Undue and arbitrary delay in considering the staff problems pertaining to Group ‘C’

ALL INDIA POSTAL EMPLOYEES UNION GROUP ‘C’

CHQ: Dada Ghosh Bhawan, 2151/1, New Patel Road, New Delhi - 110008

Ref: P/4-4/Demands                                                                                     Dated – 25.03.2018

To,

Shri. A. N. Nanda,

Secretary

Department of Posts,

Dak Bhawan New Delhi – 110001

Sir,

Sub: -  Undue and arbitrary delay in considering the staff problems pertaining to Group ‘C’

Ref:      This Union letter of even no dated 5.3.2018.

Apropos reference we are constrained to note that many of our sectional demands have not been settled years together despite the fact that they are being insisted and contented every time for the settlement. This has caused resentment and annoyance amidst the employees. This Union has consolidated all the pending issues and attached herewith for your kind and immediate intervention.

These issues will also be the part of our charter demands in the agitational programme and needs immediate dialogue and settlement.

It is requested to intervene and settle the problems contained in the Charters and also in the annexure to this letter and ensure industrial peace and tranquility.

May I seek your response Sir,

With profound regards,

DA: as above

Yours sincerely,

(R. N. Parashar)

General Secretary

CHARTER OF DEMANDS

           1.      (a) Fill up all vacant posts of PA Cadre

                 (b) Fill up all vacant posts of HSG-I, HSG-II before implementation of cadre restructuring after giving one time relaxation in recruitment rules.

2.      Implement CSI after RICT and after developing proper infrastructure.

3.  Stop harassment and victimization under contributory negligence factor, trade union victimization, in the name of implementation of new schemes and to achieve unscientific targets.

4.      Stop outsourcing, privatization and contractorization.

5.      Declare result of membership verification.

PROGRAMME OF ACTION

1.      Lunch hour demonstration on 12th & 13th March 2018.

2.      Black Badge wearing on 20th & 21stMarch 2018 containing demands.

3.      Mass Dharna in front of all Chief PMGs offices on 25th April 2018.

.

4.      Indefinite Strike – Date will be announced later with consultation to NFPE

20 POINTS CHARTER OF DEMANDS

1.      Grant of higher pay at entry level to Postal Assistants to the Pay level of 6 as per 7th CPC

(Rs.4200 GP) and subsequent higher levels to LSG, HSG II, HSG I & NFG. (Due to two contradictory recommendations made to 7th CPC by the Dept, this demand has not been considered by the 7th CPC. Further, when the educational qualification has been revised as Graduation in the RR 2017, the minimum pay has to be revised as eligible to the educational standard i.e, Level 5 or 6.

2.      Immediate settlement of residual problems arisen due to implementation of cadre review. (The LSG shall be divisionalised and the promotions to HSG II & HSG I can be accorded based on the PA Gradation list at circle level. At present, the IPs are promoted to Group B without linking to the seniority of ASPOs. It will alone minimise the dislocation and filling up of vacancies in the PA cadre. One time relaxation to fill up the HSG II & HSG I posts must be obtained and all the posts shall be filled up forthwith. Similarly the minimum required service to HSG II & HSG I shall be restored to old status quo ante position. Ie. 3 years.

3.      Stop implementation of CSI Roll out and Rural ICT. The following must be ensured before the implementation of the same.

i.           Implement the remaining projects after full testing in the testing environment successfully and problems faced are redressed. Adequate peripherals required for CSI shall be ensured first. The CSI software should be modified as a user friendly and should not be a cumbersome creating tension to the staff at workplace.

ii.         Stop all the pending implementation of the projects forthwith and take confidence of the service unions /staff before implementation.

iii.       Network connectivity should be improvised depending on the status of the office. Both the NSP I & II must be ensured working.

iv.        All the officials especially the women staff should not be detain in the office beyond working hours in the name of system failure, network failure etc., for completing day to day work.

4.      Fixing of unrealised targets and put the staff under pressure mental stress. Threatening the staff at field level must be stopped forthwith. Compelling the officials to open split accounts which is against to the Dte. order must be arrested.

5.      Posting of additional hand to all the single handed offices. The present software is having doer and checker provisions which cannot be managed by a single staff at the same time. All single handed offices should be provided with one hand immediately.

