the work

(h) The hazard attendant to the work, and

(j) The fatigue involved.

2:2:4 It will be more appropriate that on the above criteria, comparison shall be made with similar categories of clerks and allied employees. Our contention is that there is variation in the nature of job content on the above criteria between operative worker inside the postal and outside. We shall give below the various job contents to indicate the arduous and hazardous nature of work justifying enhanced pay and allowances to these categories of employees.

2:3 The Degree of Skill

2:3:1 The recruitment to the cadre of Sorting Assistants is done from amongst the candidates securing the highest number of marks in the higher secondary/+ 2 Examination and by the conduct of tough public examination in which the selected candidates on merit will alone be offered the appointment of sorting assistant. Actually candidates having higher first Division or Graduates and double Graduates, are recruited. Thus the department takes the best of the qualified candidates from the market. Computer knowledge is essential for the recruitment. During the last recruitments made since 2009, 90% of the Sorting Assistants are Graduates, Post Graduates and possessing engineering graduation.

2.4 The Strain of Work

2:4:1 A Sorting Assistant has to perform multifarious jobs, unlike other clerks and office-assistants in other departments. The major part of the job, has to be done while standing and this physical and mental exercise drive on for eight hours continuously. This is too strenuous and fatiguing. He cannot rest or pause and he gets completely exhausted.

2:4:2 Computerization of Sorting offices have taken place. In respect of CRC, Speed Net, Parcel Net etc., the officials are being posted in Computer Operations sitting before computers continuously for eight hours or more. They are working in different modules and screens and the job is very arduous.

2:4:3 Now-a-days, women are also being recruited in large numbers and they are also required to stand and keep moving to do the hard job of sorting as well as sitting before the computers for continuous eight hours at a stretch.

2:4:4 The sorting of letters in a standard size of sorting table of 72 pigeon holes or more requires constant and regular motion of his hands and eyes. On one hand, he has to hold a bunch of letters while the other hand drives on doing the work of sorting for a full 8 hours. This also is too exacting and exhausting an exercise, both physically and mentally.

2:4:5 While working in the Registration and Parcel branches, he has to lift hundreds of heavy bags to take out registered and parcel articles. He is responsible for the safe custody of the Insured and valuable articles. Even after safely dispatching the articles, if there are any complaints from the destination office about the difference in weight of Insured articles or non-receipt of registered bag or insured article, he is hauled up and also will be proceeded under the CCS Conduct &CCS CCA Rules.

2:4:6 Similarly, in the Mail Department, the work is full of risk and exhaustion. Whether, while exchanging mails with running sections on the platforms or at the mail office, he has to check the seals, cords, labels and condition of all bags. Here too, he is hauled up even for the slightest mistake.

2:4:7 Computerization has been introduced in registration branch, Mail branch, parcel branch and accounts branch. Track and trace system is also introduced in speed post and express parcel service.

2:5 SUPERVISION AND GENERAL WORK IN THE OFFICES

2:5:1 The Sorting Assistant also works as Head Sorting Assistant Supervising other’s work in addition to his portion of the work.

2:5:2 He is required to work as a Sub Record Officer in charge of the unitin an office, as OA in Record and Head Record Offices, as Accounts Assistants in Head Record Offices and as OA in the office of the Divisional Superintendent.

2:5:3 He is required to work in RM S booking counters to book regd., speed and Parcel articles.

2:5:4 There is no separate set of staff recruited for office. The sorting assistants alone are required to work on rotation.

2:6 WORK HOURS

2:6:1 He has to work for eight hours a day and equivalent to 8 hours in the night. He is working round the clock, i.e. morning, day and whole night. He is cut off from all social life. In running sections, he has to perform long hours of duty. He remains continuously engaged in work all over the beat. The Sorting Assistant has no Saturday off and he works all the days except the weekly offs in lieu of Sundays and holidays. In fact, they are working more than 300 hours per year viz. 52 days extra work without any extra remuneration or higher pay while comparing the other categories. Thus, they are supposed to perform more working hours rather than other Central Govt.Employees which itself justify the higher pay scale to them.

2:7 EXPERIENCE, TRAINING AND RESPONSIBILITY

2:7:1 No candidate is recruited and posted straightway on the job. If he is a direct recruit, he has to undergo training. If he is a departmental employee, he must have put in five years of service and then pass a competitive examination. He too has to undergo training for three months to become a Sorting Assistant.

2:7:2 In the course of training, he has to obligate to memory Head Offices all over India, Sub offices of the Circle he is posted and also Sub-offices of neighbouring circles and branch offices of the region served by the office. Thus, he has to commit to memory the names of thousands of post offices and has to accurately know by memory under what Head or Sub Office these branch offices are located. He has to study and acquire the knowledge of operational rules of the department, which are contained in Postal Manuals Volume V, VII,Postal Guide, and the Foreign Post Manual. He has to learn by memory the sorting and due mail bag lists. He has to study the routes of Air Mails as well as Rail and Road routes. Only after passing this rigorous examination, he is being offered the job.

2:7:3 Of late, the sorting pattern has been changed and the sorting assistants have to sort letters district-wise using pin code. It has rather created more confusion and delay. The sorting is linked to the nearest available mail line or the route to reach the destination expeditiously. The frequent bifurcation of the existing revenue districts has also undone the scheme of District pattern of sorting.

2:8 JOB CONTENT SKILL AND RESPONSIBILITY

2:8:1 The skill and knowledge that a sorting assistant should possess has been aptly described by a Senior Member (Posts) in the following words in an article appearing in all daily newspapers during P& T week published on 12.11.1967. Shri M. Dayal, retired Senior Member (Posts) said:

“In the good old days, a sorter (now called sorting assistant) was only required to possess a fair knowledge of hinterland arid of the connecting rail and road services for the efficient disposal of mails”.

“To put it in postal parlance sorting was done on a directional basis. As a direct consequence of the carriage of mails by Air, the P & T Department had to evolve new techniques and procedure for the sorting of mails, some of which have to be transmitted by Air while others have to be forwarded by surface route.”

“No longer is it sufficient for a sorter to merely know the geographical locations of the post towns, but he has to master the circulation arrangements so that mails are forwarded in the right direction either by air or surface. This has given rise to a number of problems.

“For example, a sorter working in a running section on the Frontier Mail from Mathura to Delhi would during the good old days send a letter for the south to a section working in the opposite direction. Now he has to forward it to the Delhi Airport Sorting Office, even though it may be intended for Bhuj in Gujarat or Thanjavur in Madras. So that it can be dispatched by air. Further, since sorting cannot, for obvious reason, be done in an aircraft direct bag have necessarily to be exchanged between various air centers.

“In consequence a sorter is now required to possess a detailed knowledge of sorting patterns of places hundreds of miles away. Needless to say, all this requires a highly specialized staff with not only ‘ good knowledge of geography but of the sorting patterns of distant air centers”

2:8:2 The above observations clearly bring out the fact that a Sorting Assistant has to acquire highly technical skill in routing and sorting of letters not only within India but also should have a broad outline of world map so as to enable him to sort out and route mails for foreign countries both sea and air mail.

2:9 RESPONSIBILITY

2:9:1 A sorting assistant has to deal with bags containing valuable articles. If any bag is received with mutilated seals or bag with wrongly addressed labels, etc., he is held liable for the loss of bags containing valuables. Inside the Registration and Parcel branches, he deals with insured articles and an article which he has handled is later found to have been tampered or found to be of less weight though the outward condition may be good, he is held liable for any loss of articles.

2:9:2 Hundreds of cases occur and not a day passes without some case or other. In such cases he has to pay to the tune of thousands of rupees under the contributory negligence factors as prescribed in the disciplinary rules.

2:9:3 The working condition is so bad that sorters have to work in extremely congested areas.The Mail Bags containing valuable articles are stacked outside for want of accommodation and no wonder theft or loss occurs and the officials are constructively responsible, huge recoveries are made. Similarly, in mail van, lights get dim or no light exists. Many a sections are working in 2nd class compartments instead of regular accommodation. In such circumstances, the officials are not able to work as per the rules and any mishap occurs, he is to pay through his nose. He has to follow meticulously the rules and even though he may not be committing any crime, but on the ground that he did not implicitly follow the rules, hundreds and thousands of rupees are being recovered from his pay for the alleged loss of articles. Thus the job of a sorting is onerous and of high responsibility.

2:10 DISAGREEABLENESS, FATIGUE AND OTHER FACTORS

2:10.1 The disagreeableness of the work will be evident from the following.

i. The RMS work has to be performed by standing or squatting on the floor. The work is to be carried on in posthaste for fear of misconnection of mails subjecting to detention for long hours. He has to work under such a nervous state. Similarly the present state of computer works is too laborious and arduous.

ii. The duty entails leaving hearth and family members as a regular measure causing neglect of their wards and domestic work necessitating service of private tutors and attendants involving extra taxation on his purse.

iii. The nature of work in mail offices and mail vans is such that they have to work in the midst of dust, dirt and the pungent smell of molten wax. This affects the lungs of workers and naturally the incidence ofT.B and other fatal diseases are greater in R.M.S which can be verified from the frequency of sick reports in the RMS Divisions throughout India.

iv. The sectional staff (working in running trains) is exposed to the vagaries of climate of different stations and different states at all hours of the night and day and they have to work with the doors and windows closed. In the summer, the van becomes a furnace.

v. The RMS operative work differs from office to office and section to section. A Sorting Assistant has to be a learner throughout his service. Even at the end of his service when normally his memory fails, he has to cram classified lists and sorting lists and commit to memory changes in connection with the sorting arrangements and has to maintain a maximum standard of physical fitness to stand the strain of his arduous work.

2:11 JUSTIFICATION OF HIGHER PAY SCALES AND WE DEMAND,

2:11:1 The facts enumerated above will conclusively indicate that the sorting assistants in the Railway Mail Service have to undertake comparatively more skilled and physical job with strains, risks, responsibility and disagreeableness than a clerk in Bank, Insurance or for that matter, any sedentary worker in other departments.

2:11:2 In the bulk recruitment made since 2009, more than 90% of the Sorting Assistants are Engineering Graduates, Post Graduates and Graduates. As such, we are also of the firm opinion that the minimum educational qualification for the Sorting Assistant shall be enhanced as Graduation and they may be equated with the Executive Assistants with the Grade Pay of Rs.4200.

2:11:3 The Sorting Assistant shall be granted with ‘Qualification Pay’ as recommended earlier by the Department to Fifth Pay Commission to promote the skills, talents, etc. This must be equal to the extent of 10% of the Pay and the Grade Pay.

2:11:4 We plead that this process should be considered on each factor of arduousness, fatigue, risk, responsibility, strain, day and night duty, denial of holidays, being away from hearth and home, coupled with skill and training, all these factors should find reflection in his pay.

2.11.5 Considering the arduous nature of jobs, skills and responsibilities, the Sorting Assistant shall be fixed with higher pay with the existing Grade Pay of Rs.4200. The fair comparison hitherto has been maintained with that of the Postal Assistants of the same Postal department shall be upheld and the pay scales of the Sorting Assistants may be fixed at par with the Postal Assistants.

CHAPTER - III

TBOP BCR NOT FINANCIAL UPGRADATION ONLY PROMOTION

3:1 FINANCIAL UPGRADATION – TBOP, BCR & ACP

3:1:1 The Department of Posts introduced a promotional scheme called ‘Time Bound one promotion scheme’ in the year 1983 after reaching an agreement in the JCM held on 19.12.83 and the TBOP has been equated with the LSG almost in all the references made subsequently by the Department. Similarly w.e.f 1.11.1991, the Department introduced BCR Scheme, which was also equated with HSG II and the officials acquired BCR were granted HSG I promotion. These promotions were granted to the officials after reducing the staff strength to the extent of 20% in Supervisory and 6% in Operative Cadres as matching savings as per the agreement made with the Staff Side in the JCM Departmental Council. They were introduced only as next promotion with time frame and not as a financial upgradation.

