Postal employees in the city plan to go on a two-day strike, starting Wednesday, for various demands, including absorption of gramin dak sevaks as regular employees and reversal of the ban on recruitment.
Postal operations are likely to be affected on these days with various unions, including the National Federation of Postal Employees and Postal Employees Progressive Union, functioning in the State joining the nationwide strike.
About 30,000 employees are expected to take part in the strike.
Gramin dak sevaks, who are part-time employees working in rural areas, earn a monthly salary of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000. A scheme must be evolved to absorb them into the regular work force. Their demands must be met under the Seventh Pay Commission and given retirement benefits such as gratuity and pension, said union members.
Postal Employees Progressive Union’s general secretary R. Venkataraman said there are about 30 to 35 per cent vacancies that need to be filled in post offices across the State.
Many post offices lack sufficient postmen. “We want the government to remove the ban on recruitment and fill the vacancies. At present, many employees are either part-time or casual workers,” he said.
The unions also want a portion of the dearness allowance to be merged with the basic pay.
The unions also want promotions based on seniority and an assured career progression scheme that allows the staff to write departmental exams.
