Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, May 23: District division of All India Gramin Dak Sevaks Union (AIGDSU) and National Union of Gramin Dak Sevak contract based workers staged a dharna in front of the head post office in the city on Tuesday May 22 to demand profit share of seventh pay commission.

Addressing the protestors, president of AIGDSU Udupi division, Basava Billava said, "The seventh pay commission of Union government employees has been executed just one year before, but the Dak sevaks have not received any profit share from the pay commission. The seventh pay commission has been implemented just eight months after the recommendation was passed for 48 lac union government employees. A single member committee formed by the union government on November 19, 2015 was led by Kamalesh Chandra to revise the wage structure of 2,42,000 rural Dak workers.

"The committee had submitted the recommendation to the concerned department on November 24, 2016. On approval by the finance department, it was reviewed by the deputy committee.

"In order to put pressure for approval of recommendations, the postal workers had decided to hold an indefinite dharna from May 1."

Divisional secretary Suresh said, "We have appealed to MP Shobha Karandlaje, but she has not bothered. She has no patience to listen to the problems of rural postal workers. The other district MPs only speak in parliament, but the southern MPs sitting silent during parliamentary discussions. The protest is organized to open the eyes of the union government.

Vijay Nairy, state president, AIGDSU, Vasudev Thottam, president, NUGDS, Shankar Shetty, vice president, NUGDS, B Suresh Sherigar, Ashwath Kumar, divisional secretary, NUGDS, K Santhosh Madhyastha, divisional secretary, AIGDSU were present.