3:1:2 Meanwhile, the 5^th Pay Commission recommended Assured Career Progression scheme (ACP) for all Central Government employees guaranteeing two promotions to Group ‘C’ employees on completion of 10 and 20 years of service without any matching cost and the same has been accepted by the Government after 12 and 24 years of service retrospectively for 1^st and 2^nd ACP financial up gradation. The ACP scheme was introduced as financialupgradation and not as a promotion. The difference between the schemes existed in Postal (TBOP, BCR) and others (ACP) are two distinct.

3:1:3 There after the 5^th Pay Commission under Para 62-11, did not recommend any pay scale for TBOP/LSG and BCR/HSG.II in the Postal department but suggested as interalia: -

“We have recommended the implementation of the Assured Career Progression Scheme which is in tune with the present two time-bound promotions. The schemes of One Time Bound Promotion (OTBP) and Biennial Cadre Review (BCR) will accordingly be replaced by this scheme in its general applicability. We therefore do not recommend any change in the scales of pay for the time-bound promotions. The scale of pay of Rs. 1400-2300 will be the first ACP scale and Rs. 1600-2660 the second.”

3:2 ANOMALY ARISEN AFTER 5^TH CPC

3:2:1 There was a glaring anomaly that has been rising after the department has extended only ACP pay scales to TBOP & BCR in the new pay scales on the following reasons:-

(i) ACP I and II are Assured Career Progression on completion of 12 and 24 years respectively. Whereas TBOP & BCR are LSG & HSG.II respectively, which are the Supervisory posts required more skill for effective supervision;

(ii) ACP I and II are granted to officials on completion of 12 and 24 year as financialupgradations, whereas the TBOP (LSG) is accorded on completion of 16 years as promotions and BCR after 26 years. As such this cannot be equated with;

(iii) ACP has been granted without any Matching Savings. Whereas for the grant of TBOP (LSG) & BCR (HSG.II), the staff cut of 20% in Supervisory and 6% in Operative in the total establishment had been implemented as Matching Savings;

(iv) The 5^th Pay Commission had not dealt about LSG, HSG.II posts which are carrying higher responsibilities and the importance of its functions in post offices& RMS Offices.

3:2:2 The recommendations of the 5^th Pay Commission have seriously disturbed the long existing relativities, both horizontally and vertically, leading to grave dissatisfaction, despondency lowering the morale of the LSG and HSG.II and HSG.I officials. The anomaly arisen after the 5^th CPC has not yet been resolved and the anomaly was unfortunately not considered by the Sixth CPC and it was silent on this in its recommendations.

3:3 Time Bound promotions &Financial upgradations – Not one and the same.

3:03:1 The concept of financial upgradation is a misnomer for TBOP and BCR schemes which amount of promotion and not a simple financial upgradation as in the case of ACP. TBOP / BCR schemes are not substituted / alternative schemes for ACP. Whereas the concept of financial upgradation and ACP is a novel concept introduced in the 5^th Pay Commission, the schemes of TBOP / BCR are unique obtained on matching savings basis. Though these schemes (TBOP / BCR) were not reasonably discussed simply advising to opt for ACP by the 5^th Pay Commission, the issues are not properly addressed by the nodal department and Department of Expenditure. When they considered these schemes are unique once compared to other departments, then there is every justification to treat them uniquely. Rather, it is very paradoxical to note that promotion orders are issued to BCR officials to a lower pay scale of LSG.

3:4 WE DEMAND

The TBOP & BCR were not financial upgradations and they were promotions by matching savings. All those officials who are now in TBOP/BCR shall be treated as LSG & HSG II. The benefits available in those supervisory posts shall be extended to those officials also thus ending the discrimination created by the wrong interpretation of this scheme at a later date by the Postal Department.

CHAPTER - IV

LSG, HSG II & HSG I SUPERVISORS

4:1 JUSTIFICATION FOR HIGHER PAY TO LSG, HSG II & HSG I

The LSG, HSG II & HSG I are the hierarchical promotions provided in the Department of Posts for Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistants. However, the number of LSG Supervisory Posts in RMS is far below to the extent 8% of the total number of Sorting Assistants. When the Department is having 16500 Sorting Assistant, there are only 1053 LSG supervisors, 415 HSG II & 415 HSG I Posts available for their promotion. No one who completes 30 years of service already acquired MACP III is getting LSG promotion and now it stands as demotion despite the higher responsibilities, they are shouldering.

The following is the justification for granting of higher pay to norm based LSG, & HSG II Posts.

4:1:1 The incumbents in the LSG and HSG.II Posts are the supervisors, group leaders, guides and motivators at the ground level with added responsibility, risks and skill with assumption of higher grades i.e. from LSG to HSG.II.The responsibilities and skills are being equal to that of Group 'B' class, except the number of staff in roll in such bigger offices.

4:1:2 The LSG, HSG.II and HSG.I are the practical leadership in the execution of various schemes and functions and working as Sub Record Officer, Head Record officer and Head Sorting Assistants in mail offices. They are unparalleled in maintenance of public relations. They have the maximum accountability to the public and experts in personnel management and better utilisation of staff.

4:1:3 These cadres come forward to implement the various new schemes in Speed Post, metro Mails, Hybrid Mails, ‘e’ Mos, Express Parcel Service, Corporate Money transfer Business Mails & other Business activities, etc. The success of new schemes could only be feasible due to proper motivation, leadership and guidance provided by the ground level supervisors of LSG, HSG.II and HSG.I officials by upgrading their skills & experience.

4:1:4 Functional responsibilities, on the spot supervision, personal utilisation, accounting liabilities, day-to-day supervisions in functions and accounts of subordinate offices, quality control and utilisation, public complaints and on the spot settlement by the supervisors are supremeand incomparable.. No other official works at any level with such liabilities, risks and responsibilities.

4:1:5 The duties, responsibilities, skills, leadership, motivation and supervision exercised by LSG are of higher caliber and more arduous than those of IPOs / IRMs and of HSG.II staff are higher than those of ASPOs / ASRMs and of HSG.I is equal to those of officers in PSS Group 'B' who are in the administrative side whereas the supervisors must perform all the works apart from the administration of his office.

4:2 Vertical & Horizontal Relatives & unsettled anomaly

Apart from the above, the following horizontal and vertical relativities were maintained by the different Central Pay Commissions.

4:2:1 The 1^st and the 4^th Central Pay Commission recommended the same scale of pay for the LSG officials in general line and the IPOs / IRMs. However, the 2^nd and the 3rd Central Pay Commission recommended a slightly higher maximum for IPOs / IRMs than the LSG.

4:2:2 The Varadhachariar Commission has recommended that the IPOs / IRMs should continue to be graded with LSG in the general line and the recommendation had been accepted by the Government. (Para 46, Page 302.Vol. II of the report of the 2^nd Pay Commission.)

4:2:3 The following relativities were maintained by the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Central Pay Commissions

INCREASE OVER THE PAY SCALES	1^ST CPC	2^ND CPC	3^RD CPC	4^TH CPC
LSG over Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants	166.66%	90.90%	63.46%	43.58%
IPO / IRM over Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants	-do-	-do-	-do-	-do-
HSG over LSG	56.00	59.52	HSG cadre reorganised as HSG.II and HSG.I	-----
HSG over IPOs / IRMs	-do-	-do-	-----	------
ASPOs / ASRMs over HSG	Same Scale	Same Scale	------	------

		3^rd CPC	4^th CPC
HSG.II over LSG / IPOs / IRMs	HSG.II and HSG.I were created by the 3^rd CPC	-----	14.28%
ASPOs / ASRM over HSG.II	were in the scale of Pay with same minimum	same minimum	2.5%
HSG.I over HSG.II	HSG.II and HSG.I were created by 3^rd CPC	27.27%	25%
HSG.I over ASPOs / ASRMs	----------------------	27.27%	22%

4:02:4 The 5^th Central Pay Commission's recommendations seriously disturbed the above relativities horizontally and vertically as detailed below:-

Between LSG & PA / SAs	(+)	12.5%
IPOs /IRMs & PAs /SAs	(+)	37.5%
LSG / IRMs & PAs / SAs	(-)	22.00%
HSG.II & LSG	(+)	11.11%
HSG.II & IPO / IRMs	(-)	10%	HSG had all along been above the IPOs / IRMs and till late 70s had been promotion scale for IPOs.
ASPOs & HSG.II	(+)		30%
HSG.I & HSG.II	(+)		30%
HSG.I & ASPOs / ASRMs	Same Scale		HSG.I is the promotional cadre for ASPOs / ASRMs & HSG.II.

4:02:5 A definition of anomaly was arrived in the Group of Minister and JCM (Staff Side) meeting held on 6,7,9 and 10^th September 1997 and as per Department of Personnel and Training OM No. 19/1/97-JCA dated 06-02-98, the Anomaly Committee should have been constituted since the vertical / horizontal relativities have been disturbed as a result of the 5^th Central Pay Commission report. The Departmental Anomaly Committee has not been set up in the Department of Posts.

4:02:6 The final observation of the Committee’s report headed by Sri. S. C. Dutta vide OM No. 23-108/98-PE I/PCC dated 17.09.98 & 05.08.1998 is reproduced below as this is most pertinent to decide the merits and justification in this case.

"The staff representatives maintained that with the introduction of technology and modernization the supervisory responsibilities of LSG / TBOP & HSG.II / BCR are enhanced proportionately. They reiterated that the LSG / HSG.II officials actually discharge real managerial responsibilities at the grass root level by proper regulation of the personnel / utilisation and the functions to match the requirement of the public with an eye on the proper financial management of the office and SOs or BOs under them along with treasury liabilities of the office which an IPOs / IRMs or ASPOs / ASRM is not required to do. They reiterated that though the promotions under TBOP / BCR schemes were time bound, these were on matching cost by surrender of posts in the entry and supervisory cadres – the entry grade posts which would have been in the scale of Rs. 4000-6000 if not abolished. They maintained that it was on this count that the pre—5^th Pay Commission scales of entry grade LSG (TBOP): HSG.II (BCR) stood at Rs. 975-1400-1600 which roughly works out to 1:1.43:1.64. With the entry scale now being Rs. 4000-6000 the TBOP and BCR scales justify the scales Rs. 5500-9000 and Rs. 6500-10500.

Recognizing that pay scales are matters for consideration, by pay commission and the percentage difference between respective scales getting reduced as a result of exercise carried out by the 5th Pay Commission, which may operate adversely in the successive higher scales in TBOP / BCR scheme, the committee is of the view that the following scales for LSG & HSG.II have merit for recommending.

LSG ---- 5500-8650

HSG.II --- 6500-9500

HSG.I – The next level of promotion for BCR / HSG.II officials and ASPOS is HSG.I. With identical scales for HSG.I and ASP and considering the functional responsibilities of HSG.I there is complete justification for upgradation of the scale of HSG.I cadre. The Committee, therefore, feels the scale of Rs. 7450-11500 for this cadre has merits for recommending."

4:02:7 However, the recommendations of the Dutta Committee had not been implemented by the department despite strong persuasions by the staff side as well as the agreement made thereafter due to the rejection by the Finance Ministry. It is unfortunate that the Sixth Pay Commission did not deal in its report despite our plea and submissions in oral evidences.

4:02:8 The Sixth CPC did not make any distinction between the supervisors and the supervised. The MACP-I & LSG were granted in the same grade pay and similar is the case of MACP II & HSG II. The reintroduction of graded supervisory allowance for LSG, HSG II & HSG I which were snatched at the time of introduction of TBOP & BCR becomes warranted.

