Dear comrades,
Almost five years have passed since
the 16-day strike of the 2018. The government was forced to form the Kamlesh
Chandra Committee at the peak of the wave of many struggles. The
recommendations of the committee were more positive than those of the earlier committees.
The government did not even want to publish the recommendations of the
committee formed by the government. The report had to be published under threat
of the strike. This time it is the government's excuse to implement it. Our
organization met at the 3rd All India Conference in March 2018 at Allahabad at
the peak of continuous agitation (up to Delhi street sit-ins). In the heat of
accumulated anger, the conference announced that if the government does not
immediately implement the recommendations of the Kamlesh Chandra Committee, it
will join a continuous strike anytime from next May of 2018. Note that our
beloved federation NFPE top leadership welcomed this decision. The impact of
this decision was far reaching.
On 22nd May 2018, the strike started
under the leadership of AIPEU GDS, strengthening overall unity. The trade
unions of the country and abroad wholeheartedly supported and cooperated in
this historic strike. The officials of the department gave in to the inflexible
attitude of the GDS despite repeated calls to call off the strike with false
verbal promises. As the strike continued for 16 days, the government went to a
press statement (acting as a traitor). The strike was ended in collectively
after some demands were accepted, including a little hike in salary (TRCA).
The department does not accept
important claims including promotion, health insurance, gratuity, severance
allowance as recommended by the committee at specified intervals. Apart from
this, the demands like membership verification of AIPEU GDS,
departmentalization of GDS, even today, despite many discussions, sending
letters, and agitations, the role of the government and the department is
largely against the poor GDS employees. The department has created an
unbearable situation of increasing the pressure of various projects by applying
digital methods. The infrastructure is not suitable for public service. The
government is moving fast on the path of privatization of the department in
implementation of various projects and processes including IPPB. It has
justified the workload of the employees by stopping the recruitment of many
vacant posts for a long time. After retirement, GDS workers are forced to
plunge into a precarious life with almost no pension.
At present some highly educated youth
are recruited as GDS workers. GDS friends are forced to go on the path of
strike this time as there is no option to fight to get rid of the misery of
living in the environment of terrible increase in commodity prices. In the
beginning, the government as well as the department was alarmed by the
blitzkrieg responses and the formation of the JCA of the three organizations.
So, thereafter they played an aggressive role by issuing
show-cause and charge-sheets through rule 8 and rule 23, creating alarm and
panic, without any constructive discussion. Considering the seriousness of the
situation, the strike was suspended for the time being after a long discussion
in the JCA meeting.
Over 80% GDS of the GDS community
across the country participated in this strike as AIPEU GDS came in front for
JCA with the other two organisations. The lesson of strike is that they want to downsize the number of permanent staff to
turn the office over to corporates for profit.
Friends, it is with this education
that we have to build solidarity with the working class movement across the
country and prepare for the struggle with new enthusiasm. Red salute to those
brave comrades who fearlessly participated in this strike and conveyed their
valuable advice. Even though the overall claims have not been fulfilled from
our past strikes. But by regrouping, the right to struggle has been gained. So,
please come and let us persevere in the path of positive, not negative
consciousness. If dept doesn’t take any lessons from our heroic struggle,
rather takes way to impose punishment including termination from Services.
We
have to resist it with courage and commitment. NFPE and PJCA ( GDS)
already demanded before the Govt not to take any vindictive actions against the
GDS, failing which we have to prepare ourselves with courage and commitment to
save the GDS. We have been backed by walls, naturally, so to save our dept and
also in the interests of GDS, struggle is the only alternative. In the field of
struggle there is no scope of volatility and confusion. Let us take oath
accordingly.
With warm greetings,
General Secretary,
AIPEU GDS, ( associated with NFPE)
CHQ, New Delhi.