Postal Directorate appeal for one day salary towards PM Relief Fund

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Swachh Shapath on 2nd October - Directorate letter

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Google joins hands with Andhra Pradesh Govt to support ‘Digital AP’ vision -- NEWS

Google has signed an MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to support the ‘Digital Andhra Pradesh’ vision. To realise this vision, Google India, along with the state government, will launch a number of initiatives aimed towards bridging the Digital divide, and enabling skill development.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh intends to develop AP into a global digital development hub with its’ Digital AP programme. The vision laid out under the programme is in tandem with the Prime Minister's Digital India plan.

The MoU also include helping AP government make their websites mobile-ready and accessible in the local language; promoting Internet Safety amongst children and government officials; improve and get more local language content online.

The partnership will also help to scale initiatives to promote digital literacy amongst women, and helping small medium businesses in AP to gain from the Internet economy and going digital.

“We want to become the first State to embrace the Prime minister’s vision of Digital India and set an example for other States to follow. We are happy to announce a number of initiatives along with Google that will serve as the foundation in achieving the digital AP vision. I will personally be involved in ensuring the roll out of these initiatives and monitor the impact,” said N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

RajanAnandan, VP & MD, Google India, added, “Creating awareness about the benefits of Internet and promoting its adoption amongst women, small medium businesses and children can deliver a huge economic impact for the state. Improving accessibility to government websites and scaling the local language web can open up a whole new opportunity for local entrepreneurs and make the Internet more meaningful to non english speaking users.”

 FIRSTIZ

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EDITORIAL --- POSTAL CRUSADER -- OCTOBER-2014

LABOUR LAWS AMENDMENTS – ONSLAUGHTS ON WORKING CLASS.

            The union Government is going to amend labour laws without prior discussion with Trade Unions. Bilateral forums and tripartite bodies made for maintaining relations by way of discussions between Government,Workers and employers are being dissolved only to implement neo-liberal reforms for the benefit of multinational and national corporates and curtailing workers rights and trade union facilities.

            The Rajasthan Government lead by Vasundhara Raje is being utilized as test laboratory as it has taken first step to amend labour laws i.e. Industrial disputes Act, Factories Act and contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act incorporating anti worker provisions without discussion with Trade Unions. All the amendments were placed in Rajasthan Assembly on 1^st August, 2014 and were got passed on the same day. The industrial dispute act amendment empowers employers to retrench the workers without prior permission of government upto establishment of 300 and it also denies the rights of formation of Trade Union unless they have at least 30 % membership.

            The amended factory act increases the coverage from 20 workers to 40 workers in the factories without power and 10 to 20 with power? This amended Act has come as a protection cover for employer as the court cannot take cognizance on the complaints of violation of laws against the employer without written permission from the State Government. The amendment to contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act keeps the employer out of purview of the Act in the establishment where up to 49 workers are employed. The amendment in apprenticeship act also gives the opportunity to employer to replace a regular worker by apprentices.

         After passing these amendments in Rajasthan Assembly the Central Government Labour Ministry posted in its website the proposals to amend all these acts and introduced the Factories amendment Bill 2014 and the apprenticeship Act (Amendment) Bill 2014 in Lok Sabha and brought back in business the Labour Laws (Exemption from furnishing returns and maintaining of Registers by certain establishment) Amendment Bill 2011 in Rajya Sabha This shows that the Modi Government is also following the path of Vasundhara Raje Government of Rajasthan.

       This trend of Govt. is alarming as it is developing the unilateralism and authoritarian practices . All these so called reforms and amendments in Labour Laws will empower the employers and will keep them out of purview of labour laws and this  paves the way of more exploitation of workers in so many ways.

            So this is the need of the hour that all the workers whether they are in Govt. sector, in public sector or in organized or unorganized sector, require to be educated about all these changes and must be ready to fight all these onslaughts unleashed by the Govt. unitedly and compel the Govt. to reverse back the so-called reform policies which are being made in the favour of capitalist class.

