Difference between AIAPC & General Line Supervisor Assocation ..Read, Think & Act

Following was a question raised by one wise Postmaster from Andhra Pradesh Circle soon after 2^nd AIC of All India Association of Postmaster Cadre held at Jaipur on 17/08/2014

I think Postal Directorate is creating confusion among us to protract our issues.  One time they advised us either to continue in the existing union or join in Supervisors association.  This time they are advising to submit another proposal.  I can not understand why Directorate started dialogue with us when we all are decided to shift to Postal Supervisors association in the Jaipur Meeting!!!

In this regard reply given by AIAPC, WB Circle was as under:

Initially, the Directorate has certainly confused us for not to form another association. They are already facing lots of problems owing to existing Federations and Unions. At Jaipur, some circles were in favour of AIAPC and some were in favour of Supervisors Association (GL). Therefore, our decision was not at all anonymous. Moreover, it was not the decision of real All India too and the decision was taken under following line. “Postmasters will take a readymade platform to take up the local issues and form bodies of All India Association of Supervisors” which itself clarifies that the decision was not of permanent nature. However, more discussion would be required for taking the decision but we did not have that opportunity owing to lack of time. Hon’ble Manoj Bhardwaj was our guest on that day. The discussion should be of our own (AIAPC) not in presence of our hon’ble guest who was from AIAPS(GL). Therefore, the discussion was not held keeping our mind open which was practically held in presence of our hon’ble guest. The Supervisors Association (GL) is now surviving on the stay order given by the Hon’ble Delhi High Court. If we all (all Postmaster Cadre officials) together with huge number of LSG, HSG-II & HSG-I officials join Supervisors Association (GL) then only the association will survive, otherwise it will perish away in course of membership verification process  ( April-2015) even they win the case. Then where will we go?

It is agreed that there is ample scope of winning the case [W.P.(C) 1827/1997 against the ambiguous orders of the DOP relating to “Distinct Category” ] by AIAPS(GL) in view of legal point under Sub-rule ( c ) and (d) (ii) of Rule 5 of Central Civil Services (Recognition of Service Association) Rules, 1993. On the other hand there is also huge chance of losing the case in view of clarification of “Distinct Category” vide the DoPT O.M. No 3/12/94-JCA, dated 10-3-1995 which is reproduced below:

“This is  in continuation of this Department’s O. M. No 2/10/80-JCA, dated 31-1-1994 and O. M. No 2/2/94-JCA, dated 22-4-1994

2. Definition of distinct category

2.1  In terms of Rule 5(c ), membership of a service association has been restricted to a ‘Distinct Category’ of Government servant having common interest. It has been clarified in the aforesaid OM that responsibility of defining ‘Distinct Category’ whose members have commonality of interest is left to the concerned Ministries/ Departments. In this connection, it is clarified that while defining ‘Category’, there is no objection to the existing association retaining their entity or a ‘class’ or ‘group’ being treated as a ‘Category’ , provided there is no administrative problem or there is no clash of interest among constituent of the association. It may, however, be ensured that employees not covered by the provision of CCS(RSA) Rules, 1993, are not included in any category whatsoever”

This can be construed as the creation of Kashmir Problem from the womb of independent India. 

  But whatever may be the result of the case, the extinction of AIAPS(GL) may happen because most of the supervisors are either active members or leaders of existing P3 unions. They will remain as unofficial members / dormant members / unofficial leaders of existing P3 unions in case they lose the case but will surely not join to AIAPS(GL) as they are doing now. Obviously we salute the members of AIAPS(GL) for carrying out the legal battle in the Hon’ble Delhi High Court since 17 years. Perhaps their legal battle will render us much advantage while making the Postmaster Cadre as “Distinct Category” keeping no ambiguity like IP Cadre. Please think why shall we ride on a “sinking boat” which is visible through a naked eye?

In this regard a simple calculation is given hereunder which may remove the confusion:

Name of cadre		No of Posts	Name of cadre			No of Posts
LSG (2011)		6929	PM, Gr-I			2097
HSG-II(2013)		1711	PM, Gr-II			511
HSG-I (2014)		1741	PM, Gr-III			495
Individual total		10381				3103
		3103
Total Supervisory Posts		13484	Based on real data
35% of Supervisory Posts		4719 i.e. the magic number is sufficiently higher than that of total posts in PM Cadre.
N.B.: These 35% members are required based on filled up posts for surviving a union/association under Sub-rule (d) (i) of Rule 5 of Central Civil Services (Recognition of Service Association) Rules, 1993 read with Rule 8 of same rule.
Approximate Filled up posts	8000				2000(almost real data)
Total filled up supervisory posts (8000 + 2000)	10000
35% of filled up Supervisory Posts	3500. In this case also the magic number is sufficiently higher than that of total filled up posts in PM Cadre.

Presently the AIAPS(GL) don’t have more than 20 members all over India. They are not able to manage the support of peoples of their cadre owing to the statement made in earlier para (underlined). They have to manage the support of 3500 members hypothetically in course of verification process (April, 2015). Thus from the statement made in earlier para (underlined) and above mentioned calculation anyone may realize that entire community of P M Cadre officials is not able to nourish the AIAPS(GL) anyway. Moreover, our General Secretary in his 2^nd proposal dtd 26/08/2014 addressed to the Directorate clearly mentioned the following para:

It is also mentioned against Clarification 2 of the Directorate’s letter  F. No 4-17/2008-SPB-II dated 10^th February, 2011, “In case it is decided to discharge the probationer from Postmaster Grade-I and Grade-II, the official will be reverted to General Line”. This itself inter-aliaclarifies that the Postmaster Cadre doesn’t belong to General Line in the Postal Wing of the DOP.

Therefore, joining AIAPS(GL) presently does not have any legal validity since as per forgoing para the Postmaster Cadre doesn’t belong to General Line in the Postal Wing of the DOP even though the AIAPS(GL) has already made necessary amendment in their constitution for entry of P M Cadre officials which has not yet approved by the Directorate. 

                  Thus owing to our hurried decision taken in the 2nd AIC (Jaipur), we have already lost the real spirit of the PM Cadre movement to some extent and if it continues, it will ultimately die like our first war of independence in the year 1857. Friends, please realize what happened to Mother Gandhari by giving premature birth of her 100 babies? Thus maturity of a movement will take time. “It’s a process, It’s a process and It’s a process: Change takes time”. But don’t deviate, stick on, remain united and determined as “determination leads to success”.  So Friends, think twice, thrice even more for our hurried decision.  

Now it is established beyond doubt the Stand regarding AIAPC, jointly taken by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & W B Circle was in the right track as elicited from the Postal Directorate letter No 13/2/2014-SR dated 11^th November, 2014. ( to see Click Here).