4:02:9 The Sixth CPC has recommended 10% Pay and Grade Pay to the care takers vide para 03.08.08 of its report. Similar quantum of supervisory Allowance would have been introduced to all LSG/HSG II/HSG I supervisors duly appreciating their responsibilities and the most arduous nature of duties.

4:02:10 It is pertinent to mention that "Unique" means being the only one of its kind, having no like or equal or parallel. The demand of upgradation of the pay scale to LSG/HSG II is also unique to the jobs performed by the LSG and HSG.II officials.

4:3 Denied Justice by Two Pay Commissions

4:03:1 It is nothing but a farce and also a fate that the genuine demand of upgraded pay scale to LSG, and HSG.II which are unique to the Department of Posts in the scale of pay of Rs. 5500-9000 and 6500-10500 in the erstwhile pay scale as per 5^th CPC respectively has been denied repeatedly till date either on one pretext or the other.

4:03:2 It is most pertinent to place before the commission that the proportion of pay between the entry scale and two promotional scales (i.e.) LSG&HSG II prior to the implementation of 5^th Pay Commission was 142% and 164% respectively.

ENTRY SCALE - 975-1660

LSG - 1400-2300 (142%)

HSG II - 1600-2660 (164%)

4:03:3 The 5^th Pay Commission did not cater any recommendations for LSG&HSG II, but mentioned the pay scales for two ACP promotions in which the proportion was 112.5% and 125% respectively.

ENTRY SCALE - 4000-6000

I ACP - 4500-7000 (112.5%)

II ACP - 5000-8000 (125%)

4:03:4 The Fifth Pay Commission did not mention about LSG, HSG II, HSG-I hierarchical Promotions and it simply observed that” we do not recommend any change in the scales of Pay for the time bound promotions. The scale of Pay of Rs. 1400-2300 will be the first ACP scale and Rs. 1600-2660, the second, thus it applied the TBOP & BCR at par with ACP I & II and there is no mention about the existence of regular LSG, HSG II promotion as they were equated with TBOP & BCR at that time. Sixth CPC did nothing and the gap has been widened further, due to introduction of Pay band system with Grade Pay.

4:03:5 The above proposition did not reflect or respond to the matching savings offered by staff surrendering 6% operative & 20% supervisory posts to avail TBOP (LSG) /BCR (HSG-II) promotions which require a longer service than prescribed for ACP (i.e) 16/26 years instead of 12/24 years. The injustice caused shall be undone which is our main prayer before the Seventh Pay Commission.

4:04 PROMOTION SHALL BE THE REWARD

4:04:1 It is most pertinent to submit that the National Labour Commission has rightly observed as follows:-

"Promotion means the movement of a worker in a position of higher responsibility and consequential improvement in the emoluments. It is rewarding of his hard work and an incentive to give of his best to the employer. It also serves to maintain the requisite morale among the workers. The promotion provides a stimulus to the employees to cultivate, the qualities that are necessary for advancing in life. While such encouragement is important in all employments, it acquires a special significance in the public sector where management finds for reasons explained elsewhere that it cannot reward a worker in other ways."

4:04:2 In the service carrier, it is a legitimate aspiration for the employees to expect promotion to a higher grade at reasonable intervals and if such avenues for promotion are not provided, but the employees are made to retire in the same grade at their entry, naturally they lose interest therein. While considering this aspect, the Second Pay Commission made the following observations:-

"Where there is an adequate promotional outlet that would provide the necessary incentive; and so also would be provision of selection grade. But where there is neither, the employee may feel frustrated and become apathetic."

4:05 WE DEMAND

4:05:1 Under these circumstances, we respectfully request to consider the entire matters and decide on the following demands of our organisation.

1. The nomenclature of LSG may be termed as Supervisor and the HSG II may be designated as Senior Supervisor

2. There is no need to keep the two nomenclatures like LSG, & HSG.II as in existence today only two designations with Supervisor & Senior Supervisor will be sufficient.

3. The Pay Scale of the two supervisory cadre may be fixed as follows:-

Notwithstanding the Staff Side claim to delete the Grade Pay System, we propose to fix the pay scale as applicable to the existing Grade Pay System as follows.

EXISTING	PROPOSED NOMENCLATURE	PROPOSED PAY SCALE (EXISTING) (In Rs.)
LSG	SUPERVISOR	Grade Pay 4600
HSG.II	SENIOR SUPERVISOR	Grade Pay 4800

CHAPTER – V

HIGHER SELECTION GRADE - I

5:00 The Higher Selection Grade officialshave under their control up to 74 Sorting Assistants, 10 Lower Selection Grade Supervisors besides scores of MTS, GraminDakSevaks and casual and contingent employees.

5:03 CONTROL OVER STAFF

5:03:1 He has to exercise full administrative control over the staff in his office. He is expected to posses the management technique and supervisory skill in conducting the affairs of his office. As Head of Office he has to look after the management of staff, attend to enquiries by members of the public, guide the supervisory staff working under him and perform all the personal duties for himself. It is a common sight to see the officials in the Higher Selection Grade working late in the office checking mails and insured articles in the safe custody.

5:03:2 This Higher Selection Grade-I is recruited from the HSG.II / LSG Grade officials only when they have a handful of years of service for superannuation from the department. Some even declines this promotion because they are liable to transfer to any station outside and the remuneration is not sufficient enough to cover two establishments one at the former headquarters and the other at the station to which they are posted. The arduous responsibilities shouldered by this cadre did not receive a fair and just dispensation so far in previous pay commissions.

5:04 DISTURBING RELATIVITIES

5:04:1 The following table brings out how the relativity has been very much eroded by the 5^th CPC from the earlier CPCs.

	1^st CPC	2^nd CPC	3^rd CPC	4^th CPC	5^th CPC
Clerks (PA)	60-170	110-240	260-480	975-1660	4000-6000
HSG.II	---------	---------	550-750	1600-2660	5000-8000
HSG.I	250-325	335-425	700-900	2000-3200	6500-10500

(i) After the 1^st Pay Commission, the ratio between the initial pay of the Postal Assistant with the basic pay of HSG.I in the minimum scale of pay 1:4.5 (Rs. 60/- &Rs. 250/-)

(ii) Whereas in the 2^nd Pay Commission it was 1:3 (Rs. 110 &Rs. 335)

(iii) In the 3^rd Pay Commission, the relativity was maintained at the ratio of 1:2.6 (Rs. 260 &Rs. 700)

(iv) The relativity in the 4^th Pay Commission was in the ratio of 1:2.05 (Rs. 975 &Rs. 2000/-)

(v) After the Sixth CPC the difference between HSG II & HSG I is just Rs. 400/- in Grade Pay.

(vi) The ending of ratio since first to fourth pay commission has further been eroded to the worst since 1:1.6 (Rs. 4000 &Rs. 6500)

5:5: WE DEMAND

5:05:1 At least, the average relativity maintained by the earlier pay commissions brings some solace to the much affected officials in the selection grades.

5.05:2 Since the functional difference between HSG.I post and ASRM has been taken away from upgrading scale of ASP/ASRM (from 1640-2900 to 2000-3200 pre-revised), they are made interchangeable with no fixation benefit, all such HSG.I posts may be earmarked for general line officials.

5.05.3 Thus the Pay scale of HSG-I shall be determined in the Gazetted Group ‘B’ with the Grade Pay of Rs. 5400/- (Gazetted) in the Pay Band III.

CHAPTER - VI

PO & RMS ACCOUNTANTS

6:01:1 In a nutshell, the accounts branch in the RMS functions as a drawing, disbursing, accounting and auditing unit of the postal and RMS branches. The PO and RMS Accountants are the main pillars upon whom the entire structure of Postal Accounting System rests. They play pivotal roles in management of postal finances from the micro level to the top level by incorporating monetary transactions with proper classifications, apart from maintaining accounts of revenue receipts and expenditures and also monitoring the overall state of financial health of the departmental offices. There are many more items of work performed by the accounts branch.

6:02 DUTIES & STANDARDS OF PO & RMS ACCOUNTANTS

6:02:1 The Accountants and LSG Accountants are the incharge of the Accounts branch and they are solely responsible for the accounting works, returns, and also the settlement of personal claims like pay, allowance, leave, pension etc. of the officials. They are the basic advisors on the matter of postal finances and the architects of the preparation of budgetary proposals of the department.

6:02:2 The Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants who qualify in an examination of the tough nature in Accounting duties and functions are alone posted as accountants in the respective HPO / HRO. Their duties are of a very high order. Nevertheless, they have so far received a raw deal and placed them in the doldrums with a bundle of transactions.

6:02:3 The syllabus for the PO and RMS Accountants Exam is so tough rather than IPO and other departmental examination. The syllabus broadly comprises:-

(i) Fundamental Rules;

(ii) Supplementary Rules;

(iii) Leave Rules;

(iv) Pension Rules;

(v) Rules relating to Pay & Allowances;

(vi) Budget Estimates and Control (P & T Manual Vol. II)

(vii) P&T Manual Volume IV.

(viii) Sub Account and Accounts in Sub Post Offices (P&T Manual vol. VI-Part III)

(ix) P&T Financial Hand Book – Vol. I

(x) P&T Financial Hand Book – Vol. II and

(xi) All other Accounting rules issued from time to time.

6:02:4 After the computerization of the works and changing environment, these officials upgraded their skill to the requirement for the accounting work due to various business activities, etc. and work as a leader and guide to the Sorting Assistants working in Accounts Branch.

6.03 Justification for higher pay

6:03:1 The Department, after discussions with the Staff Side, granted an upgraded new pay scale to the PO and RMS Accountants in the scale of Rs. 380-12-440-EB-15-560-EB-20-620 w. e. from 01-11-1978 without any special pay.

6:03:2 This new pay scale become defunct after the introduction of Time Bound One Promotion (LSG) scheme w.e. from 30-11-83 and most of the Accountants opted to Time Scale in order to avail the LSG promotion (TBOP) on completion of 16 years service in the basic cadre.

6:03:3 The Comparative Pay structure of Accountant Posts in different Department / Ministry / organised sector are detailed below for perusal.

Name of the Department Designation / Existing pay scale after 5^th CPC/ Revised pay scale

Indian Audit & Accounts (a)Auditor/Accountant 4500-125-7000

Department subsequently revised to 5000-150-8000

(b) Sr Auditor/ Accountant 5500-175-900

(Para 7.56.4 6^th CPC) (c) Section Officer 6500-200-10500

Railway Department (a) Accountants Assistants 5000-150-8000

(Para 7.56.6 6^th CPC) (b) Divisional Accountant 5500-175-9000

Ministry of Consumer Affairs (a) Accountant cum cashier 5000-150-8000

Food & Public Dn (b) on promotion 5500-175-9000

(Para 7.1.14 6^th CPC) (c) -DO- 6500-200-10500

The Survey of India Land & (a) Accountant 5000-150-8000

Development Office (b) On Promotion 5500-175-9000

(Para 7.46.41 6^th CPC) (c) -DO- 6500-200-10500

Indian Tourism Office (a) Accountant 4500-125-7000

(Para 7.44.7 6^th CPC)

Postal A/Cs & Finance a) Auditor / Accountant 5000-150-8000

(Para 7.56 6^th CPC) (b) Sr. Auditor/Accountant 5500-175-9000

6:03:4 When the PO & RMS Accountants are performing similar duties to that of organised accounts, there is every justification for the grant of equal pay.

6:04 DENIAL OF SPECIAL PAY FOR PAY FIXATION ON PROMOTION

6:04:1 After the implementation of 5^th Pay Commission, the special Pay introduced earlier for the Accountants had been withdrawn and the special allowance has been restored. The special pay which was granted to accountants equal to two increments i.e. Rs. 90/- prior to the 5th Pay Commission has been doubled and fixed atRs. 180/- called as special allowance.

