Postal Dept reeling under manpower shortage: NFPE leader

Puducherry, Aug 13 (UNI) National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) Secretary General today said several Central government departments, including the postal department, were facing manpower shortage for the last several years.

Addressing a press confernce here, he said for the past eight years, the screening committee had not filled in vacant posts.

Instead, several posts were abolished. It seems that the entire group ''D'' posts would be abolished shortly, he alleged.

He said the central trade unions had taken up the issue of price rise also for the general strike on August 20 and added that the price of petroleum products were not reduced even though the price of crude oil was slashed.

Demanding that the sixth pay commission be implemented with retrospective effect from July 1, 2006 and interim relief provided till then, Mr Raghavendran said all Central government employees and others would take part in the general strike.

He said the agitation was only to caution the Centre and it would continue if the Union Government failed to change its stance.

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