FORMS

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

AIPEU GDS :: Message from General Secretary....

 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,

Tapan Bhowmik,
General Secretary,
AIPEU GDS, ( associated with NFPE)
CHQ, New Delhi.