6:04:2 The demand for taking the special allowance for pay fixation into account has been tossed pillar to post between nodal ministries over eight years and no fruitful decision has so far been taken in respect of PO and RMS Accountants. Whereas it is pertinent to mention that the special allowance granted to JAO qualified officials has now been taken into account for pay fixation on promotion vide Department of Posts letter No. 8 (1) 2004/PA-Admn/501 to 544dated 29-10-2006.

6:04:3 As per Para (d) it is clear that “The special pay would henceforth be termed as special allowance as recommended by the V CPC in Para 109.5 of the report and would be granted hitherto fore subject to the same conditions as are stipulated in FR 9 (25) (i.e) special pay (including the one granted to PO & RMS Accountants which was granted prior to V CPC) has only been termed as special allowance. But, the conditions for granting the same or taking it for fixation of pay have not been changed.

6:04:4 Rule FR 9 defines the terms which are used in the FRs & SRs-Rule FR 9 (25) defines special pay as addition to pay of the emoluments of a post or Government servant in consideration of

(a) Specially arduous nature of duties

(b) A separate addition to the work or responsibilities.

6-05 We Demand

6:05:1 Accordingly the PO and RMS Accountants should be declared equal to LSG and their pay scales be fixed to the present Grade Pay Rs. 4600/- Similarly, further promotion to the Accountants can be under the ratio of 50:30:20 in three grades and granted the scale of pay applied to HSG.II and HSG.I and Group 'B' depending upon the nature of the charge held by the Accountants. A separate channel for the advancement of their carrier should be considered and opened.

6:05:2 Notwithstanding our claim to open separate channels of promotion for accountants, the injustice rendered to this cadre in the past after the 5th Central Pay Commission should be set right.

(i) The Special Allowance granted to the PO and RMS Accountants may be taken as Special Pay and counted towards fixation of pay on promotion with effect from 01-01-96 and set aside the anomalies existing;

CHAPTER – VII

SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATORS

7:01:1 The face of the postal department has been vastly changed with the introduction of new technology and computerization of postal operations. The department has computerized all the Head Post Offices and also Sub Post Offices since 2000 and full I. T. Modernization project is under progress.

7:01:2 Even though the computerization has been made in most of the post offices, the required posts for the persons for handling the software and hardware problems have not been created so far in the Department of Posts. The existing Postal Assistants of the post offices who know very well about the systems operations were designated as System Administrators and are being entrusted with a lot of responsibilities and duties for which no extra remuneration is paid so far.

7:01:3 Whereas in many departments, they are having the Posts called as System Assistant in the Grade Pay of Rs. 4200/- and framed recruitment rules for them. Similarly, such type of System Assistant Post is the need of the hour. It is pertinent to mention that the System Assistants are now imparting training in Systems in Workplace Computer Training Centre etc. and they are the pillars now to maintain the systems and the computerisation programmes & Training other officials to meet the present day requirements on Computer operations.

7:01:4 In a nutshell, the Systems Administrators in the Department of Posts are the exploited employees amidst Postal Assistants. Therefore, this union submits to consider their plights based on the facts furnished above and request to cause recommendation on the following:-

(i) Augment a new establishment with a nomenclature of 'Systems Assistant'; with grade pay of Rs. 4600/- and further promotions ensured or the posts may be decalred as LSG Posts considering the nature of supervision in computers.

(ii) 100% posts should be filled by conducting a competitive trade test among the qualified officials working as Postal Assistants and declared as a promotional cadre to Postal Assistant.

(iii) The Educational Qualification may be fixed according to job like Graduation with Computer Applications. However, the existing System Administrators may be declared as Ex. Cadre posts taking into account the practical knowledge, they may be considered 3 years of field experience of doing away with any trade test. Training for periodical upgradation of skills may be explored.

(iv) They may please be placed in the existing Grade pay of Rs. 4600/- considering their arduous nature of the job and qualification.

(v) Their promotional avenues may be fixed in the ratio of 40:40:20.

(vi) These higher posts at the ratio of 40, 40 and 20% may be decided considering the number of systems as well as the responsibilities they handled during the course of the day.

CHAPTER-VIII

COUNTING OF PAST SERVICES OF RTP

(RESERVED TRAINED POOL)

8:01:1 With a view to meeting the shortage of staff due to absentees and other causes and also to manage the increased flow of traffic and also to curtail expenditure on overtime, the P&T Department has introduced the RTP (Reserved Trained Pool) Scheme vide its No.60-36/80-SPB dated 30.10.1980.

8:01:2 The Main criteria & condition of the scheme was as follows: -

"At the time of each recruitment, after the select list is drawn up, an additional list of candidates know as Part 'B' or Part II is prepared for each recruiting Unit. The Part 'B" or Part II list is meant for filling the dropouts in the main selection list'. In addition, a further list of candidates up to 50% of the number of candidates in the main list, is to be drawn up which is which is called Reserved Trained Pool.

8:01:3 All these candidates will be imparted 'training and after training, they will be utilized for maximum of 8 hours per day on daily wages (on an hourly basis). Their eventual absorption as regular staff will, however, be in the order of merit and they will be absorbed in regular vacancies after the absorption of the select candidates at the 'main list' of the batch. The RTPs will be given priority of absorption against vacancies for next recruitment. Thus, the main select list subsequent recruitment will be listed below the 'RTP's of the previous recruitment.

8:01:4 The P&T Department has subsequently caused orders restricting the RTP selection vide its letter No.60-31/81-SPB I dated 13.6.82 in which the additional list of RTPs to be drawn was restricted to 15% of clerical sanctioned strength of the Division.

8:01:5 Later this 'scheme' was extended to LDC and Postman cadres in August '82 and March '85 respectively. Ultimately the 'RTP' scheme was discontinued in March 1986 vide DG P&T No.60-31/91-SPB-I dated 4.3.1986.

8:01:6 Thus the P&T Dept. stood to gain by utilizing the RTP services at a cheaper cost though they were full-fledged trained staff and performing their duties and responsibilities on par with regular Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants but without any other normal benefits, as for regular staff.

8:01:7 They were paid at the hourly rate for not exceeding 8 hours duly per day on a monthly basis. Between 1980 and 1983, there were six half yearly recruitment. In 1983, the department has taken one policy decision of granting one Time Bound Promotion to the operative cadres resulting in a reduction of 5% in the total strength of clerical and 15% in the supervisory cadre with immediate effect, vide its order No. 31-26/83-PE.I dated 17-12-83.

8:01:8 Similarly, the department has started abolition of running RMS sections and also concentration of mail handling in Stationary Mail / Sorting Offices by Day-sets, almost eliminating Night Sorting Offices in 1983, in the same year resulting surplus staff in the RMS. This resulted in reduction of posts of Sorting Assistants in great numbers. The sudden implementation of these two decisions by Government and consequent ban on recruitment, non-filling of vacancies including existing, future, retirement and promotional adversely affected the prospect of regular absorption of the RTPs for a long time. But they were utilized as a Short Duty Staff continuously. Virtually affecting the absorption of RTPs as SAs in RMS Divisions.

8:01:9 The position of permanent absorption caused to some extent in 1986 and they could be absorbed as Postal Assistant / Sorting Assistants in small numbers and final batch of about 2900 RTPs were absorbed in January 1990 on the directions of the Supreme Court.

8:01:10 In effect, such RTPs had become the victim. Most of them had become over aged and the orders of the competent authority viz. DG (P) were obtained for relaxation of age limit for their appointment.

8:01:11 A random check of the Service record of the erstwhile RTPs thus appointed as Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants will show that about 50% of them would be ineligible for Full Pensionary benefits like DCRG as their qualifying service would be less than 33 years at the time of their superannuation.

8:01:12 Therefore the staff side places the demand time and again and in all the Periodical Meeting to count the past services of RTP for the limited purposes of promotion and pensionary benefits which would not be detrimental to the interest of any other staff.

8:01:13 The said demand is being rejected on the following grounds regularly.

(i) In the meeting held with Minister on 23-10-2001, Member (P) informed that the demand could not be accepted since the RTP Recruitments were made outside the Recruitment Rules.

(ii) The Directorate in its letter NO. 10-7/2003/SR dated 04-11-2003, while communicating the state of progress of various demands, it is informed that the demand of the union being contrary to the judgment of the Apex Court (S.C. Judgment dated 01-08-1997 in OA Nos 30-123 of 1996) is not acceptable and the case closed.

(iii) In the periodical meeting of JCM (Departmental Council) held on 18-11-2003, while discussing this issue under item No. 9, the similar reply citing S.C. Judgment was given to the staff side.

8:01:14 The department has closed its mind on this issue without minding various developments taken place after the issue of Supreme Court judgment on 01-08-97.

8:01:15 The Supreme Court judgment pertains mainly to the absorption of all erstwhile RTPs and against various pronouncements in CATs in favour to RTP Personnel.

8:01:16 In the said judgment the remark passed on the counting of past services is restricted to appear in the departmental examination only. There was no mention for Promotion & Pension benefits. The extract portion is furnished interalia:-

"In C.A. Nos. 127-130 of 1996, the RTPs who have been regularly absorbed in the year 1988 have been given the benefit of counting their services as RTPs for the purpose of their eligibility to appear for the departmental examination. The relevant rules provides that the candidates must have put in at least 5 years continuous satisfactory service in one or more eligible cadres before they can appear for the examination.

8:01:17 The eligibility is related to five years service in the cadre. Any service which was, rendered prior to regular appointment in the cadre cannot count for the purpose of these rules because it cannot be considered as a service in the eligible cadre. The Tribunal was therefore wrong in granting RTPs the benefit of service rendered by them prior to their regular appointment, for the purpose of their eligibility to appear for the departmental promotion examination".

8:02 JUSTIFICATION

8:02:1 It is pertinent to place before the Seventh Central Pay Commission about the correct position and justification of our demand for kind consideration.

8:02:2 The RTP candidates were recruited only on observing the recruitment procedures outlined in DG P&T letter No. 60/36/30-SPB.I dated 30-10-1980, as applicable to regular employees and utilised as Short Duty Staff and ultimately given appointment as Postal Assistants/Sorting Assistants.

8:02:3 The Apex Court's judgment in the O.A. Nos. 80-123/1996 etc. is quite different except the above observation stated in para supra and mainly dealt with the claim of all privileges as was extended to casual labourer. The above was the casual mention and not relation to main O.A.

8:02:4 Under Article 368 of CSRs (Rule 14 of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972), periods of service paid from contingencies do not count as qualifying service for pension. In some cases, employees paid from contingencies are employed in the types of work requiring the services of a whole time worker and are paid on monthly rates of pay or daily rates computed and paid on a monthly basis and on being found fit, brought on to regular establishment. In pursuance of the recommendations of the council, it has been decided that half the service paid from contingencies will be allowed to count towards pension at the time of absorption in regular employment.

8:02:5 Such being the case for contingent staff, the RTPs utilized as 'SDC' performed all the duties and responsibilities as Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants with their duty period extended upto 8 hours per day and wages on prorata to PA cadre for the period of duty computed and paid on monthly basis, are therefore, on a much worse footing than the contingent staff, and extending the benefit of the period spent by them as 'SDC' to count for 'Qualifying Service' would be fair, reasonable and justified.

8:02:6 Similarly extending the benefit of their duty as RTP towards qualifying service also deserves consideration on the analogy of

(i) Rule 22 of CCS (Pen) Rules 1972	Period spent on training	3 months
(ii) Rule 48-B of CCS (Pen) Rule 1972	On voluntary retirement	Up to 5 years
(iii) Rule 21 of CCS (Pen) Rules 1972	EOL on MC	Maximum at a time 5 years

(A period of shortfall in maximum qualifying service of 33 years, subject to a maximum of 5 years)

8:02:7 When Rules 48B & 21 provide periods not covered by actual performance of duty as a qualifying period for pension, etc., non-extending similar concessions to RTP who actually performed the work of the department is against natural justice.