    It is in this background, all the Central Trade Unions including BMS,INTUC,HMS,AITUC,CITU,UTUC etc. has decided to unitedly oppose this anti-labour policies of the NDA Government . The National Convention of Workers held at New Delhi on 15^th September 2014 has decided to organise nationwide campaign against the labour law amendments. The resolution adopted unanimously by all Central Trade Unions and Federations calls upon the entire working class of the country to fight out these policies at any cost. NFPE calls upon the entirety of  Postal and RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sewaks to rally behind the banner of joint plat form of Central Trade Unions and fight unitedly the unsought unleashed by the Narendra Modi Government.

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Ravi Shankar Prasad pulls up officials after surprise check at 'unclean' post offices

New Delhi: After surprise checks at two post offices in New Delhi, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday pulled up officials of the Department of Posts for not keeping their premises and work space clean.

"Despite instructions from Prime Minister's Office, your premises are not clean. Take it as my direction that I want all post offices across country to be clean," he told senior DoP officials.

The Minister inspected work space at Gol Dak Khana and Lodhi Road post offices. Prasad inspected almirah and different rooms where he found dust on many files and racks.

He asked officials to keep the premises clean and make Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Mission a success.

Member, Postal Board, Anjali Devasher said that DoP started cleanliness drive and complete status report will be handed over to the minister in a month.

Senior officials at post offices said DoP had sought fund of about Rs 10 crore for civil work and cleanliness but it has been allocated only around Rs 3.5 crore which is too less.

"We have part time workers for cleaning work ... The structure of building are such that dust and dirt keep coming in to offices. We need funds to make buildings dust proof," an official said.

Ministry sources however said that Post Office staff have raised the issue of fund shortage only after minister's surprise visit.

Earlier in the day, Prasad ran cleanliness drive at Sanchar Bhawan where he found rubbish heaped at one place.

"I have announced that I will go to clean Patna Railway Station on 2 October. Union ministers will also go on cleanliness drive. Even Prime Minister himself will got to clean Valmiki basti near Birla Mandir. When the Prime Minister and Ministers can do this, you should not feel ashamed of it," Prasad said at Sanchar Bhawan.

He cited the example of cleanliness in metro and all government offices should be cleaned in a similar fashion.

"Below this place is metro station, where there is no dirt. The same people use it, the same is the Government. I feel that while travelling in metro, people themselves feel ashamed that it is so clean and how can we dirty it," Prasad said.

The Minister appealed government officials to change in their mind.

"You would have known that I am a strict Minister. I work and expect work from you all as well. I will make surprise visit to your offices as well," Prasad said at Sanchar Bhawan.

PTI

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CASUAL LABOUR ISSUE -- CAT - ERNAKULAM BENCH

Casual Labour Wage Revision - 

Contempt directed the Department to implement the Assam CPMG Committee Report within three weeks time. 

Department agreed to take decision on the Assam CPMG Committee Report within three weeks - 

Next Sitting on 15.10.2014

source : NFPE

CONFEDERATION CIRCULAR

Circular No. 19                                                                                                                              Dated – 27.09.2014

CONFEDERATION DECLARES NEXT PROGRAMME OF ACTION

TWO HOURS MASS SQUATTING OF NOT LESS THAN 3000 EMPLOYEES AT EACH STATE CAPITAL AT A CENTRALLY LOCATED IMPORTANT PLACE ON 18.11.2014

MODI GOVERNMENT IS TOTALLY NEGATIVE 
AND 
AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

No DA Merger, 
No Interim Relief, 
No Inclusion of GDS Under 7^th CPC, 
No relaxation of Compassionate Appointment condition, 
No withdrawal of New Pension Scheme, 
No Filling up of Posts, 
No Removal of Bonus Ceiling, 
No Assurance Regarding 01.01.2014 Date of Effect of 7^thCPC, 
No Regularisation of GDS and Casual Labour, 

For Each Demand the reply is NO, NO, NO, NO………………

NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NDA AND UPA GOVERNEMENT
 LET US PREPARE FOR A MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION

Dear Comrades,

Confederation National Secretariat met at New Delhi on 26.09.2014, under the Presidentship of Com. K. K. N. Kutty, National President. Com. S. K. Vyas Ji, Advisor was also present. After detailed deliberations on all agenda items, the following decisions are taken.

