No. NFPE – ODI / 08 / 2019
Dated at Bhubaneswar the 20th November, 2019
To
Com. R N Parashar
Secretary General, NFPE
North Avenue P O Building
New Delhi – 110 001
Sub:- Comments in connection with proposed revision of Business Hours for Monday to Friday
Ref.- Directorate letter No. 27- 46 / 2015 PO (Pt.), dated 19.11.2019
Respected Comrade,
We would like to invite your attention towards the Directorate letter under reference on the above subject (copy attached) addressed to all Chief Postmasters General with direction to comment by 15.12.2019.
Although the Staff Side has been ignored in this regard, we think it wise to submit our comments to the Directorate through NFPE, CHQ as follows.
1. Due hurried implementation of I T Modernization Project, 2012 with shortage of man power, inadequate hardware and improper software soon after Project Arrow in 2008, when the staff members are seriously suffering for last 10 years, the Department has not yet been able to bring timely solution to the technical issues so far compelling the entirety of workers especially those who are working in grass root level in operative offices to work for more than 12 hours a day. The concept of fixed duty hours limited to 8 hours a day has already lost its importance. As such, these staff members are already under serious mental and physical pressure. Their social and family relationships have already been affected. At this moment, the proposed increase in Business Hours in no way will be helpful to increase the productivity but certainly will increase the staff resentment which will no doubt affect the productivity.
2. (a). The proposed revision of the Business Hours by 30 minutes with a limitation of 6 hours 30 minutes for S B Counter and 7 hours for POS counter is meaningless while Finacle / SAP remain down / slow for hours together and the poor Counter Assistants become the victim of the public anger.
(b). Secondly, after FSI / CSI with MPCM, all counters are performing financial transactions and thus to allot 30 minutes more to POS counter and 30 minutes less to SB Counters is of no logic since POS counters which have been assigned / overloaded with various products and services also collect cash at par with SB Counters now a days.
( c ). Thirdly, in addition to collection of cash, generations of reports are also equivalent in both the counters and thus all counters need to be opened with equal business hours in the present scenario of digitization.
(d). In fourth, enhancing the counter transaction hours to 7 hours, it is not at all possible to close and dispatch the bags within the rest one hour with segregation of TD/NTD articles etc as per Due Mail and Sorting List and Mail Motor Schedule. More specifically, this is just next to impossible in case of ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ Class Delivery Post Offices practically now running single-handedly in many circles / Divisions. Thus, such staff members will again be de-motivated with additional burden of unnecessary detention till late hours regularly.
3. The provision of half-an hour lunch break is very much humiliating when it is ordered to avail without stopping the counter operation. While instructing as such, the Department has seriously failed to consider the situations of single-handed post offices. How can it be possible to avail the lunch break with rotation of staff without stopping the counter operation in such POs? The Department needs to modify such impractical orders.
4. While already a discrimination is continuing in between the operative and administrative staff members in connection with 6 and 5 workings days in a week, enhancement of the Business Hours by 30 minutes for the operative staff will certainly a blot from the blue. First, the Department should pay a positive attention towards our demand for 5 working days in a week for the postal operative staff. The Postal Assistants are not born to suffer. They have also the right to live with dignity and status. The Govt. / Department should stop to do further experiment with this cadre.
Under the circumstances, on behalf of NFPE, Odisha Circle, we strongly oppose the proposed revision of Business Hours from Monday to Friday in the Post Offices. Rather, we would like to suggest for equal Business Hours both for S B and POS counters restricting to 6 hours in toto henceforth under the present environment of FSI and CSI. In addition, we request for mounting more pressure on the Department / Govt. on our demand for 5 working days in a week for the postal operative staff.
Therefore, we would like to request you to take up the case at appropriate level immediately to stop such arbitrary movement of the Department and if found suitable, this may be added to our sectional charter of demands in the forthcoming nationwide general strike on 08.01.2020.
With regards,
Comradely yours,
(Bruhaspati Samal)
Chairman
NFPE, Odisha State CoC