8:02:8 During 1960s, officials with the designation as "Learner' were recruited and subsequently regularized as Postal Clerks. Their past service as Learner were taken as Qualifying service in the department. The similar analogy may be applied to this RTP personnel also.

8:02:9 The S.C. Judgment pronounced in R.K. Pande& Others Vs. Steel Authority of India & Others (1994-4. Sec. 304) may be applied to the RTPS also by regularising their services from the date of joining.

8:02:10 Hon'ble Principal Bench of CAT ordered to extend service, pensionary benefits to the Non-Statutory Departmental Canteen employees in OA Nos. 572/96 & 2136/98. Resultantly the benefits of entire past service prior to the declaration of Departmental Canteen employees (as Government servants) for counting towards pensionary benefits have been given to them vide the Do P&T in its OM No. 12/9/2000-Dir (C) dated 08-11-2000.

8:02:11 Such being the case, the service rendered in private canteens were taken as qualifying service, why not the service rendered as RTP when similar to Postal Assistant be extended to them for Pensionary& other benefits.

8:02:12 Hon'ble CAT, Ernakulam Bench adjudged in the OA No. 1410 of 1995 in favour of RTPs to count the period of service as Qualifying service for promotion, Pension and Back wages.

8:02:13 Even after the Supreme Court casual observation in the OA No. 127-130 on 01-08-1997 the CAT, Hyderabad pronounced a judgment ordering to count the past services of RTP for all purposes in its OA No. 798/97 & RA No. 83/98.

8:02:14 All the postal federation in order to mitigate this issue which is prolonged over one decade, has included the demand as one of the item in the charter of demands in the proposed strike w.e.f. 15-03-2005. During the conciliation meeting, the Secretary, Department of Posts agreed to re-examine the issue as per rules and also keeping in view the judgment of the Apex Court in such cases.

8:02:15 The Secretary has agreed to review their plight only in consonance with the Apex Court judgment pronounced in the favour of P & T Canteen employees and their past service in private employment has now been taken for the calculation of the pensionary benefits.

8:02:16 Based on the same, the Secretary, Department of Posts has referred this matter and recommended to the Department of Personnel and it was once again rejected by the Department of Personnel.

8:02:17 The extract portion of the JCM Departmental Council Meeting for the meeting held in 2004.

Item No. 9: Treating the services rendered as RTP

Reply: The matter was taken up with the Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions requesting to examine the matter regarding the counting of the service rendered as RTP at least for Pensionary Purpose. The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare, Ministry of Personnel and Public Grievances and Pensions has informed that it is evident that the RTP was a standing pool of trained reserve candidates for the Post and RMS offices to meet short term recruitment needs relating to shortage of staff due to absenteeism and other reasons. They were engaged, according to the needs subject to a maximum of eight hours per day and were to be paid wages at hourly rates fixed from time to time. They were given priority against the vacancies for subsequent recruitment. In view of above, it is very clear that RTP was a pool to keep a list of candidates for short-term needs and who were paid on an hourly basis. Service rendered on hourly basis cannot be equated with regular or even adhoc service. Further, these employees have already agitated their case up to the highest court of the country and there does not seem to be any case to agree to their demand, which is totally against the laid down rules, which are applicable uniformly to all employees of the Government of India. (F.No. 37-19/2003-SPB.I)

8:02:18 The Department of Personnel while disposing the recommendation of department at least to include the service for pensionary purpose has not considered the various precedences, court verdicts etc. and only with the closed mind, it disposed the life of the 50% employees who could not get full pension due to want of qualifying service.

8:02:19 All the attempts through the Department Council (JCM) and other discussion forums in particular from 2009 to 2013 become futile and the Department of Posts arbitrarily rejected our plea without any consideration of the points referred above.

8:02:20 Having rendered service almost identical to regular Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants but on daily wages only and ultimate lesser pensionary benefits because of such a long prolongation for their actual absorption, their cause is reasonable and justified deserving for consideration as one time settlement.There were several judicial pronouncements in CAT and High Court to take their service for pension, promotion including the grant of MACP promotion.

8:3 We demand

8:3:1 We request the 7^th Central Pay Commission to consider and render justice to the deserving genuine case of RTPs only taking their past RTP services as Qualifying services for all purposes.

CHAPTER – IX

PROMOTIONS

9:1 Cadre Review

9:1:1 Promotional avenues in the Sorting Assistant cadre in the Department of Posts is not attractive as in the case of other Central Government departments like Railway, Central Excise & Income Tax, Customs etc. The Department is having the establishment of about 16500 Sorting Assistants and promotional Posts are available is less than 10% (LSG 1053, HSG II 415 & HSG I 415). There was no proper cadre review exercised in the post by the Department of Posts to enhance the Promotional Posts for the RMS employees and motivate the employees in their career.

Fourth Pay Commission in its report vide Para 10.47 observed that” we feel that instead of a piece meal and fragmented approach, cadre restructuring should be comprehensive to take care of all relevant aspects and safeguard, as far as possible, the career interests of those who are already working in these cadres, in respect of their prospects of promotion etc.

9:1:2 At the best, a Sorting Assistant begins his carrier with the existing Grade pay of Rs. 2400/- could get his first promotion after 10 years of service in the Grade pay of Rs. 2800/- and second promotion after completion of 20 years of service in the Grade pay ofRs. 4200/- and on completion of 30 years, he will get Rs. 4600/- Grade pay. Only a few officials could be elevated to the third promotion of HSG.I.

9:1:3 The issue has been discussed in a separate meeting held for Cadre review and the following decision have been arrived on 28.04.2014.

(a) The post of SPMs in Single Handed Post Offices and Double Handed Post Offices will be placed in the Grade Pay of Rs. 2800/- in the Pay Band PB-I.

(b) The post of Sub Postmasters in Triple Handed Post Offices and all other existing norms based LSG Posts in Post offices will be placed in the Grade Pay of Rs. 4200/- in the Pay Band PB-II.

(c) All existing posts in HSG-II will be placed in the Grade Pay of Rs. 4600/- in the Pay Band PB-II along with the existing HSG-I Posts.

(d) After the implementation of the above restructuring, the officials in the Grade Pay of Rs. 4600/- who have completed 2 years of regular service, will be granted the Grade Pay of Rs. 4800/- in the Pay Band-II on non-functional basis after following the usual procedure of non-functional upgradation(s).

(e) Cadre ratio as per the agreed position mentioned at (a) to (d) above, will be worked out and the ratio so worked out will be replicated to the SA cadre of RMS, PA cadre of Circle & Administrative offices as also to the PA cadre of SBCO.

(f) In respect of Postmaster Grade I, Grade II and Grade III Posts, once the recommendations of this Committee are implemented; the matter will be examined in the light of the same.

(g) In the light of the peculiar situation of Postman/Mail Guard cadre where the work for the bulk of the cadre continues to remain the same; as a special case the Committee recommends the ratios as worked out in pursuance of (e) above may be considered for implementation for these cadres as well and that the cadre so restructured may concurrently get the benefit of MACP also.

(h) MTS being a common cadre in all Central Government Ministries/Department will be extended the same benefits as commonly decided for them.

9:1:4 If the above agreement on Cadre review is cleared, there will be some promotional avenues provided on functional justification to these cadre. However, the plight of PO & RMS Accountant cadre and have not been considered as mentioned in the respective chapter. Similarly the creation of System Administrator Posts have also not been agreed but continuing the System Administrators posts officially without any creation by christening the name of Sorting Assistants as System Administrators is nothing but a farce and sheer exploitation.

Thus, the Sorting Assistants have not been provided adequate promotional avenues even after the said agreement.

9:02 GROUP ‘B’ PROMOTION

9:02:1 Before the 4^th CPC, for general line official promotion to the PS Group ' B' (Gazetted) was available. With the implementation of 4^th CPC, these promotions to Group B has been made examination oriented and 6% of the Group 'B' of superintendents were earmarked. Later on, the IPO & IRMs have also been allotted 19% of examination oriented promotion to Group B. Till 2003, a considerable number of general line officials in TBOP / BCR were able to get promoted by duly qualifying in the Group B examination. The Department of Posts, all of a sudden without any rhyme and reason has stipulated that TBOP & BCR officials are not eligible to sit for Group B examination.

9:02:2 The Staff Side had submitted its proposal as far back as in February 2008 referring the pending item in the Postal Departmental Council JCM and communicating the opinions of the internal staff side for discussions. But, thereafter there was no discussion taken place. The following was the staff side's proposal.

9:02:3 In 1993, the Staff side was asked to surrender 1/3^rd of IPO/IRM vacancies from the general line promotional quota at the time of consideration of cadre review to IP/ASPOs and introduce direct recruitment to facilitate higher scales of pay to IPO/ASPOs and during the course of discussions it was assured that in lieu of this, the share of General Line in Group B might be improved. Though the share of PA/SA cadre in the IPO was reduced by 1/3^rd as stated above, the re-apportionment of the Group ‘B’ did not take place.

9:02:4 We demand

a) Our proposal is that 62% of PS Group B vacancies shall remain on seniority-cum-fitness to the IP Cadre and 19% on merit exam basis amongst the IPO line;

b) Remaining 19% of PS Group B should be for all clerical line officials (Postal, RMS, SBCO, and Admn. The existing four posts of Gazetted earmarked to RMS may be merged with the general pool and the Sorting assistants shall be permitted to appear the Group B examination along with the Postal assistants.

c) Since PS Group ‘B’ tough competitive examination, there need not be any restriction that only from LSG and above would be permitted. This condition required to be reconsidered for liberalization for the following reasons also. After the fifth Pay commission, the department, unmindful of the amendment of the recruitment rules by due notification with the approval of nodal ministries, has plunged into action to the controversial decision in permitting only those officials holding standard LSG post on a regular basis. As such a sudden switch over to standard LSG criteria has caused a concern. It is therefore requested to permit all the Sorting Assistants having 10 years (Ten Years) of clerical service irrespective of the fact whether they are LSG or MACP to write the PS Group B exam.

9:02:5 The Department has neither considered nor decided the proposals. There is a strong frustration among the new entrants possessing with Post Graduate Qualifications and above to deny their chances to write competitive examinations in Group B Posts. This may please be considered and recommended as above mentioned.

9:03 AAO PROMOTION

9:03:1 In respect of promotion to AAO cadres, the same has been frozen to the Postal/ Sorting Assistants and it is restricted only to the Postal Accounts causing a great injustice to the general line officials. There may be chances for many more examination oriented promotions. In this way, to some extent we can meet the aspirations of the younger generations.

9:03:2 In short, the promotional avenues available are very meager and the youth now joined the Postal Department in abundant with Post Graduate qualifications are becoming frustrated due to the non provision of adequate higher promotional avenues. The skills and zeal among such Postal/Sorting Assistant shall be utilized properly by providing more promotional opportunities to them.

CHAPTER — X

OUT STATION ALLOWANCE

10:1:1 The R.M.S. Staff working in traveling Sections are granted Out Station Allowance to meet the expenses on food, snacks, conveyance, transport of personal effects etc., when they leave their residence for duty to work in the R.M.S. sections and till they return home. The trips per month may range from 1 to 5 and in rare cases four in a month.

10:1:2 Whenever there was an abnormal rise in the cost of living, resulting in heavy expenses at the out-station, staff unions has demanded revision of rates of Out station allowance to the extent of Overtime allowance which has not been considered.

10:1:3 This allowance is based on the period of absence from headquarter calculated in the units of 6 hours and the last revision was effected on an agreement arrived at the Joint Consultative Committee (Departmental Council).

10:1:4 The OSA should be linked to the daily allowance granted to the touring officials. It is therefore urged the OSA be revised upward, once in 3 years,commensurate with the increase in cost of living index on the same percentage of D.A. increase.