1.      Decided to further intensify the campaign and agitational programmes against the Government's attitude towards the legitimate demands of the Central Government Employees. It is decided to organize two hours MASS SQUATING of not less than 3000 Central Government employees on 18^th November 2014, at a centrally located important place at all the state capitals. Effort should be made to ensure maximum participation of Lady comrades in the programme. Next phase of action will be decided after successful implementation of the above programme.

2.      Decided to explore the possibility of joint action with Railways (AIRF) and Defence (AIDEF) culminating in strike.

3.      Decided to participate and implement all the decisions taken in the National convention of workers organised by Central Trade Unions on 15.09.2014.

4.      Decided to organize Two days All India Trade Union workshop of Confederation at Bangalore on 2015 January 3^rd and 4^th. Total number of delegates will be limited to 200. COC Karnataka has agreed to host the Trade Union workshop.

5.      Decided to grant affiliation to the following two organizations.

(1)      Forest Survey of India Employees Association

(2) Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sanghathan (NYKS) workers Welfare Association.

6.      Decided to organize Dharna in front of all Government of India Presses and Stationery offices and also in front of Government Medical stores Depot to protest against the proposed move to close down these offices. In front of Government of India Presses Dharna will be organised by Confederation on 27^th October 2014 and in front of Government Medical Stores Depot dharna will be organised on 30^th October 2014.

7.      Financial position of the Confederation was presented by Financial Secretary Com. Vrigu Bhattacharjee. CHQ is running with a ‘NIL’ balance. Unless and until all the affiliated Unions/Associations voluntarily clear all pending dues it will be very difficult to run the CHQ. It is decided that Financial Secretary shall issue notice to all affiliated organizations to clear the pending dues.

8.      National Secretariat calls upon all Central Government employees and also the affiliated organisatons and state COCs to make the 18^th October programme a thundering success.

(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General

Confederation

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NFPE Circular on Parliament March

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES

IST FLOOR, NORTH AVENUE POST OFFICE, BUILDING NEW DELHI-110001

No PF/o1 (e)/2014                                                                              Dated 26^th September 2014

CIRCULAR

To

            All General Secretaries/Office bearers (NFPE)

            All Circle/Divisional/Branch Secretaries

20000 POSTAL & RMS EMPLOYEES INCLUDING GDS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE PARLIAMENT MARCH ON 4^TH DECEMBER 2014

            A meeting of Postal JCA consisting NFPE & FNPO was held at NFPE office New Delhi on 25.09.2014 which was attended by the leaders and General Secretaries of both Federations. Com. M. Krishnan, Ex-Secretary General, NFPE also attended the meeting. A review of agitational programmes was taken and action on Charter of Demands was discussed in the meeting and following decisions were taken:

            1.         The Department has informed that it will send reply on the Memorandum & Charter of Demands submitted by JCA within a week. After  receipt of reply from the Department JCA will meet again and will decide further course of action.

         

         2.         It was decided that the Postal JCA will organize a massive Parliament March on 4^thDecember, 2014. 20000 Postal employees will be mobilized to participate in the Parliament March. The quota was allotted 15000 to NFPE and 5000 to FNPO. Respective Federations will make accommodation arrangements for their members. Central Trade Unions are conducting Parliament March on 5^th December 2014.

           

            3.         In the Parliament March Central Trade Union leaders will be invited.

NFPE FEDERAL SECRETARIAT MEETING

        Just after JCA meeting Federal Secretariat Meting of NFPE was held at NFPE office New Delhi. Available NFPE CHQ Office Bearers and General Secretaries participated in the meeting. Com. M. Krishnan, Ex-Secretary General, NFPE also attended. The following decisions were taken in Federal Secretariat meeting:

            1.         Decisions of Postal JCA were endorsed.

        2.      The quota of participation in Parliament March to be held on 4^th December 2014 was allotted as under:

                                  P-3                              -         4000              

                        P-IV                             -         4000

                        R-III                             -         1500              

                        R-4                              -           700

                        Admn.                         -           200              

                        Postal Accounts         -           300

                        SBCO                          -           100              

                        GDS (NFPE)                -         5000

            All General Secretaries are requested to allot the quota to each Circle and ensure participation as per quota allotted.

