Tuesday, 21 April 2020

Regarding the request for suspension of work of all mail offices/Sections up to 31st March 2020 or till the normalises the situation for precautions towards COVID-19 Coronavirus due to the critical situation in Maharashtra state.


No. MH/RIII/ COVID-19/Lockdown/49/2019-20            Dated: 22/03/2020
To
Hon. Shri H C Agarwal (IPoS)
Chief Postmaster General,
          Maharashtra Circle,
          Mumbai 400001

Subject : Regarding the request for suspension of work of all mail offices/Sections up to  31st March 2020 or till the normalises the situation for precautions towards COVID-19 Coronavirus due to the critical situation in Maharashtra state.

Ref: Your  No. 1.No. O&M/Corona Virus/Advisory/19-20 dated 11-03-2020 
2. O&M/Corona virus/instructions 19-20 dated 21-03-02020
3. Email to all concerned dated 21-03-2020
4. Instructions of Hon. Chief Minister on national Television regarding lockdown and implementation of 144 section in Maharashtra up to 31st March 2020.
5. Declaration of suspension of railway service/Metro service/local trains and road transport.
6. PMG MM No. Mails/Corona Measures/2020 dated 22-03-2020

Respected sir,

          This is in continuation of this union letter even 13-03-2020 and dated 20-03-2020 and other development as above.

Your honour is well aware that the honourable chief Minister is announced total lockdown and imposed 144 section in Mumbai, Pune and thorough out in entire Maharashtra circle up to 31st March 2020 and directed to work within 5% staff to Government offices. Another essential service like Railway was suspended up to 31st March 2020 by railway Board as preventive measures. The Metros, Road transport is also suspended till 31st March 2020.

The staff is required to utilise the local transport to attend duty which is not in operations more over the RMS offices are situated in Railway stations, Airports and other stations. The mail is being received from the all over the country and foreign country but it is sorry to say that no precautions taken by our department regarding sanitization of mail when received at Mail offices from Air Port or from sections and operation of foreign mail at separately. The sanitization of mail vans before running from the starting points as these railway coaches were utilised by public concerned in or out journey as the case may be.  Even though there are instructions received from DOP&T and circulated by your offices, some divisional heads failed to provide the required masks, hand gloves for handle mail received from Foreign countries, sanitizers and hand wash mail offices giving reason shortage of fund or limitations of financial powers. It is not expected to staff working at mail offices or section to keep kit in their own pockets. In this required to establish one control room at Circle, Regional level to see the welfare measures provided for the staff working in the field. This union has motivated the staff of RMS to work at mail offices as an essential service to dispose of public mail with giving assurance of all welfare measures will be taken union with the administration. Now due to increasing the spread of Corona Virus, the staff is becoming panic and unrest alarming within a staff due to none taken of welfare measures from the department. In this regard, your honour is requested to please get information from all divisional head what precautions and welfare measures are taken towards sanitization of mail received from mail offices, whether sanitizers, Handwash provided to the staff concerned with expenditure done for the same. It is also ensured to the provision of all basic requirement like sanitizers, hand wash, sanitization of all mail received before processing at mail offices and cleanliness of offices without observing financial limits.

Now some staff working of sections is detained at Resthouse at Mumbai could not perform return journey due to cancellation of Trains up to 31st March 2020. i.e from B Division Solapur 8 persons, L Division 13 persons, F Division 4 persons and from BM Division 6 persons. Even though there are instructions to take care of the sectional staff, the staff is deprived of their basic needs from the last day. As the lockdown is announced in entire Maharashtra state and all districts boundaries were locked down, they could not reach their headquarters easily. Your honour is requested to please make a special arrangement through MMS or any other source for their return journey up to their headquarters.

Since, the lifeline of Mumbai i.e. local trains, Mumbai metro and road transports are suspended up to 31st March 2020 no officials can reach their office even though they wish for the same. The Government of Maharashtra has imposed 144 section in Maharashtra state, the road transports also suspended. The Railway board has also announced total shut down of all Passenger Mail trains, Superfast, Mail Express. Keeping of all situation and increasing the cases of novel coronaviruses, most airlines were cancelled their flight services. Since the all essential services are kept closed up to 31st March 2020, there is no necessity to open mail offices and run sections keeping view the guidelines given by the directorate on Janata Curfew. Hence it is requested to shut down all mail offices including NSH Hubs, Parcels Hubs, ICH Hubs, SPH offices, booking counters, BPCs BNPL hubs and sections till 31st March 2020.

I, therefore, request your kind honour to take care of kindly look into the matter personally and issue instructions to shut down all mail offices including NSH Hubs, Parcels Hubs, ICH Hubs, SPH offices, booking counters, BPCs BNPL hubs and sections till the 31st March 2020 or up to normalise the situation for the safety of staff and also avoid the spread of COVID 19 as per guidelines of WHO. 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