CHAPTER-XI

OVER TIME ALLOWANCE

11:1:1 OTA is being granted in the following cases in the Sorting & Mail Offices in Particular to manage the absenteeism of the staff and shortage.

1. Substitutes in vacant posts in the sanctioned strength.

2. Heavy receipt of mails due to dislocation of trains / Air Services.

3. Manning the office on holidays.

11:1:2 The term of OTA is a misnomer. It is paid only in the vacancies of sanctioned department's strength to the officials who are detained beyond the working hours as in another.The expenditure on over time is inevitable since the work cannot be managed without substitute and postpone for the next day.

11:1:3 It is most unfortunate that the Over Time Allowance (OTA) is being paid only at the rate prescribed by the Fourth Pay Commission in the Department of Posts (i.e) 15.85 per hour which is far below the hourly salary. In Railways & other Departments, they have changed the name of OTA and enhanced the amount. The Postal, which is the operative department where work could not be postponed is still exploiting the employees at the rate of OTA. Adding fuel to fire, if a Sorting Assistant expresses his unwillingness to be on OTA, he is being charge sheeted. A clear type of exploitation of labour is in force despite formal instructions from the Directorate not to proceed the staff who expresses unwillingness to work on OTA.

11:1:4 After extracting the work for 8 hours, the official is being paid with less than Rs.119/- which cannot be equated even to the ¼thsalary in the minimum wage of a Sorting Assistant.

11:1:5 Not only because of the understaffing but also because of situations of sudden pressures of work, absenteeism and inadequacy of the percentage of leave reserve, which was reduced from 17 percent of the establishment structure to 10 percent, some expenditure on overtime is inevitable. Overtime cannot be avoided in such operational departments in which the work could not be postponed to the next day.

11:1:6 The existing restrictions in the matter of overtime duty and drawal of overtime allowance should be removed so that the officials may not be deprived of their legitimate claim.

11:1:7 It is, further, requested to consider that the overtime rates after enforcement atleast by 1½ times of appropriate pay during the normal days should be double the average hourly emoluments of the employees and on weekly off, Sundays or holidays, it should be doubled to the ordinary OTA rates.

The spirit of the arbitration award in enhancing the rates shall be honored. The Postal shall also be treated as an industry and the revisions exercised in Railways and Defence shall be exercised, as the postal department is also the operative offices of Government of India.

CHAPTER — XII

HOLIDAYS

12:1:1 The RMS & MMS employees are at present entitled to:

1. Weekly off

2. 16 Holidays + 2 Restricted Holidays

3. Other holidays declared as Public Holidays in special circumstances.

12:1:2 The RMS office work round the clock on all the days. Offices are functioning on holidays. The staff are brought on duty on Holidays and compensated by O.T. payment.

12:1:3 It is our experience that adequate staff commensurate with the workload are not arranged on Holidays with a view to restrict overtime expenditure. The staff is unable to bear the workload. Further, the payment for the duty performed is made after months and, in some cases after a year.

12:1:4 In the circumstances, we urge upon the Commission to recommend closure of all RMS offices, like Post Offices, on all Holidays and Sundays to enable the staff to avail of the holidays to spend their time with their families.

12:1:5 As already stated, RMS employees are given 16 holidays and 2 restricted holidays. But they are denied 5-day week as prevalent in Postal Administrative Offices, This discrimination is quite unjust. The RMS employees shall also avail Sundays and holidays like other employees. We, therefore, urge that all RMS employees should be given holiday on all Saturdays as well.

CHAPTER -XIII

INCENTIVE

13:1:1 At time of introduction of AMPC in Mumbai there was an agreement that the staff working in AMPC will get two increments in their grade.The officials drawing a rate of Increment of Rs.100 in Grade pay of Rs.2400 was paid Rs.200 per month. But when he was promoted to the Grade pay of 2800 there is an anomaly where he is entitled to get Rs.200 not 250. It is urged that two increments in the grades as and when they were promoted should be granted.

13:1:2 There is no Incentive for the staff working in Computerized Registration Channel and Speed Post concentration Centre. Their working conditions are similar to AMPC. The CRC staff, SPCC staff should also be granted to the extent of 10% of pay plus Grade pay. It is urged that all the RMS staff working on the computer should be granted machine allowance.

CHAPTER - XIV

LEAVE RESERVE

14:01:1 The existing sanctioned strength of Leave Reserve Clerks for post offices to the extent of 11% is found to be quite inadequate. Consequently the inconvenience caused to the operative staff to manage the shortage of staff prevailing to the extent of more than 30% and in the matter of timely relief whenever they need leave on any kinds for even emergencies and also to the administration in arranging relief are indescribable. This has been further aggravated after the grant of Child Care Leave for the women employees after the Sixth CPC and many of them could not avail CCL due to the inadequacy in LR Strength.

14:01:4 More and more influx of women employees in the department demands with more and more social obligations with a better environment. Availment of leave with or without pay is on the increase. With the heavy shortage of staff, it is impossible to go for combination of duties to carry out the absentees' work. Hence there is a clear justification for increase of leave reserve to 20%.

14:01:5 It is most pertinent to mention that the Fifth Pay Commission in its recommendations stated that 'all the ministries having a higher concentration of women employees may consider to provide for higher leave reserve'. But this has not been carried in the Department of Posts.

14:01:6 The percentage of leave reserve in post offices was fixed many decades ago. With the expansion of postal services and ventured various business activities and works, it is not possible to cope up with the increased workload.

14:01:7 It is therefore suggested that the percentage of the Leave Reserve Postal Assistants in the post offices should be raised atleast to 20 percent.

CHAPTER - XV

PROBLEMS OF WOMEN EMPLOYEES

15:1:1 As per the census of Central Government Employees, 7.53% of total Central Government Employees are women. In respect of Postal, it is 12.20%. Based on international Labour Conference decisions of 1919, the Govt. of India reviewed the problems in depth and suggested its opinion before ILC in 1921.

15:1:2 Pursuant to the decision of Royal Commission Recommendations of 1930, Maternity Benefits Act was promulgated in our country. Thereafter the Govt. Of India extended certain benefits to working women employees. Nowadays, the percentage of women employees have increased steadily in Govt departments by virtue of their merits and qualifications.

15:1:3 The following recommendations of the Fifth CPC providing special facilities to women employees were not so far been considered by the Government so far.

(a) "Introduction of a voluntary system of option for serving women employees to work half time for a maximum period of six years in a career when the children are young and family commitments are of the maximum. This half time working may be accompanied with half of the Pay and Allowances, but not detract from other benefits like housing, LTC, Pensionary entitlements, etc. The Government should work out the scheme in detail."

(b) "The Government has set up day-care centers and crèches in some places, but their number is far below the requirement. The Government should consider setting up more day-care centers on Government land, construction of buildings being financed by Government Welfare Funds. More crèches in offices or major residential areas may be set up by the Government.

(a) "The age of recruitment for women employees may be enhanced to 35 years."

(b) "Government may earmark funds separately for construction of more single women's hostel. There should also be some scheme to assure housing for married women employees."

(c) "Arranging charted 'ladies-special' buses in bigger cities."

(d) "Where husband and wife are both Government employees the creation of an earned leave bank to be availed of by either spouse may be considered only for the period needed for rearing very young children (such period not exceeding six years in all), provided the women employee has exhausted the earned leave at her credit and there is earned leave to the credit of her husband"

(e) "The ministries having a higher concentration of women employees may consider to provide for higher leave reserve."

Most of the above-said recommendations are not implemented. We request to examine and reiterate the recommendations for implementation.

15:2 CHILD CARE LEAVE

15:2:1 Even though every women employee is entitled to avail 730 days Child Care Leave during their entire service, in practical, it is not being granted owing to shortage and reluctance to undertake additional work and other reasons. Unless the LR strength is enhanced, this cannot be settled. Women employees should exercise their privilege as they require without any hurdle. The restrictions imposed by DOPT in availing the CCL shall be removed.

15:3 CRÈCHES:

15:3:1 The Department has issued orders to subordinate offices to provide Crèches under certain condition. There require liberalization. However the number of employees is small, the Department may on payment, enter into arrangement with crèche houses opened by other Department like Telecom etc. to enable the Postal Women employees to leave their Children under the care of trained matrons when they proceed to work.

15:4 TRANSFERS

15.4:1 Though Government have issued orders that women employees should be transferred to the stations where their husbands are serving etc., at field level, there appears to be much delay to concede their request. This should be avoided.

15.4:2 The women employees should not be posted where basic facilities are lacking. On promotion, the women employees are to be accommodated nearer to their native place.

15.4:3 It is further requested to entertain transfer cases to their native places as requested in respect of unmarried women employees and to the places where their husbands are working in respect of married employees without putting any restrictions, reservations or rejections.

15.5 HOSTELS:

15.5:1 The Fourth CPC recommended under Para 25.5 that “the Government should construct single working women’s hostel in all major centers of employment. Priority may be given to women in allotment of residential accommodations. Similarly, it recommended vide para 25.06 that special transport facilities including aborted buses on payment wherever possible may be provided to women employees. This has not been implemented in major urban cities so far.

Keeping in view that women employees, both married and unmarried have to serve away from home-stations due to circumstance beyond their control, the following are suggested.

1. That women hostels may be constructed if the number of women employees is large and

2. Rooms may be reserved for women employees in hostels which may be constructed in other Department of Government.

3. Allotting staff quarters earmarking for women employees who are working in those places out of their native places.

15.6 GRANT OF SPECIAL LEAVE:

15.6:1 A large number of the women employees are facing problems like removal of uteruses, etc.after attaining age of 40 or more which requires special rest. The women employees may be granted one month special leave in case of the removal of uteruses etc.The above suggestions on the working women Postal Assistants may please be considered and recommended accordingly.

In RMS, many women employees are being working on night duties where as no protection has been ensured like transportation, security in return etc.The women employees shall not be brought in night sets. In the event of emergency, they shall be provided security and transportation facilities from their residences.

15:7 FORMATION OF WOMEN WELFARE COMMITTEE

15:7:1 Itis suggested that in order to protect the interest of women employees, women welfare committee shall be formed. This may be formed irrespective of the members of women employees. Facilities extended through women welfare committee shall be well defined and extended to all offices.

CHAPTER - XVI

MATTER MERITS CONSIDERATION

16:1 INADEQUATE ACCOMMODATION:

16:1:1 Adequate Accommodation should be provided for R.M.S. Offices and sections, according to the standards laid down by the Department and prescribed in Rule 588 (A) of P&T Manual Volume II. The adequate accommodations have not been provided resulting in health Hazards in the midst of dust and unhygienic conditions. This is the position of many RMS offices. This has to be ensured by providing good tidy accommodation to RMS offices.

16:2 BUILDING

16:2:1 Most of mail offices are situated in Railway Premises. Basic amenities are lacking.

Railways is not being persuaded to construct new buildings as per the standards resulting the staff to work in inadequate and unsuitable buildings forcibly.

16:3 DEPOSIT SCHEME.

16:3:1 The RMS staff are working in lack of basic facilities, no separate toilets for women employees provided in many places. There are no proper tiffin rooms available for the officials. There is no privacy for women employees as there is no rest room etc.

16:3:2 We are of the firm opinion that the department should have better own building or shifted to good building with good environment.

16:3:3 Similarly Mail offices should be modernized by duly providing lift, hoist and the way across the Railway Line for ensuring safety and security to the officials.

16:4 R.M.S. REST ROOMS

16:4:1 The department should review the existing Rest Houses and Rest Rooms to see whether they are located in Railway premises or nearby and ensure maintenance of the rest houses regarding lights, fan, Utensils, furniture cots, mattresses, pillows and mosquito nets etc. This has not been taken care in many places and the RMS officials are forced to stay in unhygienic conditions in the absence of natural facilities like latrine, water etc.

