To
The Chief Postmaster General,
Tamilnadu Circle,
Chennai 600 002.
Respected Sir,
Sub: Guidelines related to contain COVID 19- Maintenance of postal services – Reg.
Ref: 1. CPMG, TN No. TCA/Covid 19/20 Pt.1 dt. 16.4.2020.
2. MHA order in file no. 40-3/2020-DM-1(A) dt.15.4.2020.
3. DOP advisory on ensuring safety precautions dt. 8.4.2020.
4. DOPT orders dt. 17.3.2020 and 19.3.2020 in FNo.11013/9/2014-Estt.A III.
5. DOP order dt. AD 91/9/2020-Admin dt. 20.3.2020.
6. DOP instructions dt. 26.3.2020 in F No.Z/92011/25/2020-Coord/ O & M.
…..
In connection with the captioned subject and references, we are bringing the following to your kind notice and for issuing revised instructions immediately in the interest of services and staff. Though our Department is brought under Essential Service category, you may be well aware that there is total lock down announced by both the Central and State Govt. with strict adherence, 22 districts in Tamil Nadu State have been brought under Red Zone, surging of the affected count is very high in the State, many areas in the State are declared as Hotspot and blocked as Containment zone prohibiting any entry, total blocking of public and private transport system, location of Post Offices spreading over in every nook and corner and remote villages of the State and with the percentage of women and aged employees high in our Department, it is not possible to bring all the officials on duty and to brought all the offices opened, as ordered.
Moreover, to our feel, it is not correct and a right way to order in the National Disaster situation, for marking ‘ABSENT’ and to recover the salary of the employees simply in the name of Roster/non attendance, when there are no arrangements made for any transportation in any Division/office located in the remote areas, as instructed by the DOPT and DOP. Instead of encouraging the staff and their family members from the fear of pandemic corona and life risk, it is felt to be a threat on the employees and applying pressure, which leads to panic and mental stress among the employees, which will work adversely. Also there are no such instructions or guidelines given from any of the higher ups viz. MHA, DOPT, DOP and no other Circle issued such a harsh order, against their employees.
Further, no safety measures are made in most of the offices keeping the guidance of the MHA, DOPT, Ministry of Health, DOP and only simple mentioning of these guidelines in the circulars from top to bottom for record safe and it is a big question that on whose head this burden of keeping the safety rests with, the reply is very simple; none the others but with the last man on the operative side. This is nothing but clear violation of human rights.
To sum up with and not to elaborate further, we are placing the following to the kind consideration of our CPMG and to issue further guidelines to the ground level authorities, so as to implement the orders of the Department/DOPT in a smooth manner, both in the interest of service and the working staff.
1. Request to cancel the order issued to mark ‘Absent’ and to recover the salary for such marked period of absence immediately.
2. There should be a uniform guideline throughout the circle as in the case of other circles in maintaining the Pos/RMS/MMS/SBCO/C.O. during this lock down period and different yardsticks have been adopted in the divisions without minding the pandemonium situation as per the whims and fancies of the divisional heads. The guidelines, it is requested to be a worker friendly as well as the department’s interest in this panic situation. It should not be a coercive and bullying one.
3. Request to grant special CL during the lockout period, as per the standing instructions on Bandh/ Curfew and as per the standing instructions of the Ministry of Health, MHA, DOPT and DOP, to the officials those who have applied for on the grounds of 50 years crossed, poor health conditions, pregnant women employees, PWD, persons affected with any preliminary symptoms for quarantine. (It is most pertinent to mention since it is an All India issue, the period of absence due to the epidemic spread out and nationwide curfew may be decided as per the orders of the Directorate later on and till then no such provocative action like marking absent or seeking leave application as in the case of many divisions especially “CB” division, be taken at divisional level.)
4. Request to make arrangements of transport facility to the employees requested for, so as to attend their office and return back in the evening, keeping the instructions of MHA/DOPT/DOP. If not possible in all areas, they may be permitted to mark duty at the nearby offices of their residence or they may be granted with special CL/eligible leave as applied for. (Unless transport arrangement is made, the officials should not be compelled by deviating the curfew guidelines. The requests of the officials to permit them to work in their nearby Pos/RMS/MMS as the case may be, irrespective of the divisions can be considered).
5. Functioning of NDSOs may be suspended and the staff residing in the proximity of offices can be deployed instead of being in on the roster in the regular offices that cannot be reached for want of transaction.
6. Request to keep the services of minimum required staff, in HOs/RMS/MMS/SBCO/C.O. and major offices to the maximum of 50% with roster, as guided by MHA/DOPT/DOP for keeping the essentially required services, so as to keep the social distancing of 6 ft. everywhere and the object of the said orders should not be diluted and defeated. In many Circles this was ordered and there is no change in guidelines from DOP till date. (Our intention is also the same that the POs shall function and the minimum number of counter staff and delivery staff shall be deployed instead of insisting all the staff to come by continuing the roster at divisional level.)
7. Request to keep strict adherence of the safety measures and to make immediate arrangements by the Officers of the Division in Pos/RMS/MMS/SBCO/C.O. for providing Thermal Scanner in all offices, sanitization of the office premises in and out on daily basis with power sprayers, cleaning of public area, handles , bars, counters with sanitizer fluids frequently , supply of three sets of hand gloves, three sets of three ply safety masks like N 95, provision of soap, sanitizer fluid and water at the entrance for the public, making arrangements for keeping social distancing of the customers/public attending the office. This should be made by the administration and the responsibility should not be simply shifted to the last man at the operative working end. This will ensure the safety to the lives of the working staff.
8. In RMS offices there is every possiblity of transmission of infection spreading very much high through postal articles dealt in huge volumes. Hence calling all the staff without any fool proof infrastructure as per advisory given in aforesaid OMs is a dangerous experiment besides adding trauma to them during lockdown period, how to reach office coupled with fear-psychosis. Further when there is no much flow of mails due to the stoppage of Rail/Transport services, hence pooling all the staff with hidden threat is meaningless at this juncture. Thus keeping this sensitiveness in mind draft strength minimum to the core in the RMS/MMS as per actual-need. Further MMS schedules need to ply in this crisis also requires minimum, hence staff/drivers also augmented to work accordingly.
9. Regarding functioning of RMS services it should be ensured that only one shift that is 10:00 AM to 6:00 p.m. shall be maintained throughout the circle. The 2:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift should be done away with for the entirety of the lock down period, as there is hidden dangers to the life of the officials, leaving the office so late in the night.
Expecting your kind consideration on the above, with immediate follow up orders.