6.      Enhancement of quota for appearing Group B examination by General line officials. The Department unilaterally revised the Group B Recruitment Rules in which all the postal cadres can appear for the 6% vacancies which was earlier the exclusive privilege of the Postal Assistant and LSG. They have not increased the percentage which was assured at the time of introducing direct recruitment to the IP cadre to the extent of 33%.

7.      Irregular commutation of LR strength.It is observed that LR strength of all categories is being calculated on the ratio of 10% of the operative staff and this is being confirmed during the negotiations held with the Staff Side during the strike charter demands. Whereas while referring the P&T Manual Volume IV under Chapter I general rule 18-1, the following ratio has been fixed for commutation of leave reserve in the P&T Department. Administrative offices 14%.As per Rules 249 in Chapter 8 envisages the percentage of leave reserve in post offices to be maintained as 17% and in RMS 20%.

8.      Compelling local trainees to stay in hostels in PTCs – regarding -Postal Training Centre, is
compelling the officials deputed for training from the local and neighbouring divisions to stay in the hostel during the training period. There is no need to compel the local trainees to stay in hostels and they can be allowed to attend the training classes from their residences and it will reduce the TA expenditure to the department also. The women employees who are local residents are facing untold hardships due to this insistence.

9.      Imposing unjustified conditions for appearing IP Examination for the departmental quota vacancies. The following conditions were put forth by the Department vide letter no. A 34012/7/2012-DE dated 07.06.2012 for appearing in the IP examination which are detrimental and also against to the existing provisions in appearing Departmental examinations.

(i)      No disciplinary action is pending or contemplated against the applicant.

(ii)    No punishment is current against the applicant.

(iii)  No adverse entry in the APAR/ACR in the last two years.

Based on the above, the applications submitted by many officials have not been entertained this time, merely for contemplation of Disciplinary proceedings. No promotions can be withheld in such cases. As such denial of appearing promotional examination is highly deplorable and will tantamount to the denial of Fundamental rights to this officials. Even the procedure of sealed cover is available for promotion. The new clause of adverse entry for last two years is nowhere in the earlier rules and it is against to the interest of the officials.

10.  Grant of special allowance to the System administrator to the extent of Rs.2000 Pm . Their work is more ardent and tension in nature. It was agreed in 2008 to grant special allowance to these officials where as we demanded for creation of separate cadre at that time.

11.  Cadre review of Postmaster cadre – We are demanding to merge both the general and Postmasters cadre in single line and the existing Postmasters Grade I shall be placed to HSG II. Grade II to HSG I & Grade III to NFG and accordingly the number of posts in supervisory cadre may be enhanced. Similarly the post of Senior Postmaster shall be filled up with the Postmaster Grade III officials without any delay.

12.  Grant of Officiating Pay with all consequential benefits for staff officiated in higher vacancies: If an official possessing five years’ service and officiated in LSG Posts he must be granted higher pay; similarly the LSG officials officiating in HSG II & HSG I posts. Clear orders may be released by the Directorate.

13.  Ensuring the standard of residential accommodation to the SPMs provided with attached Quarters. Many post attached quarters provided to the SPMs are either sub standard or lack many basic amenities. The schedule of accommodation as prescribed by the Department has not been observed while fixing PO building particularly for the post attached quarters. In rural areas, the total rent payable to the landlord for the whole building housing the post office and Quarters does not exceed even to Rs.800/- per month. It is not uncommon to see that a token amount of Rs.50/- likewise is being charged for the post office and in all such cases, the Postmasters are compelled to stay in the accommodation which is unfit for inhabitation and also far below to the standards. There are many post attached quarters lacking the basic amenities of lavatories.  If the Department could not provide adequate accommodation for the Quarters as prescribed in the SOA, and arrange basic amenities, it should provide option to the SPMs to secure his own accommodation and in such cases the due HRA may be paid to him. The policy of providing post attached accommodation requires reconsideration after the services of Telegraph has totally with drawn from Post offices.

14.  Maintenance of APAR in case of Postman and Group ‘D’ by LSG SPM – regarding - There is no clarity on the subject that who will maintain APAR in respect of LSG and above offices and the old practice existed prior to 1990s is being imposed.

