GDS BONUS NFPE HAS GIVEN THE CORRECT NEWS

MAHADEVAIAH GROUP FLASHED THE FALSE NEWS DELIBERATELY ON 10^TH DECEMBER 2012 TO SABOTAGE THE 12^TH DECEMBER 2012 STRIKE

MAHADEVAIAH GROUP GDS UNION HAS NOT GIVEN STRIKE NOTICE FOR 12^TH DECEMBER 2012 STRIKE

1.   On 10^th December 2012 when all are actively campaigning for the success of the 12^th December 2012 joint strike, the Mahadevaiah Group GDS Union flashed the following news in their website -

“FLASH AND GLAD NEWS – BONUS FILE CLEARED BY FINANCE TODAY”

They deliberately gave publicity to this false news just to create confusion among the GDS and to sabotage the 12^th December strike.

2.   After 12^th December strike NFPE put the following news in its website.

“Regarding GDS Bonus the propaganda made by Mahadevaiah Group GDS Union is totally false. Finance Ministry has not approved the proposal for raising the GDS Bonus ceiling to Rs. 3500/- but returned the file without approval.”

(This news item is still in the NFPE website and anybody can verify it.)

3.   Now, after the 12^th December strike, the Mahadevaiah Group GDS union openly admitted that the Bonus File is not cleared by Finance, but the File was returned to Postal Directorate without approval. Now in the website of Mahadevaiah group the following lines are written.

“FINANCE MINISTRY HAS SENT THE FILE BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT OF POSTS FOR SOME CLARIFICATION”

4.   Now let the readers and employees judge, who is right and who is wrong. Who is giving correct news and who is spreading false news. NFPE has given the correct news and Mahadevaiah group has published false news and subsequently corrected it after NFPE putting the correct news. They have lost their credibility and they are trying to cover up their ill motivated false propaganda by putting the blame on NFPE.

5.   It is an admitted fact that Mahadevaiah group GDS Union has not given strike notice for the 12^th December strike. They tried their best to sabotage the 12^th December strike. Their leaders have demanded the administration to take disciplinary action against those employees who participated in the 12^th December strike. NFPE has already published one such letter in its website and anybody can read it.

6.   Can Mahadevaiah group GDS Union prove that they have given strike notice to the Secretary, Department of Posts, for the 12^th December strike? Can Mahadevaiah group GDS Union deny that their leaders have not written any letter to the administration to take disciplinary action against those participated in the 12^th December strike? Can Mahadevaiah group deny that the letter written to the administration by their leader published in NFPE website is a false one? No, they cannot.

7.   The issue of raising Bonus ceiling of GDS from 2500/- to 3500/- was an important item in the memorandum submitted by Confederation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Finance Minister and Cabinet Secretary during the Parliament march and also in the strike charter of demands of the 12^th December 2012 strike served to the Cabinet Secretary and the Secretary, Department of Posts. Many MPs irrespective of political affiliation and also Union Cabinet  Ministers have written letters to Hon’ble Prime Minister to consider the demand of the Confederation. Further both NFPE and FNPO has jointly demanded the Government to raise the bonus ceiling of GDS. The Minister of States for Communications and the Secretary, Department of Posts, has assured the JCA leaders that the case will again be forwarded to the Finance Ministry with favourable recommendations. The Secretary, Department of Posts has informed the JCA leaders that Cabinet Secretary was also appraised of the matter. The efforts made by NFPE, FNPO and Confederation and the mass-scale participation of the employees (Departmental as well as Gramin Dak Sewaks) in the 12^th December Strike has its own impact.

8.   The attempt of the Mahadevaiah group to project themselves as the only union for the GDS was thoroughly exposed in the 12^th December strike and more than 80% of the GDS joined the strike call given by NFPE & Confederation, inspite of the fact that Mahadevaiah Group GDS Union has not given the strike notice and has not conducted any campaign programme to make the 12^th December strike a success. More and more GDS leaders from Mahadevaiah group including All India office bearers are joining the newly formed AIPEU GDS (NFPE).  In the 12^th December strike, the unity of the Departmental employees and Gramin Dak Sewaks was restored and those who are trying to divide the GDS and Departmental employees cannot continue their nefarious game any more.

9.   ACTUAL POSITION OF GDS BONUS

As already exhibited by NFPE in its website, the GDS Bonus file was not cleared by Finance Ministry but returned to Department of Postswithout approval. The reason stated by Finance Ministry is as follows -

Up to 2006 GDS were also paid equal Bonus on pro-rata basis along with regular employees. The One-man Committee (Nataraja Murthy Committee) appointed by Government has recommended that GDS are not eligible for equal bonus with regular employees and the payment made up to 2006 was unjustified as per the commission’s recommendations. This recommendation of the Nataraja Murthy Committee was accepted by the Government and Postal Board. Accordingly it was decided not to raise the Bonus ceiling from 2500 to 3500. After that the Department of Posts has not undertaken any fresh study to justify the payment of equal Bonus (3500) to GDS. Postal Department should conduct a fresh study by another committee and submit revised proposal justifying the payment of equal bonus to GDS. Such revised proposal, if any, submitted after fresh study will be examined by the Finance Ministry and if found justified will be considered for implementation from the next financial year i.e., 2013-2014. Regarding this financial year’s Bonus Finance Ministry is not ready to reconsider it. That means the Bonus for the current financial year (2012-2013) stands rejected. This is the stand of the Finance Ministry.

10.  Now the Department of Posts has constituted a Committee of officers to make fresh study of the case and submit fresh proposal to the Finance Ministry for consideration and approval. The Postal Board has assured the JCA (NFPE + FNPO) that the study will be completed quickly and fresh proposal will be submitted to Ministry of Finance. Definitely the JCA will take necessary follow up action.

11.  The anti-NFPE minded leaders of the Mahadevaiah group GDS Union should clearly understand that their repeated attempt to divide GDS employees and Departmental employees is not going to work any-more. GDS will stand with NFPE. NFPE will never misguide the employees, but will always stand by the truth. Please remember that

“You can fool all people for some time and

You can fool some people for all time,

But you can never fool all people for all time”

- M. Krishnan, Secretary General, NFPE