Nearly 800 branch post offices under the Kozhikode Postal Division resumed operations on Thursday as Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) called off their indefinite strike on Wednesday after the Centre promised to raise their pay.
Leaders of the National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) here claimed that the delivery of all piled up postal articles, including registered posts and speed posts, would be done in three days.
“The strike was a big success as the government agreed to implement the recommendations of the Kamalesh Chandra report revising the salary structure of postal staff. Maternity benefits, leave encashment, and payment of arrears with retrospective effect are some of the expected benefits once the recommendations are implemented,” said NFPE Kozhikode circle secretary V. Raveendran. He added that women employees would be the major beneficiaries of the expected revision as they constituted half of the total GDS strength in the Kozhikode division.
Mr. Raveendran pointed out that the government had agreed to implement the recommendations of the report after a gap of 19 months.
The strike had the support of all service organisations. Trade unions irrespective of their political affiliations had openly come out with support to the striking workers. Postal assistants too had resorted to a State-wide strike expressing solidarity with GDS.
NFPE leaders said the strike had paralysed the entire postal network in the State and delivery of even important communications from the Public Service Commission and passport offices. “We were very much aware of the public turmoil, but there was no other way to get our long-pending demands addressed,” they said.
With the implementation of the recommendations, branch post offices will be able to claim ₹500 to the account of the building rent. They are now getting only ₹100 to meet rental charges. Also, categorisation such as mail delivers, packers, and carriers too will come to an end with the renaming of such services under a common designation.