15.  Stepping up of pay in case of postman and Group ‘D’ officials – The stepping up has been denied by stating that the seniority should be determined within the sub division where the official is working. This defeats the purpose of maintaining the gradation list at Divisional level in such cadres. Since the recruitment of postman and Group 'D' is being made at Divisional level and the seniority is also being determined based on the selection list of the entire division, the stepping up of the pay should be granted as per the divisional gradation list and not as per the sub divisional gradation list.

16.  Budgetary allotment for Computer Advance.

After the total computerization of the P.O. and its functioning, the officials who desire to purchase computers for their own should be encouraged which will motivate them further in the computer operations. There is a resentment prevailing amidst the officials due to poor allotment of funds under this head.

17.  Stop harassing staff on contributory factors for simple and flimsy reasons by misusing the provision of ‘unbecoming of Government Servant’ deviating the ruling contained in Volume III, FHB etc. The Directorate guidelines issued vide letter No. 6/8/59-Disc dt. 9.7.1959, 25/49/60-Disc dt.30.11.60 and 15-9/74-1NV dt. 10.2.75, and subsequent orders are being violated and the officials being preceded under contributory negligence factor for flimsy reasons and awarded with huge recoveries. The provisions contained in Rule,106,107, 108 & 111 of Postal Volume III and the provision of honest errors can be condoned contained in Rule 204 A (1) vol II and the provision of Rule 58, Appendix 4 of F.H.B. volume I in dealing of recovery have been totally ignored and side lined. The main intention of the Government while deciding the degree of an officer’s pecuniary liability, it will be necessary to look not only to the circumstances of the case but also to the financial circumstances of the officer, since it should be recognized that the tendency should not be such as to impair his future efficiency. This union urges for proper guidelines in the matter of contributory negligence to protect the officials being harassed.

18.  Grant of Flexi Working hours – Case of bigger Cities - In most of the metro cities, the traffic jam on roads is the common feature and regular occurrence and some officials are being forced to attend office late by 0.30 minutes due to unavoidable circumstances. After the introduction of biometric attendance, the officials are forced to produce leave in such cases and in particular the women employees are the worst sufferers. If the Flexi working hours as if introduced in Mumbai is considered for other major cities, the officials can be ordered to remain in the office at the equivalent time they came in late in unavoidable circumstances, it will be very much helpful to the officials working in major metro cities/towns

19.  MACP Anomalies – Injustice to promotees under MACP scheme –request implementation of CAT Jodhpur judgment and the judgment of Supreme Court in favour of Sivakumar, Chennai North Dn. Tamilnadu circle - The Central Administrative Tribunal, Jodhpur vide its judgment in the cases filed under OA No. 382/2011, OA 353/2011 & OA 354/2011 held that the previous career advancements cannot be called as promotions for the consideration of MACP and it should be started a new innings from the PA promotion for counting the stagnation. The CAT sets aside the impugned cancellation of MACP orders against the applicants and directed to repay the amount with due GPF rate of interest. The Supreme Court has held in case of Sivakumar to accord third MACP even though he is a promote. Similar orders may be extended to all.

20.  Undue trade union facilities extended to Supervisors & BPEF Unions;  Please refer this union letter in which we have explained all the ruling positions and the decisions taken earlier at the Directorate. The undue patronage shall be withdrawn forthwith.

  

R. N. Parashar, General Secretary 

Happy Ramnavmi 2018

LOW PREMIUM & HIGH BONUS JOIN WITH POSTAL LIFE INSURANCE (PLI)

Happy Gudi Padva 2018

GRANT OF DEARNESS ALLOWANCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES – REVISED RATES EFFECTIVE FROM 01.01.2018

CABINET APPROVES TWO PERCENT DEARNESS ALLOWANCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Cabinet

07-March-2018 19:21 IST

CABINET APPROVES TWO PERCENT DEARNESS ALLOWANCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

            The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.01.2018 representing an increase of 2% over the existing rate of 5% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise.

            This will benefit about 48.41 lakh Central Government employees and 61.17 lakh pensioners.

            The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs.6077.72 crore per annum and Rs.7090.68 crore in the financial year 2018-19 (for a period of 14 months from January, 2018 to February, 2019).

