Minutes of the Meeting held at 10:00 AM on 11/12/2023 with the General Secretary, All India Gramin Dak Sevaks Union (AIGDSU) and General Secretary, Nation Union of Gramin Dak Sevaks (NUGDS) under the Chairmanship of DG (Postal Services).
Download GDS Strike Demand Meeting Minutes 2023 in PDF
A Meeting under the Chairmanship of Director General Postal Services with the representatives of All Inida Gramin Dak Sevaks and National Union of Gramin Dak Sevaks was held on 11.12.2023 in Dak Bhawan, New Delhi. The following officers and representatives of the respective Association attended the meeting:
Sr No. Officers of DOP Representatives of Federation / Associations
1. Shri. S S Mahadevaiah, General Secretary
2. Shri P. U. Muralidharan, General Secretary
3. Shri Dhanya Kanta Norah, AGS
4. Shri Rumnea
5. Shri Dharmendra Rajput
2. DDG (P) welcomed all above cited representatives of Association in the meeting. At the outset DGPS reaffirmed the fact that GDS are back bone of the Department of Posts and also recognized the need for improvement in their service conditions. Union representatives were apprised of the following initiatives taken by the Department in recent past:
* A Grant of financial assistance upto Rs. 50,000/- from welfare fund to the GDSs affected by Covid-19.
* Dispensing with security of Rs. 1,00,000/- (Rs. one lakh) on engagement as GDS
* Introduction of combined duty allowance to the Branch Postmasters working at single handed Branch Post Offices over and above the remuneration.
* Introduce the online process of engagement of Gramin Dak Sevaks More than 1,55,000 GDS have been engaged through online engagement process from 2014 onward.
* Minimum service for transfer of GDS reduced from three years to one year.
* No. of chances for transfer increased from one to two in case of male GDS and three chances for female GDS.
* A Online Portal for request transfer introduced in November, 2022 in which more than 17000 GDS have been transferred till now. Transfer is done every quarter.
* A special drive was launched for disposing pending cases of engagement of dependents GDS on compassionate grounds during which compassionate engagement was given to the dependents of 4135 GDSs, including those who died during the Covid 19 pandemic.
* Relaxation in prescribed educational qualification for engagement on compassionate grounds in 'Dak Sevak category.
* A Provision made for representation against the rejection of compassionate appointment. Till now, more than 100 have been benefitted.
* A Revision of compassionate engagement (May, 2017 and June, 2023) Decentralized at Divisional level
* A Online Portal compassionate appointment of GDS is being launched today.
3. The demands of the association have been discussed point-wise and following decision has been taken in the meeting:
|
Sr No. |
GDS Strike Demands 2023 |
Reply by Postal Directorate |
|
1 |
Grant 8 hours work and all beriefits including pension. |
To increase the upper limit of working hours upto
7 hrs may be, of the GDS, to include the incentives being paid in workload
and the ceiling of Gratuity are complex technical matters and need detailed
deliberations. A Committee would be set up to examine these issues in which the services of the union representatives would also be co-opted. The Terms of References and constitution of the Committee would be shared with the Unions shortly. |
|
2 |
Immediate implementation of all positive recommendations of the Kamalesh Chandra Committee including fixation of (Time-Related Continuity with effect from 1.1.2016, akin to regular employees, Weightage increments for seniors/bunching, time- bound financial up gradation on completion of 12, 24, and 36 years of service. |
a. The matter of three financial upgradations to
each GDS has been forwarded to Ministry of Finance for their concurrence
after approval of the Hon'ble MoC. b. In principle approval of the National Health
rational Authority for bringing GDS under PMJAY TRCA Ayushman Bharat Scheme
has been received and its modalities will be finalized shortly in
consultation Allowance) with GDS Unions. c. The matter regarding increase of SDBS
contribution from 3% to 10% has been submitted Internal Finance Wing for
their examination and concurrence. The proposal would be revised to include
Department's contribution to 14% instead of 10% |
|
2(a) |
Enhancement of the Group Insurance coverage up to
5 Lakhs. |
It has been decided that a meeting would be
undertaken, at the earliest with the Internal Finance wing to discuss the
following pending issues as these proposals are under consideration of IFW a. Increase of coverage in Group Insurance b. Increase in the composite allowance by 100% |
|
2 (b) |
Enhancement of GDS Gratuity in parity with departmental
staff |
Refer to SI No. 1 |
|
2 (c) |
Carry forward and encashment of paieave up to 180
days. |
It has been decided that GDS Section will
examine and issue the necessary orders
in the matte by 01.01.2024 |
|
2 (d) |
Provision of medical facilities to GDS and their
family members. |
Refer to Point no. 2above |
|
3 |
Increase GDS and Department contributions to SDBS (Service Discharge Benefit Scheme) from 3% to 10% wherever applicable, and grant ad hoc pension to all retired GDS. |
Refer to Point no. 2 and 2 (a). |
|
4 |
Abolish all incentive schemes/ systems and include all work done by GDS such as IPPB, PLI, RPLI,Savings Schemes and MGNREGS in their workload assessments |
Refer to point 1 above. |
|
5 |
End all discrimination in granting annual
increasing TRCC based on workload, such as TRCA-II to for 5 hours work under
the principles of equal pay for work/workload. equal Ensure uniformity in drawing annual increments for GDS and regular staff. |
GDS Section would examine modalities for increments
the TRCA of new entrants and submit the same by 31.12.2023 Refer to para 1 with regard to the issue of uniformity of increment. |
|
6 |
Cease all forms harassment faced by GDS in the form of business targets and of compelling them to use their own mobile devices against their willingness or capacity to follow social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. |
DDG (P) informed that the instructions have been
issued from DGPS to all the HoCs to avoid any kind of harassment to GDS in form of business targets. |
|
7 |
Provide laptops printers and broadband network access to all Branch Offices (BOS) to enhance and expedite services. |
PBI Division would submit definite time lines for and providing the tablets & peripherals to BPMs and Mobiles to ABPMs. |
5. During the meeting Member (Welfare) informed that the issue of increase of limit under different welfare schemes meant for GDS are under active consideration and implement the same by 31.12.2023 in respect of the items on which consensus is arrived.
6. Apart from above, DGPS has also directed following:
i. Personnel Division would issue instructions making a provision to include a GDS representatives in Internal Complaint Committee on Sexual Harassment
ii. RB & Planning Division would prepare a SoP for doing the manual work in case of non-functioning of the electronic devices and non-availability of network in BOS.
7. At the conclusion of the meeting, DGPS suggested union representatives to reconsider their decision to go on indefinite strike and appealed them to withdraw the same in the light of decisiontheid above