16:5 BAG CLEANING

16:5:1 The department should ensure regular cleaning of bags. Provision of dust absorber and out lets for exit of fumes of wax Heater. This will alone extend the longevity of the RMS employees as many of them are suffering with Asthama, TB etc. at the backend of their carrier.

16:6 DUTY HOURS

16:6:1 The Commencement/termination of night duty at odd hours should be eliminated. The duty should commence before 22:00 hours and terminate at 0600 hours. This suggestion is utmost importance taking in to the availability of transport facilities etc.

16:7 SPLIT DUTY

16:7:1 Despite clear Government orders that no official shall be brought on split duty more than the spread of 12 hours, the RMS officials are being brought on duty to split duty and the spread over period exceeds 12 fours. This should be stopped with.

16:7:2 Even though the Sixth CPC has doubled the existing rate of Split Duty Allowance to Rs. 200/- P.M, this has not been implemented in case of Postal employees as it was not approved but rejected by the Ministry of Finance. Still a sum of Rs. 100/- is being paid to Postal employees. Even the 25% increase on reaching 50% DA twice have not been implemented in their case. A clear discrimination is prevailing in respect of Split Duty Allowance being paid to Postal employees.

PART II

MEMORANDUM ON MAIL MOTOR SERVICES

CHAPTER -I

1:1 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SERVICES

1:1:1 The Postal Mail Motor Service, (MMS) which was functioning in Calcutta, was expanded from the year 1947. It started functioning in Bombay, Nagpur, Madras. and Delhi. It was departmentalized in 1948.

1:1:2 Starting from a modest beginning, the Services grew enormously during the last 59 years and today it covers over 98 cities in the country.

1:2 FUNCTIONING OF THE M.M.S.AND JOB PROFILE

1:2:1 The Mail Motor Service is operating generally within the limits of these towns and cities and its main function is to carry mails from Post Offices to RMS Mail Sorting Offices and vice versa or to Airports where from mails are exchanged from and to the places served by the planes. It also carries mails and cash from post offices to post offices. The street letter boxes are also cleared in big towns.

1:2:2 Besides, there is also maintenance staff in the workshops with supervising, clerical and ancillary staff.

1:2:3 The Mail Motor Services have grown to enormous now have a fleet of 1283 vehicles of all standards, heavy vehicles by 3 to 5 tonnes, 1 to 1.5 tonnes, motorcycles, jeeps, three wheeler, scooters, light vehicles and so on. The staff includes operative, clerical, technical and traffic cadres.

1:2:4 In these 65 years, the traffic has increased in all these towns and cities nearly tenfold. The work, therefore, has enormously increased. The speed Post service has also been introduced with additional vehicles.

1:2:5 The Mail Motor Service have, however, not been expanded as it should have been. In many places, mails are still being carried by Private Contractors. In some places, three-wheeler scooters, cycle- rickshaws and horse-carts are still in use. Yet at some places mails are carried in hand-trucks to the State Transport Bus Stations.

1:2:6 It is. therefore, desirable that an independent Transport Wing of Mail Service (M.M.S.) at the Centre under a Deputy Director General should be formed to develop the Mail Motor Services.

1:2:7 Mail Motor Services (MMS) is the main organization that manages transport service to Department of Posts. This organization is functioning timely deployment of MMS vehicles for transmission of mails, cash and other valuable articles etc. between various Post offices.

1:2:8 It has the workshop where thorough repair/maintenance works of Mail Vans, Cash vans and Inspections vehicles are being done on regular basis. These workshops may be well-equipped to undertake body-building of chassis, machines for boring of pistons etc., so that the need to go to private workshops is done away with.

Technical Supervisor/Charge hand is the in charges of the Workshop who is responsible for all types of maintenance work of vehicles with the help of Skilled Artisans (mechanics, Electricians, Welders, Tyreman, Painters, Black smiths, Tinsmiths, Upholsters etc.)

1:2:9 There are 474 posts are available in Mail Motor Services throughout the country. This Artisans cadre is badly neglected from their legitimate pay scale/PB since from IV CPC. There are 1573 operative MMS Driver posts are available across the country. Drivers are backbone of the MMS organizations and they are about 50% of the total staff of MMS. Duties of driver are hazardous with comparison to other Government drivers.

1:2:10 The present system of purchases of stores and spare-parts from the local market, running into several lakhs of rupees, could also be done away with if these items are purchased directly from standard firms and stocked at the centralized workshops.

1:2:11 Though the Service is being run for the last 65 years, yet no well-regulated rules or compendium prescribing the duties and responsibilities of the staff have been framed.

1:2:12 Now department has introduced long distance schedules Like Delhi to Jaipur, Chennai to Bangalore Hyderabad to Vijayawada and vice versa, without providing adequate personnel and arrangements. In any places the drivers are regularly compelled to perform continuous OTA duty which is not practically possible to drive such heavy vehicles in long distances.

CHAPTER –II

PAY SCALES OF M.M.S

2:1 PAY SCALES AND NATURE OF JOB

2:1:1 In the Mail Motor Services, the following categories of staff are working and their scales of pay are as under:-

S.No.	CATEGORY	PAY SCALE	PAY BAND	GRADE PAY
1.	Cleaner	4440-7440	Is	1300
2.	Semi-Skilled	4440-7440	Is	1650
3.	Skilled Artisan Gr.III	5200-20200	PB-I	1900
4.	Skilled Artisan Gr.II	5200-20200	PB-I	2400
5.	Skilled Artisan Gr.I	5200-20200	PB-I	2800
6.	ChargeHand	5200-20200	PB-I	2800
7	Technical Supervisor	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
8.	Inspector	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
9.	Asstt. Manager	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
10.	Driver Gr.III	5200-20200	PB-I	1900
11.	Driver Gr.II	5200-20200	PB-I	2400
12	Driver Gr.I	5200-20200	PB-I	2800
13.	Special Gr. Driver	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
14.	Dispatch Rider	5200-20200	PB-I	1900
15.	Office Asstt.	5200-20200	PB-I	2400
16.	Store Officer	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
17.	Group `D`	4440-7440	Is	1300
18.	Group `D`	4440-7440	Is	1650

2:1:2 As far as clerical and allied staff are concerned; they are akin to any clerical staff working in postal Organization.

2:1:3 Then there is workshop staff. Amongst them, one of the most important cadres is the Motor Mechanics. They are required to possess a minimum qualification of 8th passed and should possess a diploma in Motor Vehicle Mechanism or ITI Certificate with heavy vehicles driving license. The diploma course is of 3 years including upto-date designs and make. They are recruited only on passing a trade test before appointment. Their job is to attend to all repairs, open the machines and overhaul them. In short, they should know the full mechanism of the vehicle and anything found wrong, they are held responsible.

2:1:4 The biggest problem and worry for these mechanics is that in the Department, vehicles are run even after they are condemned (i.e. when the vehicle has run its full life) and therefore, there are frequent break downs. Whenever there is a break-down, these mechanics have to go out and repair the vehicles on the road. Inside the workshops, they have to attend to these worn-out vehicles and maintain the services. He works round the clock also.

2:2 FAIR COMPARISONS

2:2:1 In other Departments of the Government of India, the motor vehicle mechanics get more pay than drivers. It would, therefore, be seen that in Postal, Motor Vehicle Mechanic is discriminated against and he is very much low paid. We, therefore, request the Commission to appreciate this aspect.

S. No.	CATEGORY	PAY SCALE	PAY BAND	GRADE PAY
1.	Cleaner	4440-7440	Is	1300
2.	Semi-Skilled	4440-7440	Is	1650
3.	Skilled Artisan Gr.III	5200-20200	PB-I	1900
4.	Skilled Artisan Gr.II	5200-20200	PB-I	2400
5.	Skilled Artisan Gr.I	5200-20200	PB-I	2800
6.	ChargeHand	5200-20200	PB-I	2800
7	Technical Supervisor	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
8.	Inspector	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
9.	Asstt. Manager	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
10.	Driver Gr.III	5200-20200	PB-I	1900
11.	Driver Gr.II	5200-20200	PB-I	2400
12	Driver Gr.I	5200-20200	PB-I	2800
13.	Special Gr.Driver	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
14.	Dispatch Rider	5200-20200	PB-I	1900
15.	Office Asstt.	5200-20200	PB-I	2400
16.	Store Officer	9300-34800	PB-2	4200
17.	Group `D`	4440-7440	Is	1300
18.	Group `D`	4440-7440	Is	1650

2:2:2 Proposal regarding change of qualification in Recruitment Rule

EXISTING QUALIFICATION	PROPOSED QUALIFICATION
Middle School Standard	10 + ITI Pass from recognized Institute by Govt. + Sound Computer Knowledge from recognized Institution.

2.2.3 Reason behind the proposal

(i) As per existing recruitment rules of MTS Group ‘C’ the minimum educational qualification is Class X pass/ITI and entry Grade Pay of this cadre is Rs. 1800/- However entry Grade Pay of the Skilled Artisan is Rs. 1900/- with below qualification, though they are performing the duties of higher responsibilities. So, the minimum qualification of Skilled Artisans must be higher than MTS Group ‘C’.

(ii) Due to fast growing technological changes in the automobile Industry, adoption of electronic control system, electronic sensor, diagnosis electronic instruments, gadgets and maintenance of electro mechanical engines etc, the Skilled Artisan are expected to have sound technical knowledge and qualification. As the detection of defects of new models of vehicles are sensor based and through LAPTOP the Skilled Artisans are also expected to have sound computer knowledge.

2:2:4 ThelVth CPC pay scale for skilled Artisans Grade-lI was Rs.1200- 1800 and Grade-I pay scale was 1320-2040. Vth CPC clubbed both scale of pay of Artisans Grade I and Grade-Il in to one Pay Scale of Rs.4000-6000.

2:2:5 Since, it was a promotional post for Artisan Staff Amalgamation of both the scales of pay was not justified. This anomaly was rectified in respect of Artisans staff of Railways and Defense with Rs.4000-6000 for Grade-Il and Rs,4500-7000 for Grade-I w.e.f. 01.01.1996 itself. Artisan staffs of MMS numbing about 168 are discriminated against, still they are placed in combined pay scale of Rs.4000-6000. They have experience huge financial loss. We would therefore urge upon the 7th CPC to extend the pay scales already implemented for Railways / Defence for Grade-lI& Grade-I Artisans of MMS of the Department of Post from 1 January, 1996.

2:2:6 It is reported that in Railways and Defence Departments, the Semi-Skilled tradesmen promotion to higher GP is allowed. Staff side requested that similar model may be adopted in Department of Posts for the MTS (Technical) cadres. This would entail an increase of GP at the entry level. As this would affect the VI CPC GP hierarchy of Artisans & Drivers, the Committee did not agree for this suggestion.

2:3 MMS DRIVERS SHALL NOT BE EQUATED WITH STAFF CAR DRIVERS:

2:3:1 First of all, they are driving heavy duty vehicles in most of the cases. Further they are exchanging valuable mails such as Mail bag, Parcel bag, Cash bag, Stamps bag, Speed Post bags, BPM and BPC from post offices and having over the same to RMS underacquaintance. MMS drivers are responsible for transportation of mails between the offices of RMS and Post Offices.

2:3:2 In many cases, no Mail Peons are arranged for the receipt and delivery and the MMS drivers are responsible for the same. The variable and horizontal probabilities in carrying their job with that of postmen have been disturbed in the last two pay commissions. The finalization of anomaly in the departmental committee for granting them at par with Postmen with Grade pay of Rs.2,000 has been simply turned down.

