The delay in delivering Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram's controversial letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had another ramification when work was disrupted at the General Post Office (GPO) here on Friday in the morning hours when two unions went on strike, after some disciplinary action against employees by the authorities.
Some employees of the delivery department of the Kolkata GPO were show-caused on Friday over the delay in the delivery of the letter which was sent from Mr. Chidambaram's office in New Delhi by Speed Post on December 22, 2010, but reached Mr. Bhattacharjee's office only on December 27.
In a separate development, two members of the clerical staff of the Kolkata GPO were transferred on Thursday as part of a disciplinary measure against them. Protesting this action, two apolitical unions affiliated to the National Federation of Postal Employees went on strike.
“The strike is in no way connected to the controversy over the letter. It was called off after a meeting with the leaders,” said S. K. Chakrabarti, Chief Post Master General (CPMG), West Bengal circle.
“Work was suspended at the GPO in the morning hours when disciplinary action was initiated against two employees, but after meeting with the CPMG, we called off the strike and work has resumed,” said Janardan Majumdar, the State secretary of the All India Postal Employees Union (Group C).
