'Privatisation affecting public sector'

Speaking after inaugurating a workshop organised for the rural postal employees by the district unit of All India Rural Postal Employees Association at Ambedkar Bhavan on Sunday, he said that all the service sectors including the BSNL and the postal department are losing their identity because of the privatisation policy of the Central government.

The privatisation has taken toll on the employees to the extent that there are on the verge of being rendered on streets, he complained.

“Due to the weak policy of the Central government, it has ordered to close down more than 10,000 post offices. Considering the threat posed on the service sector, the All India Rural Postal Employees’ Association will stage nation-wide protest on April 20 and will also intensify the protest by boycotting the work on July 7,” he informed.

He called upon the rural postal staff to get set for a strong fight against the injustice meted on them. “We have no other option but to fight against closure of post offices,” he remarked. Mahadevaiah said, the postal employees in the rural areas are suffering from discrimination in wage scale and lack of basic facilities.

Despite the employees working for eight hours a day,  they receive the salary for only five hours of work, he complained.

Criticising the Central government’s callous attitude for the problems faced by the postal employees, he said the government never responded to the protests staged by the employees so far. “I request the Indian citizens to stand by the employees and support the cause,” he urged.

The participants in the workshop submitted a memorandum to the Congress leader Sachin Meega who was present on the occasion. Responding to the the employees’ request, he promised to do all that he can to bring them justice.

BSP District Unit President K T Radhakrishna extended the party’s support to the postal employees.