Postal services were severely hit in rural areas of Kanyakumari district, as the indefinite strike called by Gramin Dak Savaks (GDS) in branch post offices from March 9 entered the tenth day on Thursday.
Over 250 GDS staged a demonstration blind folded, to highlight a charter of demands, in front of the Head Post Office.
Demands
Their demands included appointment of a judicial committee to review the wage structure and service conditions and regularisation of service and benefits on a par with regular employees.
They also protested the move to privatise the Department of Posts.
A. Ismail, divisional secretary of the All India Gramin Dak Sevak Union, presided over the agitation.
Addressing the agitation, he said that the Centre, after agreeing to appoint a judicial committee when the employees went on a strike in February, refused to honour the agreement and insisted on appointing an official committee.
He said that the GDS generated 60 per cent of the revenue of the postal department, mobilising small savings in rural areas but the government treated them with a step-motherly attitude.
The government should stop the move to corporatise the department immediately.
Out of the total number of 560 Gramin Dak Savaks, 80 per cent participated in the indefinite strike, which affected delivery of normal postal services and disbursal of old age pension and money order.