            This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

THE VIEWS AND SUBMISSIONS OF NFPE PRESENTED ON THE EVE OF WORKSHOP ON IPPB AT NEW DELHI ON 7TH MARCH -2018

Sir,

            At the outset, we want to place it on record that all the unions federated under NFPE are not in favour of corporate Post Bank set up but at the same time we desire to keep the IPPB as the wholly preserving and protecting thePostal Bank by the Postal Department without any private or public share of 49% and controlled by a separate body other than the Head of the Postal Department.

            I wish to point out despite our strong protest against the IPPB Corporate bank limited which was resolved in the NFPE Federal Executive on11/02/2018 held at New Delhi and also in the CWC meeting of Postal Group ‘C’ Union on 26th& 27th February 2018 at Patna (Bihar), I am attending this workshop with the determination and the intention to request to reconsider your decision and revert back the IPPB as the Government oriented Postal Bank of India wholly maintained and preserved by the Department of Posts. If need be it shares can be made open to its employees to expand the service in the paucity of required funds. It must be a bank owned and operated by the Postal Department with the share of its employees and their full participation.

            Notwithstanding with our position not to corporate IPPB, the Service Unions desire to place on record to have 100% of the postal staff must be utilized to serve for the Postal bank and there should be no other recruitment other than from the Postal Staff.It is most pertinent to mention that no nationalized or private banks are doing the small savings work and being the Social oriented state, the Post office is alone doing the SB work which is the main revenue for the Postal Service at this juncture. If all these small savings accounts are transferred to IPPB at a later stage or today, what will be the remaining work for the PO counters? We are feeling that the Department by introduction of IPPB, blinds the existing Postal Department with its own figures. We are pleading for reconsideration, if not,we are having the apprehension that the postal savings bank work at present is the major work of the postal department  shall be transferred to IPPB in the later stage. Therefore, the IPPB shall be managed only with the Postal staff and not recruited separately

            Further after the introduction of CBS, in many places, the POs are suffering with worn out and old peripherals with low configuration, Poor network and mal -functioning of NSP- I & II and also due to poor user friendly configuration of the CSI software. Those have to be corrected first. Unless the requirements like adequate net work, bandwidth, working computers, are fulfilled, there should be no implementation of CSI. Similarly the recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee providing compassionate appointment to the wards of GDS who could not work in RICT, on implementation of Rural ICT shall be implemented first and thereafter Rural ICT must be implemented if the Rural ICT and CSI shall be jointly implemented after providing necessary infrastructure and user friendly software. If it so, it will be a successful transformation of technology.

            After the complete transformation, the IPPB not as corporation Ltd can be implemented for which our Federation will extend Fullest Cooperation.

            Further I desire to mention that the Postal Department shall have a separate network Connectivity like Railways &Defencein order to ensure proper networking facility to the Post offices so that we could expand our services later even in the rural areas. The postal staff are very much committed only with their hard work and dedication only this much of transformation in the postal service was possible for that he had not paid any amount or compensation. The hard labour they exerted during these days should be utilized for the postal service alone and not to be transferred to the hands of corporates for that we will again register our protest in this meeting with the request to reconsider the decision.  Thank you very much

                                                           THE VIEWS AND SUBMISSIONS OF NFPE PRESENTED ON THE EVE OF WORKSHOP ON IPPB AT NEW DELHI ON 7TH MARCH -2018

Sir,

            At the outset, we want to place it on record that all the unions federated under NFPE are not in favour of corporate Post Bank set up but at the same time we desire to keep the IPPB as the wholly preserving and protecting thePostal Bank by the Postal Department without any private or public share of 49% and controlled by a separate body other than the Head of the Postal Department.

            I wish to point out despite our strong protest against the IPPB Corporate bank limited which was resolved in the NFPE Federal Executive on11/02/2018 held at New Delhi and also in the CWC meeting of Postal Group ‘C’ Union on 26th& 27th February 2018 at Patna (Bihar), I am attending this workshop with the determination and the intention to request to reconsider your decision and revert back the IPPB as the Government oriented Postal Bank of India wholly maintained and preserved by the Department of Posts. If need be it shares can be made open to its employees to expand the service in the paucity of required funds. It must be a bank owned and operated by the Postal Department with the share of its employees and their full participation.

