It shall not be delivered

By Tharuka Dissanaike

The postal crisis peaked last week. Then subsided. Even as the already harassed public began to panic with the non-arrival of the postman, the government intervened to resolve the issue and the mailmen went back to their posts last Wednesday. But the Postal Department's troubles are far from over. Even as this article went to press, discussions between the high ranking Cabinet Sub Committee and striking postal officers were in progress, resolution far from evident.

Even though the total strike action, which crippled the mail last Monday and Tuesday was resolved last week, the officers' strike on the issue of overtime which started on March 12, continues. This has put the public in immense discomfort. Local mail, Department officials say, is being cleared without much delay.

But foreign mail and registered mail- that's another story altogether.

With New Year on people's doorstep, nothing could inconvenience the public more than a postal go slow. Last week, a newspaper reported that many senior citizens were put in great distress when their coupons did not arrive on time by post and they could not get their pension money.

The strike was brought about by the Union of Posts and Telecommunication Officers (UPTO) due to a dispute about the overtime payments to Staff Officers. (See Box)

"We are satisfied with the solutions offered to our problems," Michael Fernando, President, All Ceylon Posts and Telegraph Workers Union said. But the overtime issue was put to Cabinet for approval.

Being rejected at this level, the UPTO continued to boycott overtime.

UPTO General Secretary, N.P. Hettiarchchi said that officers were required to work overtime because certain departments were severely understaffed. 500 vacancies exist in the registered mail sorting branch, and present officers have to work extra hours, but are not allowed to claim their overtime.

Salaries of Class 1 Officers of the Postal Department were reviewed last year and increments were affected this January. This placed many of them on the lowest rung of the Staff Officer grade. In Public Service, Staff Officers do not claim overtime. But this, Hettiarchchi said, can be adjusted by the Post Master General if necessary.

"There are other demands, but this was the main reason for the strike," he said.

According to the Post Master General, Soma Kotakadeniya, there is no issue about the overtime payments.

"It is not possible," she said. "It is a policy decision by the government. In that case all Staff Officers including I, should be paid overtime."

Ms. Kotakadeniya said that additional security is needed for those who are working, because the striking union is using thuggery to force people to refrain from work.

Department or Corporation?

Underlying the present Trade Union action, is the tension wrought by the anticipated change in the Postal Department.

Plans are now underfoot to convert the Postal Department into a Corporation.

"We want to modernise the postal service," Ms, Kotakadeniya said. "As a corporation the Department will strive to be efficient and profit oriented."

But the combined Trade Unions representing the 22,000 strong cadre protest against converting the Department's status into Corporation. They foresee many lurking dangers in making it a corporation. For one, the reduction of staff. They predict that the profit motive will push the Postal Corporation to scrap door to door delivery and subsidised stamps. In a letter of protest they say that the PMGs plans to scrap rural sub post offices on the way to corporatization.

The unions also claim that the Postal Department's inefficiency is due to malpractice at higher echelons. They also maintain that the Department's earnings (i.e 70 percent of stamp sales) are not duly represented in the ledgers and are the reason for its deficit of millions.

Their greatest fear is that the move is just a first step towards privatisation. The Unions have asked for a meeting with the President to present their fears over the imminent corporatization.

But these arguments are countered by the Post Master General. "I do not know where the Trade Unions get such ideas," Ms. Kotakadeniya said. "I have answered these queries many times." The PMG maintains that no employee will be forced to leave. They will be offered an incentive package and whoever is willing to accept the deal can resign from service, she says.

She waved aside the suggestion of scrapping door to door delivery and cutting down sub post offices. She added that in their attempt to modernize the department they will introduce computers to the major post offices and offer e-mail services to the public.

Mail sorting and registered post will be computerised. "Then most of these overtime problems can be solved," Ms. Kotakadeniya said.

She denied that a move to privatise the Department. "Even in developed countries the Postal Service is not privatised. Anyway who will want to buy a postal service ?"

The lack of dialogue and civic responsibility is evident. Clashes between the PMG and the Unions resulted in many strikes and a vote of no confidence against the PMG last year.

In a situation without discussion and attempt to find solutions, arbitrary trade union action is allowed to drag on leaving the public to suffer the consequences

As one observer put it, "When a person posts a letter, he has already paid for the postal service. The Unions and the Postal Department hierarchy have a duty to ensure that the public is served.

More Plus * It's New Year in the city

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