2:3:3 Proposal regarding change of qualification in Recruitment Rule

EXISTING QUALIFICATION	PROPOSED QUALIFICATION
a. Class VIII Standard Pass desirable. b. Age:21-28 years as on 1^st July of Recruitment year for DR quota	a. H. S. Pass + Heavy Motor Vehicle Licence. b. Age: 22-30 years as on 1^st July of Recruitment year for DR quota

2.3.4 Reason behind the proposal

i) As per existing recruitment rules of MTS Group ‘C’ the minimum educational qualification is Class X Pass/ITI and entry Grade Pay of this cadre is Rs. 1800/- entry Grade Pay of the Skilled Artisan is Rs. 1900/- with below qualification though they are performing the duties of higher responsibilities. So, the minimum qualification of MMS Drivers must be higher than MTS Group ‘C’.

ii) Nomenclature of MMS Driver may be changed as MAIL PILOT

iii) Duties of driver are hazardous with comparison to other Government drivers.

iv) MMS drivers (HMV) drive on an average 100-120 kilometers per day carrying heavy load of mails in busy traffic throughout his working hours. They have to receive and deliver the mail bags to Post Offices, to the customers/Public. With introduction of logistics service, Drivers are required to undertake long distance driving for 2-3 days.

v) As the driving lience by the MV Department (RTA) not before the age of 18 years eligibility criteria of 4 years driving experience (3yrs LMV + 1yr HMV) will be achieve by the candidate after 21 years.

2:3:4 A clear injustice has been met out to drivers and they can be equated with Rs.2400/- existing Grade pay considering their arduous and laborious duties and responsibilities. We pray the Commission to render justice to this exploited category.

CHAPTER-III

PROMOTIONAL AVENUES

3:1:1 In the Mail Motor Service, there are no well-defined and regulated promotional avenues with the result that a large number of officials are stagnating at the maximum. In some cadres, the promotional posts are almost nil.

3:1:2 The scheme of Two Promotions introduced in the Postal has not been extended to the staff of Mail Motor Service except for the clerical cadre.This has been denied to them as they have been bracketed with “Common Categories”. Now they are entitled for MACP which is the only promotion available to these categories of staff.

3.1.3 The duties and responsibilities of none of the categories of staff are similar to those of the staff in other Departments. Moreover, the rules pay and allowances and other benefits applicable to the staff of other Departments have not been extended to the staff of Mail Motor Service. Simply because the nomenclature is the same and, therefore, the scheme of promotion should be denied to them, is unjust.

3:1:4 We, therefore, urge that the scheme of promotion should be extended to all the categories of the Mail Motor Services and, if need be, by changing the nomenclature of the posts.

3:1:5 Amongst the Skilled Categories, there are tradesmen with different names. The Motor vehicle Mechanics amongst them are quite numerous. The only promotional post open to them is of the Chargehand. One post of Charge hand is created for 10 skilled tradesmen. The standard is too rigid. The post of Chargehand should be created for every 5 skilled tradesman.

3:1:6 Even for promotion to the post of Chargehand, officials are selected through a trade test. We plead that the post of chargehand should be filled by seniority cum fitness and all direct recruitment to the post of Chargehand should be stopped.

3:2 DISPATCH RIDERS

3:2:1 There are about 25 Dispatch Riders in Delhi and Nagpur MMS. They are driving Auto Rikhsa. They possess the qualification for Recruitment of Drivers. Pay scales of Dispatch Riders are also on par with Drivers. Moreover they are utilized for plying Mail Motor vans and other heavy vehicle. We would propose to merge them with the cadres of Drivers in MMS and dispense with the cadre of Dispatch Rider.

3.3 FOREMAN

3:3:1 In the Workshop, where there is no officer in charge the Chargehands are supervisory official in charge of their sections. Above them is the Manager. We feel that to look after the Workshop exclusively, there should be a post designated ‘FOREMAN” in the scale of Higher Selection Grade. The promotion to this post should be made from the Chargehands.

3:3:2 The Traffic side is supervised by the Traffic Supervisors who are promoted from Clerks arid other grades by an examination. Since their work has been increased a great deal with aid to executive and administrative work,we feel the portion of work relating to booking the officials for duties, their attendance, attending to preliminary enquiriesconcerning accidents, breakdowns etc., should be entrusted to general line staff from amongst the drivers category. At present the drivers have one channel of promotion namely selection grade drivers posts but they have to do the driving job till the date of retirement, Therefore the senior amongst them should get the posts of Traffic Supervisors, at least 50% of them, to manage the affairs of internal traffic arrangements.

3:4 HEAD CLERKS IN THE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND MANAGER MMS

3:4:1 At present ‘n some smaller offices, the post of Head Clerks are not created on the plea of lack of justification. The result is that the clerks who are working in Postal Mail Motor Service offices have no promotional avenues at all. The only channel that has been opened is the Inspector MMS by examination. Even for this possession of Driving licence for three years is insisted.

3:4:2 We suggest that there should be selection grade posts of Head Clerks so that a channel of promotion by seniority is opened to the clerks. Regarding insisting on holding of driving licence for three years for eligibility to appear in the Inspector, Mail Motor Services examination, we plead it should not be insisted as a pre-condition However on being selected, the Department should permit him to learn and acquire the licence within one year.

CHAPTER -IV

4.1 POSTAL MACHINE REPAIR ORGN. & CENTRAL

4.1.1 Postal Machines Repair Organization and its staff are attached with Mail Motor Services except Delhi and Chennai. Since Computerization of Post Offices I Circle I Division offices are taking place in a phased manner Postal Machine Assistants and other staff can be merged with Circle Office and Major Post Offices. They may be granted pay scale on par with Postal / Sorting Assistant.

CHAPTER-V

5:1 AMENITIES AND FACILITIES

5:1:1 In the newly opened offices and in some old centers, the mail peons accompanying the drivers are discarded or not provided. This brings heavy strain on the drivers besides compelling them to undertake more onerous responsibilities. Obviously, the drivers are not qualified or trained to undertake the responsibilities of checking the seals, labels, cords, condition of bags, to know the classification of bags and verify these bags with the entries. To make them responsible is not proper as they have not been trained in the knowledge of rules nor it is their job to do.

5:1:2 We therefore submit that mail peons who are presently accompanying the mails should continue and wherever they have been discontinued or not provided, should be restored or provided.

5:1:3 Similarly, the Dispatch Riders are assigned the job of clearing letter boxes or carry letter bags from mail offices to post offices and vice versa. Particularly in clearing letter boxes, they have to stop the vehicle, the engine, fill up the bag by clearance and then load it. After this they have to start the vehicle. This process is repeated till all the letter boxes are cleared. This apart from time consuming, also strains the nerve very much. Therefore, we suggest that one class IV employee should accompany so that he clears the letter boxes while the dispatch rider does the function of running the vehicle.

5:2 DORMITORIES, REST ROOMS.

5:2:1 The drivers and the dispatch riders who are either off duty or take up duties at mid or odd hours require dormitories and rest rooms. In many centers, these facilities are not adequately provided. These should be provided.

5:3 HUGE RECOVERIES TO BE STOPPED.

5:3:1 At present, in the name of responsibility, huge sums are recovered from the pay of drivers the cost of loss caused due to damage of the vehicles on the ground of negligence. For example, on the plea that the tyre was damaged, the cost of tire is recovered. On the plea that some part got burnt, the cost of the part is recovered. On the plea that the damage to the external part occurred, its cost was recovered. The poorly paid drivers have to pay heavy amount on the ground of negligence.

5:3:2 We feel that this is most unjust and arbitrary. No driver or dispatch rider would cause accident deliberately. The accidents always occur beyond anybody’s control.

5:3:3 Therefore there should be orders that no recovery should be made unless intentional or deliberate rash driving is established and consequently loss is caused.

5:4 QUARTERS

5:4:1 While there is a general problem of quarters for all, yet for driving staff and mechanics, quarters should be provided near the workshop or garage so that whenever their services are required, they may be called.

5:4:2 In many centers, the workshops have to carry on their work in the open sun and rain. Further the number of strength of the fleet is also increasing arid therefore the workshop premises should be enlarged and cover provided. Similarly, garage should be provided to park all the vehicles instead of parking them in the open exposed to sun and rain. Therefore, sufficient accommodation should be provided for the needs of the workshop and garage.

5:5 INSURANCE

5:5:1 As risk of life or damage to the limbs caused due to accident is attendant with driving, the drivers and dispatch riders should be compulsorily insured, the Department paying 50% of the insurance charges.

5:6 INSURANCE FOR VEHICLES

5:6:1 Departmental vehicles are not being insured. Consequently, when the MMS vehicles are involved in accident, the drivers are forced to bear the cost of repairs. When cases are filed by the Police and compensation awarded, the drivers have to pay huge amount.

We urge upon the Commission to recommend:

1. Compulsory insurance for all Govt. Vehicles.

2. Coverage of third party insurance also so that the compensation awarded by the Court shall be payable by the Insurance Company.

5:7 BAIL FOR DRIVERS

5:7:1 The Drivers ply the vehicles through busy and congested roads. They have to collect/deliver mails only during the peak hours. The vehicles are involved in accidents, mostly, for no fault of them. When accidents take place the Drivers are taken into custody. They have to arrange for bail of their own. The Department disowns responsibility for enlarging them on bail. When cases are filed against the drivers for alleged violation of traffic rules, they have to defend their cases and also avail their own leave.

5:7:2 As a model employer the Govt. should show concern for the drivers when they are involved in accidents. We urge upon the Commission to examine and recommend that:

1. The Department should arrange for bail for the drivers;

2. The Department should defend the case on behalf of drivers;

3. The period of absence for court attendance should be treated as duty.

CHAPTER-VI

6:1 UNIFORMS & CHAPPALS

6:1:1 In MMS, the eligible categories of staff are supplied with uniforms, chappals and other items. Our general complaint is that quality cloth and quality chappals are not supplied. There should be quality control. Timely supply is another issue. There has invariably been a back-log in the supply. The purpose is not served if the supplies are made after 2 or 3 years.

6:1:2 Group `C` Artisans are not supplied with uniform kit. They should be supplied.

6:2 SUPPLY OF SAFETY BOOTS

6:2:1 The eligible officials in MMS are supplied with chappals and those who are not entitled to uniform, are denied supply of chappal even.

6:2:2 The officials working in garages/workshops need to be supplied with safety boots to prevent any serious damage/injury to their feet.

CHAPTER-VII

7:1 ENQUIRY COMMITTEE FOR MMS

7:1:1 Since the establishment of a departmentalized Mail Motor Service in the Department of Posts way back in 1947, no enquiry has been conducted to go into its working. The working conditions, the service conditions of the staff etc. need also to be inquired into.

7:1:2 It is therefore urged that the Commission may recommend appointment of an Enquiry Committee headed by a retired Member of the Postal Board to go into the whole gamut of the working of the Mail Motor Service and also the problems of the staff.

CONCLUSION

The Sorting Assistants and Supervisors of Railway Mail Service in the Department of Posts render social service of the State by their hard work in that of arduous nature. The prompt delivery of articles is possible only due to their hard work in the inside offices.

However, they have been denied their dues and remaining and working in the atmosphere which is not at all suitable. There is no improvement in their service conditions and still they are performing duties in the midst of the dust and unhygienic atmosphere. Many of their genuine demands are being protracted settlement.

The objectives of the job evaluations are to provide definite, scientific and factual assessment of respective work of the job and to determine a wage and salary structure which is just and fair in comparison to employees working in similar establishments.

Their cases shall be endorsed on the basis of principles of job evaluation and fixing wages accordingly to the arduous nature and examining responsibilities being shouldered by them. We pray the Pay Commission and request that the wages of Sorting Assistants, Supervisors, (LSG, HSG-II, HSG-I) be fixed in consonance with the rating of their jobs on a rotational evaluation.

We fervently believe that justice will be delivered to the Sorting Assistant and its Supervisors working the Railway Mail Service of the Department of Posts.

With profound regards,

All India RMS &MMS Employees Union Group C

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