            Notwithstanding with our position not to corporate IPPB, the Service Unions desire to place on record to have 100% of the postal staff must be utilized to serve for the Postal bank and there should be no other recruitment other than from the Postal Staff.It is most pertinent to mention that no nationalized or private banks are doing the small savings work and being the Social oriented state, the Post office is alone doing the SB work which is the main revenue for the Postal Service at this juncture. If all these small savings accounts are transferred to IPPB at a later stage or today, what will be the remaining work for the PO counters? We are feeling that the Department by introduction of IPPB, blinds the existing Postal Department with its own figures. We are pleading for reconsideration, if not,we are having the apprehension that the postal savings bank work at present is the major work of the postal department  shall be transferred to IPPB in the later stage. Therefore, the IPPB shall be managed only with the Postal staff and not recruited separately

            Further after the introduction of CBS, in many places, the POs are suffering with worn out and old peripherals with low configuration, Poor network and mal -functioning of NSP- I & II and also due to poor user friendly configuration of the CSI software. Those have to be corrected first. Unless the requirements like adequate net work, bandwidth, working computers, are fulfilled, there should be no implementation of CSI. Similarly the recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee providing compassionate appointment to the wards of GDS who could not work in RICT, on implementation of Rural ICT shall be implemented first and thereafter Rural ICT must be implemented if the Rural ICT and CSI shall be jointly implemented after providing necessary infrastructure and user friendly software. If it so, it will be a successful transformation of technology.

            After the complete transformation, the IPPB not as corporation Ltd can be implemented for which our Federation will extend Fullest Cooperation.

            Further I desire to mention that the Postal Department shall have a separate network Connectivity like Railways &Defencein order to ensure proper networking facility to the Post offices so that we could expand our services later even in the rural areas. The postal staff are very much committed only with their hard work and dedication only this much of transformation in the postal service was possible for that he had not paid any amount or compensation. The hard labour they exerted during these days should be utilized for the postal service alone and not to be transferred to the hands of corporates for that we will again register our protest in this meeting with the request to reconsider the decision.  Thank you very much

                                                                    

International Womens Day 8 March 2018

International Women’s Day – 8th March 2018

WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN

Usha Bonepalli.

Chairperson,

Women’s Committee,

Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers

Dear comrades, 

Hearty wishes to every one of you on International Women’s Day 2018. We celebrate this day in honour of the great struggles that are waged by women, throughout the history of working class. We also mark this occasion to acknowledge and appreciate the wonderful roles that women play in making this world habitable, livable and lovable place of living. We utilize this occasion to reflect on the problems that prevent women from achieving gender parity, oppressions faced by them, and work out measures that lead to progress of women in all spheres of life. 

One of the first organized struggles for women in modern times was held at Lowell Cotton Mills in Massachussets in 1834. Women worked for 14 hrs per day in mills in confinement, noise, lint filled air, for 1/3rd wages as compared to men. When these wages were also cut, they organized and went on strike. Women in several other mills joined them and an organised movement started for the first time in history. A second strike followed in 1836. Both the strikes were crushed by management, but that is how pioneering struggles start. Defeat gives spirit for better and more organized action. Women began Labour Reform Associations and started huge petition campaigns and political action, asking the Massachussets state legislature to cap working hours in mills at 10 hours. In 1847, New Hampshire became the 1st state to pass a 10 hour working day. This was the first success for organized working women in any part of the world. This success fuelled organized women movements throughout the world’s working class. Today, we remember that struggle with a sense of pride and honour. 

The first National Womens Day was held in NewYork in 1909 to commemorate the 1908 garments workers strike. On 8thMarch 1908, 15000 women garment workers marched through Union Square to demand economic and political rights. The three month strike against Triangle Shirtwaist and other mills became hugely successful. This success was celebrated throughout Europe and Soviet. Clara Zeitkin, a German socialist proposed designating a day as ‘International Women’s Day’ at International Socialist Congress in Copenhagen in 1910. From 1911, we are observing International Womens Day. From 1975, UNO began celebrating International Womens Day on March 8th. 

