To
Hon. Shri
H C Agarwal (IPoS)
Chief Postmaster General,
Maharashtra Circle,
Mumbai
400001
Subject: Regarding Preventive
measures to contain the spread of coronavirus COVID-19-maintenance of Postal
Services essential services: The request for suspension of work of all mail
offices till the normalises the situation for precautions towards COVID-19
Coronavirus due to the critical situation in Maharashtra state or provision of
transport facility, Curfew Pass and preventive welfare measures.
Ref: Dte No.
1. Z-92011/25/2020-Coord/O&M
dated 25-03-2020 & 26-03-2020
2. The appeal of Honorable
Secretary Posts
3. Your O&M/Corona virus/instructions 19-20 dated
21-03-02020
4. The Appeal of
Honourable Prime Minister for lockdown up to 14th April 2020
Respected sir,
This is in continuation of
this union letter even Dated 13-03-2020,
20-03-2020 and 22-03-2020 and other
development as above.
This union has received various complaints regarding the pressurisation
to a staff of RMS to resume duty without considering the ground reality or the
without adopting any welfare measures. While ordering the duties to staff the
administration has neglected to welfare measure to be given the staff.
Your honour is well aware that the condition of Mumbai and Pune is very
critical due to spreading of Coronavirus and imposing curfew under section 144
and lockdown up to 14th April 2020 as per appeal of Honorable Prime
Minister.
The staff is unable to attend their duty due to non-availability of
transportation due to lockdown and shutdown of Local trains as well as public
transport provided by the Municipal or state authority. Even though the staff wishes to attend duty
but they could not do the same due to total shutdown the same. Moreover, the
administration has pressurised to staff to attend duty by adopting various tactics like appeal, threatening of action, withheld of payment
treating absence due to lockdown from duty as absent or non granting of leave.
The recently new amendment was received that the staff who are above 50 years
can be applied for commuted leave without medical certificates for
self-quarantine but it is learnt that some authority has denied for grant the
leave for the same. In this regard, your honours kind attention is invited on
the para No. 4 of letter of directorate dated 25 & 26th March
2020 that (i) In a place where
transportation problem being faced by the staff, appropriate arrangement will be made by using inspection vehicles,
staff Car and hiring of vehicles. (ii) The state government can also be
approached for facilitating the transport.
Instead of making a transport arrangement the administration directed to
resume duty with own aim by observing self-distancing.
It is also brought to notice of your honour that even thous as per
guidelines from directorate for the issue of curfew passes from concerned
State/Local administration to all RMS/Postal and outsourced staff but no
initiatives taken by the administration side.
While issuing guidelines the directorate has directed that Hand Sanitizers, Soap, Masks, hand Gloves etc May be provided to the staff deployed on
duty. Cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation of offices will also be ensured.
Directed to keep social distance between a counter clerk and customers along
with the provision of soap and water outside of the office for the customer. In
this regard, it is brought to notice of your honour that some divisional heads
are ignored the guidelines given by the directorate and issued orders that the
staff attending the duty can purchase sanitizers or Mask worth Rs. 200 one time
measures during this lockout period. There is no any steps are taken for
sanitation of RMS offices or Post offices by the administration side. Where
Central Government has issued insurance policy of RS. 20 Lakh to 50 Lakh in
respects of staff working in this disaster management system and our divisional
heads were states that staff can spend rs. 200 one time measure means they can
not take any responsibility for the safety of their staff. It is not understood
why the administration side is depressed towards the welfare of staff.
Since the staff could not attend their duty due to non-availability
transport system, not allowing by police authority also it is not possible to
staff working in the mail offices to keep safe distancing due to nature of work
of post offices and RMS offices totally different and there is teamwork is
required to be done for disposal of mail. There are no precautions were taken
for sanitation of mail offices, mail van, MMS vehicles hence staff feels
insecure to discharge their duty. Your honour is requested to please provide
transportation facility, proper safety of staff by the provision of sanitizers,
hand gloves, masks to staff and sanitation of mail offices. The administration
is being forced to semi skill workers, Coolies and College students to perform
duty and they are performing duties due to their unemployment and fear of loss
of a job. It is our responsibility of security of their life also. We are ready for discharge our duty towards
social responsibility and as per appeal of our honourable Secretary Posts but
the welfare issue as per directions of WHO and DOPT, Curfew pass form Police
authority and transportation issue may please solve. We are ready for work as
an essential service department but it should be ensured to provide essential
preventive infrastructure to the staff. We should be ready for war against
CORONA but will enter the battlefield without weapons. Honourable Primeminister
has appealed for lockdown for 21 days for the safety of people and breaks the
chain of corona but inviting staff of Postal and RMS for duty will increase the
same.
We, therefore, request your
kind honour by both hands folded to take care of your staff and life their
family members and issue instructions to shut down all mail offices up to
normalise the situation and also avoid the spread of COVID 19 as per guidelines
of WHO or provide transportation facility and take all precautions towards
coronavirus to save the life of your staff. I shall remain highly thankful to
you for favourable action by your kind honour.
With warm
regards,
Yours sincerely,
(A
B Shivtare)
Circle Secretary
AI RMS and MMS Emp. Union Gr C
Maharashtra
Circle