No.
MH/RIII/ COVID-19/Lockdown/50/2019-20 Dated: 28/03/2020
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, the 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 where as they are working from home.
It is also brought to notice
of your honour that even though 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. It is also learnt that MMS service will be runned
between two states or two districts. The willingness of driver with escort
and care of other welfare measures may
be please taken for long distance MMS service.
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 for the 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 Prime
Minister 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 and it will be the responsibility of administration if any
casualty arises due to non taken proper care of staff.
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 all divisional heads not to pressurise the staff to attend duty
their own aim and keeping self-distancing otherwise 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,
Sd/- sd/-
(S
N Jadhav) (A
B Shivtare)
Circle Secretary Circle Secretary
AIRMS& MMS Emp EU Gr C MG
MTS AIRMS& MMS Emp EU Gr C
Maharashtra and Goa Circle Maharashtra and Goa Circle