Comrades, the working conditions and safeguards that are available to women today, are a result of many such glorious struggles across the world. We have an 8 hour working day, equal pay for equal work, at least in the government sector, and statutory framework for women like Maternity Benefit Act 1961, Factories Act 1948, Equal Remuneration Act 1976, Sexual Harrassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 etc. None of these acts were made by way of compassion, but were a result of prolonged struggle of the working women. The latest Act in 2013 against sexual harassment at workplace was a result of Supreme Court guidelines in the Visakha case. Everyone knows that women are subject to sexual harassment in all spheres of life, but it took till 2013, and only after a long and concerted legal struggle before the Supreme Court, that guidelines were issued and Government found it fit to pass an Act on this issue. We should keep this in mind that nothing could be achieved unless we organize and wage struggles. We should realize that, though the working women’s movement has achieved significant results, there is a lot lot more to be achieved. 

Nagaland, which went to polls recently, did not have a single woman MLA in its 54 years of statehood and 12 assembly elections. The situation is not much rosy in other states and even in the Parliament. Women representation in Lok Sabha is barely 11.3 % - 62 women out of 543 MPs. Take any elected body, including the trade unions, the presence of women in leadership positions is barely minimum. There are two reasons, resistance to give opportunities to women as men are entrenched in leadership positions, and lack of enough strength from women to push themselves ahead. Let us address the second issue, which is the only way to repulse the first issue. 

Women are bogged down by multiple commitments, they have the inescapable responsibility of household duties. A working woman needs to get up early, cook food, pack lunches for everyone, layout breakfast and clothes for the boys, then commute to work, spend the day in office, and commute back to home, to cook again, help in homework, and then retire to bed, trying to look beautiful. This is the story of every working woman, either in Postal department, or in Dept of Atomic Energy, either as a clerk or in a higher cadre. There is no CL or EL to this duty. Good health or bad health, there is no escape from this routine. Added to this, women face stigma, violence and harassment at workplace, in society, on the streets, during commute, and some times, even at home. Women face deficit in respect in all walks of life. Media and commerce address women as a commodity. They stereotype women, erect standards of medieval morality and even resort to body-shaming. The invisible chains that tie up women are too heavy and too arresting, to unshackle. It’s a herculean task for any woman to unshackle herself, free herself and make her voice count, in public discourse and organized struggles. But we have to realize, and there is no better day that today, that struggle is the only way. It is only because of our organized struggles that we have achieved so far. 

One way to derive inspiration and strength to unshackle ourselves is to celebrate the success stories of women, big or small, in all walks of life. Look around for icons and celebrate them. When our daughters submit a project in school and get two stars, lets celebrate that at home, with all the vigour. When Harmanpreet Kaur hits 171 in 115 balls in Cricket World Cup, lets put her posters (over Sachin’s posters) in our rooms and celebrate that with joy. When we come to know that global Chairman/MD/CEOs of General Motors, Pepsico, IBM, Lockheed Martin are all women, lets celebrate that. When we realize that the superstar of male-centric Bollywood during 1980s was not a man but a woman, lets celebrate that. Every woman who achieved something in life, would have achieved against all odds, facing many difficulties. Lets be proud of all of them, lets gain inspiration from them. And lets help our colleagues, our relatives, our neighbours, our fellow women, in whatever they are aspiring to achieve. And stand by her in all her difficulties. Unless a woman supports a woman, no one supports her. 

Another way to unshackle ourselves is to resist media stereotypes. Media is obsessed with stereotyping women as loud viragoes. Social media is obsessed with posting comments on women in the form of jokes, which insult and denigrate the attitude of women. And the commercial industry insults women by portraying women as beautiful only if they are slim or if they have certain body statistics. Why is a man’s figure or his tummy not an object of shame but a woman’s figure or tummy is shamed. A woman becomes a mother, has a rebirth herself when she gives birth to children, undergoes many body changes and fights to come back to normal. Whatever shape she eventually has, the society should make her feel proud of it, not ashamed of it. But because of the intense media standards on what is beautiful and what is not, women are psychologically forced to follow some fad diets, starve themselves and spoil their health. Even school going girls are doing dieting. This is a very dangerous trend. Yes, we need to have fitness. We should do exercise or yoga if it fits in our daily routine, or at least some walking, but beauty doesn’t mean looking like a pencil. We need a movement, first in our minds, and then in the society, to stop this trend. Because of our workload at home and at workplace, women need to eat well, be healthy, and feel confident about whatever shape they are in. One report says that 80 % of present day women above 40 are cases for bone related ailments like osteoporosis. So I request all women to take your health seriously, get some sunlight for Vit D, have iron and calcium supplements and above all, eat well. Don’t starve. We are ourselves. We will not allow the media to judge us. 

