‘Overworked’
postal workers vow to intensify protests
Five employees of the Mail Motor Service
(MMS) went on a hunger strike at the postal service’s office at Worli on Friday
to protest against “exploitation by the officials.”
The strike, which was backed by 25
members of the All India Railway Mail Service and Mail Motor Service Employees
Union, was called off at 9 p.m. after the police intervened. The union said it
would protest at Azad Maidan again and organise a State-wide agitation if the
authorities continued to ignore their demands.
The employees alleged that they were
being forced to work overtime with a meagre remuneration of Rs. 15 per hour.
P.V. Parkar, divisional secretary of the union, said: “We have to clock in
eight hours at work, which includes five and half hours of driving. But they
are making us drive for 15 hours, which is dangerous and can lead to accidents.
If we protest, they threaten to transfer us to a far off place.”
Mr. Parker said several MMS employees
had been transferred against their wishes. “The transfers were not even in
accordance with the official guidelines.”
The writer is an intern with The Hindu
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