Thousand
lies can never become a truth
nobody
can break the unity of postal workers
*lessons of the fragmented strike *
The GDS strike
of Mahadeviah group ended on 22.10.2012.
In fact it was fizzled out.
Eventhough from 16.10.2012 onwards the leaders claimed 100%
participation in all circles, the truth was entirely different. Out of 22 circles, in 10 circles it was less
than 5% and 6 circles only less than 10% of the Gramin Dak Sevaks went on
strike. In the remaining six circles it
varied from 12% to 27% of the GDS. All India average of the strike is 18.1% of
the total GDS. This is the real picture
of the strike. All other claims are
false and naked lies. The percentage
came down day-by-day and on 22nd the All
India average was only 5% of the total of about three lakhs GDS. Thus the strike fizzled out without any
settlement. (Those who have doubt about
the figures can get it under RTI from all Circles and verify the truth). Senior officers of the Department
including Secretary, Department of Posts, Member (Personnel) and Minister
Communications and Minister of State for Communications also rejected the
request of the leaders for a last minute face-saving settlement.
NFPE has not made any adverse
comment or statement against the strike or against the false claim of the
leaders regarding All India Strike percentage, eventhough the Mahadevaiah group
spread canards against NFPE and its leaders before the strike and also during
the strike. If NFPE had put it in its
website the actual percentage of the strike in each circle, the strike would
have fizzled out in the second day itself.
But NFPE never wants to break any strike, whether percentage is less or
large. Breaking the strike is not the
tradition of NFPE. So we tolerated every
malicious attack against NFPE and its leaders till the strike is over. Even now, while exposing the lies and hidden
agenda of the Mahadevaiah group, we respect the sentiments of the GDS who
participated in the strike without knowing the evil designs of the leadership. We hope that those GDS who are misguided by
the leaders, shall join the united struggle of the Central Govt. Employees on
12th December 2012 and also join the united
movement of the Postal Employees led by National Federation of Postal
Employees.
Everybody knows that the attack
against the Postal Employees, whether it is GDS regularization or New Postal
Policy 2012, is due to the neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the Central
Government. To fight against these
policies, the largest unity of the employees and workers is the need of the
hour. Other than united struggle there
is no shortcut. When NFPE is trying
to build up such a united struggle, unfortunately everytime the Mahadevaiah
group is trying to break the unity at any cost. During 2008 when NFPE and all its affiliated
unions decided to go on indefinite strike from 06.01.2009, against the
retrograde recommendations of the Natarajamurthy Committee, Mahadevaiah gave a
call for indefinite strike from 17.12.2008, i.e., 20 days ahead of the joint strike of
NFPE. Now again, due to our efforts when
all the employees unitedly decided to go on strike on 12th December 2012, in
which GDS demand is also one of the main demands, Mahadevaiah gave another sudden
indefinite strike call from 16.10.2012.
He is playing in the hands of the ruling class and deliberately trying
to break the unity among the departmental employees and Gramin Dak Sevaks. The leader is behaving as an agent of the
Government and poor GDS are the victims.
GDS are not going to be benefited by such sectarian strike. Realising this majority of the GDS refused to
join the ill-motivated strike this time.
On 10.05.2012, Sri. Mahadevaiah
made following comments in his signed circular, copy of which is available with
us:- “The AIPEDEU is the single
largest Postal Union, larger than all other Postal organisations, including
NFPE...... They are afraid of AIPEDEU”
(!!!). When somebody claims that I
am bigger than everyone else and all are afraid of me, we can imagine the
mindset of such a person. NFPE leaders
will never make such egoistic statements.
Again in another circular which was circulated among the GDS throughout
the country without putting name, the following derogatory and insulting
comments are made against the legendary leader of the Postal Trade Union
movement Late Com: K.Adinarayana - “Nobody including the great person
repeatedly mentioned as the messiah of Postal workers including EDAs could even
stir. What was he doing?” Thus it is very clear that the intention of Mahadevaiah
is to project himself above all the leaders of the Postal Trade Union movement
right from Tarapada to Adinarayana. In
fact he was elected in the year 1999 and became the General Secretary of the
only recognised Union with the help of Com. Adinarayana and NFPE. But after 1999, there was no gain for GDS,
eventhose benefits achieved by NFPE through several years of struggle upto
1999, was taken away by the Government during the tenure of Mahadevaiah. He continued his attack against NFPE. His number one enemy is NFPE. This time the leader thought he can score
through making it a fragmented game. He
want to avoid larger unity of entire Postal employees (Departmental and GDS) and
also he want to avoid NFPE as he thought that if he join the joint struggle
with NFPE he cannot become the hero. He
wanted to play one-upmanship over NFPE.
Naturally those who loved NFPE
said “goodbye” to such a leader who is undemocratic, anti-NFPE, egoistic and
decided to form separate GDS Union called AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) declaring themselves
that they will work under the banner of NFPE and will be a part and parcel of
NFPE. NFPE decided to give associate
membership to the new GDS Union led by Com. Panduranga Rao. After formation of the new NFPE GDS Union
Gramin Dak Sevaks of majority of the Circles joined the new union enbloc. Remaining circles also GDS stated deserting
Mahadevaiah group in a big way and joined NFPE GDS Union. The very existence of the so-called
recognised union was challenged due to the mass-scale exodus of the GDS. Even in Karnataka which is the home-circle of
the leader, 60% of the GDS joined the new union. (Anybody can collect the strike percentage of
Karnataka Circle under RTI and verify the fact). It is at this moment the leader decided to
declare a sudden strike from 16.10.2012 for his own existence and to prevent
remaining GDS from deserting him. But
majority of the GDS realised his hidden agenda and refused to join the ill-motivated
strike. That is why the strike fizzled
out and ended without any settlement.
NFPE calls upon the entire Postal
Employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks to draw lessons from this fragmented
strike and guard against those elements who are trying to break the unity of
Postal employees again and again by spreading hatred among Departmental
employees and Gramin Dak Sevaks. Let us
defeat such forces of destruction and unite together under the banner of our
great organisation, National Federation of Postal Employees. Let us strengthen the new GDS Union,
AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) and ensure cent per cent unity among all Postal
employees. Let us work unitedly to make
the historic strike of 12 December 2012 a grand success.
Remember, we are fighting against
the anti-people, anti-working class policies of the Central Government. Only a class oriented militant trade union
like NFPE can alone build the unity of the entire Postal Workers and lead such
a struggle in the Postal department.
Fragmented strike will create disunity and disappointment and will
weaken the striking potential of the Postal employees and ultimately the Govt. will take advantage of
it. Our enemy is the ruling class
and all the toiling masses are our comrades-in-arms in the struggle against the
imperialist neo-liberal globalisation policies of the ruling class. Let us not allow anybody to break this unity.
