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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 26 (EMN): Joining the nationwide one-day strike called by the National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE), the Nagaland division of All India Postal Employees Union (AIPEU) staged a protest outside the Head Post Office in Kohima on Thursday.
Addressing the members, divisional secretary Daniel Domeh said the union was compelled to protest in order to demand their rights and place its charter of demand before the authority. According to him, the union is demanding to ‘scrap the new contributory pension scheme (NPS)’ and restore old defined benefit pension scheme (OPS) to all employees that guarantee 50% of the last pay drawn as minimum pension.
Demand of the union according Domeh included withdrawal of the orders freezing the DA and DR of employees and pensioners and impounding of arrears till June 30, 2021; withdrawal of “very good” benchmark for MACP, grant promotional hierarchy, and date of effect from January 1, 2016, and also demands for ‘compassionate appointment to one ward of the deceased employee due to Covid-19.
The assistant divisional secretary, AIPEU-P3, Nagaland, Kevikhrielie Kirha pointed out the necessity of having a union to highlight its grievances and to negotiate with the government. He also highlighted the union charter of demands ie ‘Scrap the draconian FR 56 (j) and (i) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972, stop terrorising and victimising employees’.
Kirha maintained that postal department is placed in the category of essential commodities adding during the pandemic period the staff contributed immensely in delivery service of the people. He said the union is demanding for ‘Grant of compensation of INR 10 lakh to the family of the deceased due to Covid-19 without any further delay.’ He added that there is a case of postal staff in Nagaland who died of Covid-19 fatalities while in line of duty.
He also stated that the union have charter of demands to ‘implement five days week in all post offices and RMS offices’ as well as quality and proper equipments.
Meanwhile, the divisional Secretary, AIPEU-P4, Nagaland division, Shibu Das has attributed delay in delivery of parcels to the additional work assigned to the postman. He added that harassment and allotment of unscientific targets to open IPPB accounts and Aadhar enabled payment service centres in post offices should be stopped.
According to Das, there are many posts laying vacant in almost all the post offices and stated that timely recruitment and conduct of examination to fill up the vacant posts is crucial in all cadres.
Member of AIPEU-P4, Abdul Bosbuyaih has stressed on the need to ‘implement 7h CPC wage revision and pension to remaining autonomous body of employees and pensioners and ensure payment of full arrears without delay as well as grant bonus to autonomous body employees pending from 2016-17 onwards.
He further stressed the need to implement the remaining positive recommendations of Kamlesh Chandra Committee GDS including group medical insurance facilities.
The protesters shouted slogans and paid homage to two of its deceased members by observing two-minute silence.