Rural postal staff begin indefinite protest

Rural postal service employees on Wednesday began their indefinite dharna urging government meet their various demands.

The office-bearers of District Rural Postal Service Employees’ Association, who staged a dharna in front of the main post office in Chikkaballapur, said that the department was extracting work from them for  over decades for a poor salary.

District unit president V Balakrishna said that their efforts were not being considered while paying salary.

“The postal department derives more than 75% of its revenue from rural parts. Yet, 75% of the expenditure towards salary is for officers and employees.

“They are also entitled to transfer, promotion, bonus, increment, pension and leave facilities. But, rural postal staff are not entitled to all these benefits.

Report submitted
The Kamalesh Chandra committee has submitted its report on revision of salary of rural postal employees on November 24, last year.

But, the Union government has been hesitating to implement its recommendations. The officials of the postal department are ensuring that the recommendations do not come into force.

A written agreement was entered into between the higher officers of the department and rural postal staff in 2004 following which the strike was withdrawn then. But the Union government has reneged on its promises. The government should meet the demands now, he said.

District unit secretary Ramappa said that there were as many as 16,800 rural postal employees in the state. “On record, they  have been appointed for 3-4 hours of work per day.

But, in reality, they are being made to work for eight hours a day.

“Hence, they should be treated as full-time workers,” he said.

Speaking at a similar protest in Kolar, divisional president N Krishnappa said that the salaries of the postal employees in urban areas has been increased in 2016  and the facility had not been extended to rural servicemen. While the services of pourakarmikas and daily wage workers have been regularised it is not the case with rural postal employees.

They lack service security, he said.