                Accommodation to the participants will be arranged by the respective unions.

            All General Secretaries are requested to issue separate circular and send to Circle and Branch Unions directing them to participate in Parliament March as per quota allotted to them and it should be given wide publicity to make the Parliament March a grand success.

             Please instruct all Circle/Divisional/Branch Secretaries to book the travel tickets of participants well in advance i.e., from 3^rd October onwards.

Yours Comradely,

(R. N. Parashar)

Secretary General

POSTAL JCA (NFPE & FNPO) - PARLIAMENT MARCH ON 04-12-2014

NFPE - FNPO

POSTAL JOINT COUNCIL OF ACTION

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES

1st Floor, North Avenue Post office Building, New Delhi – 110001

FEDERATION OF NATIONAL POSTAL ORGANISATIONS

T-24, Atul Grove Road. New Delhi – 110001

No. JCA/AGTN/2014                                                                                              Dated – 26.09.2014

POSTAL JCA DECIDES TO INTENSIFY THE STRUGGLE FURTHER

20000 Postal & RMS Employees 

Including Gramin Dak Sevaks will March Towards Parliament on 04.12.2014

A meeting of the Postal Joint Council of Action (PJCA) was held at New Delhi on 25.09.2014 under the Presidentship of Shri D. Theagarajan, Secretary General, FNPO. General Secretaries and Other leaders of all affiliated unions of NFPE & FNPO attended the meeting. Com. M. Krishnan, Ex-Secretary General, NFPE was also present. Com. R. N. Parashar, Secretary General, NFPE placed the review report regarding the implementation of the phased programmes of action of JCA conducted so far. After detailed delebrations the following decisions are taken.

Secretary, Department of Posts, has informed that it will furnish the item-wise reply to the demands raised in the charter of demands to the PJCA shortly. After receipt of reply from the Department, the JCA will meet again and future course of action will be decided.

2. It was decided to organize as massive Parliament march on 4th December 2014 (04.02.2014 Thursday) demanding immediate settlement of Charter of demands. More than 20000 Postal & RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks will be mobilized in the March to Parliament (Date changed from 10.12.2014 to 04.12.2014 as the Central Trade Unions are organizing Parliament March on 05.10.2014).

3. It is further decided that NFPE will mobilize 15000 employees and FNPO will mobilize 5000 in the Parliament March.

4. It is decided to invite all Central Trade Union leaders to address the Parliament march on 04.12.2014.

DELHI CHALO

MAKE THE PARLIAMENT MARCH A HISTORIC SUCCESS 

START MOBILIZATION NOW ONWARDS

Dear friends and comrades,

NFPE & FNPO calls upon all Circle/Divisional/Branch Unions to start intensive campaign and mobilization at all levels to make the Parliament March a historic success. Let us prepare for an indefinite strike if Government refuses to settle our legitimate demands.

D. Theagarajan               Secretary   General   FNPO      //COPY//

R. N. Parashar                               Secretary  General                                                         NFPE

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NFPE DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS - UP CIRCLE - MATHURA -26th & 27th SEP 2014

COURTESY : P4 CHQ

Working long hours may trigger diabetes - NEWS

London: People in low-status, poorly paid jobs who work 55 hours or more a week are 30 per cent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those putting in 35 to 40 hours, a new study has warned.

Mika Kivimaki, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London, UK, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies and unpublished individual-level data examining the effects of long working hours on type 2 diabetes.

Analysis of data from 4 published studies and 19 studies with unpublished data involving 22,2,120 men and women from the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia who were followed for an average of 7.6 years, found a similar risk of developing type 2 diabetes in people working more than 55 hours a week compared to those putting in a normal 35 to 40 hour week.

However, the researchers noted significant differences when the results were looked at more closely.

Further analyses revealed that individuals doing low socioeconomic status jobs who worked 55 hours or more per week had a roughly 30 per cent increased risk of developing diabetes compared to their counterparts who worked between 35 and 40 hours a week, even after taking into account health behaviours such as smoking and physical activity, and other risk factors including age, sex, and obesity.