Friends, the sure way to unshackle ourselves is to develop the confidence in our abilities. Seek responsibilities, take active part in leadership positions in your workplace, in administration, and in unions. If you develop the will and confidence, there is nothing that a woman cannot do, as good as, if not better than, her male counterpart. We have an immense task cut out before us. Once women gain employment, they should be endowed with right to equality, right against discrimination in workplace. Women should be assured dignity of labour, equal wages, beneficial facilities and additional safeguards which compensate for their lack of level playing field. These safeguards and benefits should be made statutory, institutionalised, and implemented thoroughly. We should make relentless fight for safegaurds that we are yet to achieve. We should be very vigilant. Because there will always be attempts to mock, sneer, and trample on the safeguards and the genuine benefits that we rightfully deserve.

"Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the unfinished business of our time, and the greatest human rights challenge in our world." These are the words of our present UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In recognition of this ‘unfinished business’ and ‘greatest human rights challenge’, the campaign theme for International Women’s Day for 2018 is selected as ‘Press for Progress’. The campaign requires that the following activities are taken up: 

a.   Maintain a gender parity mindset (question any lack of womens’ participation, identify alternatives that are more inclusive, nominate women for opportunities, always include and support women, think 50/50 as goal),

b.    Challenge stereotypes and bias (question assumptions about women, challenge statements that limit women, always use inclusive language, work to remove barriers to women’s progress, bur from retailers who position women in positive ways),

c.    Forge positive visibility of women (identify ways to make women more visible, extend opportunities to women first, assume women want opportunities until declined, select women as spokepersons and leaders, support visible women),

d.    Influence others’ beliefs/actions (supportively call-out inappropriate behavior, campaign for equality in meaningful ways, lead by example via inclusive actions, be a role model for equality, actively contribute to change the status quo) and

e.    Celebrate women’s achievements (believe achievement comes in many forms, value women’s individual and collective success, ensure credit is given for women’s contributions, celebrate women role models and their journeys, support awards showcasing women’s success).

Lets do that comrades. As Chairperson of the Womens Committee of Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, I call upon everyone to join hands and rededicate ourselves to this call – Press for Progress. We will make it happen.

CONSIDERATION OF “GOOD” BENCHMARK AS “VERY GOOD” FOR GRANT OF FINANCIAL UPGRADATION UNDER MACP BEFORE 25.07.2016.

CONSIDERATION OF “GOOD” BENCHMARK AS “VERY GOOD” FOR GRANT OF FINANCIAL UPGRADATION UNDER MACP BEFORE 25.07.2016.

National Federation of Postal Employees
1st Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi-110 001
Phone: 011.23092771                                                e-mail: nfpehq@gmail.com
       Mob: 9868819295/9810853981                       website: http://www.nfpe.blogspot.com

No. PF-31(MACP/2018                                                                          Date: 06 March 2018

To
            The Secretary (P)
            Department of Posts
            Dak Bhawan,
            New Delhi – 110001

Sub: - Consideration of “Good” benchmark as “Very Good” for grant of financial upgradation under MACP before 25.07.2016.

Sir,
            As you are aware that based on recommendations of the 7th CPC, the benchmark for grant of MACPs has been enhanced from “Good” to “Very Good” w.e.f. 25.07.2016. For grant of MACP, 3 years APARs are taken in to consideration. This step has debarred so many officials from the financial upgradation.

            Since the earlier “Good” benchmark was applicable up to 25.07.2016, the employees having “Good” grading in their APARs for the previous three years have no reason to be debarred. There is every justification to consider the employees having “Good” benchmark for the previous three years i.e. 2014-15, 2015-16 & 2016-17 for financial upgradation under MACP.

It is therefore requested to kindly cause suitable instruction in this regard so that the eligible officials may get financial upgradation who have been debarred because of enhancement of benchmark w.e.f 25.07.2016.

A positive and early action is highly solicited.

                                    With regards,
Yours faithfully,

(R. N. Parashar)
Secretary General

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