WHERE  ARE THE  ‘GOOD DAYS’  FOR GDS ….?

Three lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks of the Postal Department never got justice from the Congress-led Govenrment. Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its land mark judgement (1977), Hon’ble Supreme Court Justice (Retd.) Shri Singhal, Chairman, 4^thCentral Pay Commission in the report submitted to Govt., Hon’ble Delhi High Court Justice (Retd.) Shri Caranjit Talwar in the report submitted to Govt. have categorically stated that Gramin Dak Sevaks are Civil Servants. Inspite of Shri Kapil Sibal, renowned Advocate of Supreme Court becoming Communications Minister in the previous Congress-led UPA Govt. nothing happened. GDS still remains as GDS, struggling to pull on their day to day life and living in semi-starvation.

It is in this background, majority of the GDS welcome the change of Govt. at Centre and their hope reached its zenith when Shri Narendra Modiji became the Prime Minister of India and Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji, a renowned politician and legal luminary was sworn in as Communications Minister. They expected and even today many of them do believe that their grievances will be redressed and they will be granted civil servant status by the BJP-led NDA Govt. and liberated from the clutches of poverty and abject penury and sufferings. The words of our respected Prime Minister “achhe din aathe hai” (good days are coming) – was really a solace to them just like any other citizen of India and it rekindled their hopes.

But the developments that are taking place in the last four months have cast shadows over their dreams. Minister, Communications & IT, gave a reply in Parliament that the GDS are not Civil Servants, they are part-time workers and they are having another source of income and the income from GDS job is only a supplementary one. Same reply, same lines given by the earlier Govt…!!! Their demand for inclusion under the purview of 7^th Central Pay Commission is also not accepted by Govt. History is repeating. The stand taken by the Congress-led Govts from 1947 to 2014 is repeated by the new Govt. also and the hope of getting justice from the new Govt. is fast fading.

To add to their misery, the recognized GDS Union is also joined hands with the Govt. and Department and agreed for a separate Committee for GDS.

We remember the opening remarks made by Justice Charanjit Talwar in his report – “The weak and down trodden need protection”. But who is there in the Govt to give us protection. Can we still expect justice from the Govt….?

Only united and determined struggle of entire Postal & RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks can protect and save the Gramin Dak Sevaks. NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) along with FNPO has taken a correct decision to go for indefinite strike in 2015. The date of commencement of the strike is declared in the Parliament March on 4^th December 2014. 20,000 Postal and RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks  participated in the Parliament March.

Let us start preparation for the strike now onwards.

Let us fight for deciding our own destiny.