This association remained strong even after excluding shift work, which has been shown to increase the risk of obesity and developing type 2 diabetes.

Researchers said further study is needed to identify the underlying mechanisms for the association between long working hours and diabetes in people doing low socioeconomic status jobs.  

They suggest a number of possible explanations, including working disruptive schedules that leave little time to take part in health restoring behaviours such as sleeping, unwinding, and exercise. 

“The pooling of all available studies on this topic allowed us to investigate the association between working hours and diabetes risk with greater precision than has been previously possible,” said Kivimaki.

“Although working long hours is unlikely to increase diabetes risk in everyone, health professionals should be aware that it is associated with a significantly increased risk in people doing low socioeconomic status jobs,” Kivimaki said.

The study was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

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HC rectifies its own order on RTI

Chennai: he Madras High Court today rectified a portion its own order of September 18 in which it had said the person who seeks information under RTI should state the reason for doing so.

“An applicant making a request for information shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any otherpersonal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him,” the bench, comprising Justices N Paul Vasanthakumar and K Ravichandrababu, said.

The bench noticed it had made an error in its September 18 order and rectified it today saying Section 6(2) of the RTI Act, 2005, does not say that the person seeking information has to submit details.

Shailesh Gandhi, former Chief Information Commissioner and prominent RTI activist, said the Madras High Court’s order on September 18, infringes on a person’s constitutional rights.

“RTI stems from Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which deals with freedom of expression. By this logic, the court would want a citizen to give reasons for speaking or writing. The Madras High Court order on September 18, goes against the spirit of the RTI Act and the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression,” Gandhi said.

On September 18, the court had quashed an order of the Central Information Commission, Delhi,directing it to give information to one B Bharathi of Puducherry on some administrative matters of the judiciary, saying it cannot be given as per various orders of the Supreme Court and High Court.

“Furnishing of those information cannot be brought under the purview of the RTI Act as such information pertain to the internal intricate functioning/administration of High Court and such information has no relationship with any public activity or interest,” the bench had said.

“Doing so would hinder the regular, smooth and proper functioning of the institution, unnecessarily warranting scrupulous litigations”, it had said and set aside the matter.

The bench had given the order on a petition filed by the Public Information Officer who is also the Registrar.

Bharathi had made applications under the RTI Act, seeking various informations, including action taken on his complaint against Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore, details of recruitment rules for the post of Registrar General of High Court and details of action taken on earlier application regarding the appointment of Registrar General.

The PIC had said Bharathi was called upon to peruse files on action taken on his complaint against CMM. He was also informed that the complaint was closed.

Bharathi had filed a petition on these matters for which the Court Registrar (Vigilance) also informed him on August 21 about the action taken on his complaint against the CMM.

He had sought the contents of the file and minutes of the judges meeting which was refused to be given.

PTI

Bureaucrat can't be victimized for crtiticising Govt: SC

New Delhi: A bureaucrat cannot be victimized for criticising Government before a judicial forum, as it does not amount to service misconduct, the Supreme Court has said while slapping a fine of Rs. 5 lakh on Centre and UP government for harassing an IAS officer who approached it on the black money issue.

 “The right to judicial remedies for the redressal of either personal or public grievances is a constitutional right of the subjects (bothcitizens and non-citizens) of this country. Employees of the State cannot become members of a different and inferior class to whom such right is not available,” the bench headed by justice J Chelameswar said.

The bench, also comprising Justice A K Sikri said it is “astounding” that Centre and the state government consider that a complaint to the apex court of executive malfeasance causing debilitating economic and security concerns for the country amounts to inappropriate conduct for a civil servant.

“We are at a loss to comprehend how the filing of the writ petition containing allegations that the Government of India is lax in discharging its constitutional obligations of establishing the rule of law can be said to amount to either failure to maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty or of indulging in conduct unbecoming of a member of the service,” the bench said.

The bench said that the Constitution declares India as a sovereign democratic Republic and “The requirement of such democratic republic is that every action of the State is to be informed with reason. State is not a hierarchy of regressively genuflecting coterie of bureaucracy.”

PTI

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