PUNE: The All India Postal Employees Union, National Union of Postal Employees Union and Postmen and MTS Pune City west division will launch an indefinite strike from July 20 to press for their demand for filling up vacant posts of the Gramin Dak Sevaks  (GDS), multi task service (MTS) and postmen.

Rajendra Tupe, Divisional Secretary of the All India Postal Employees Union, said, “Our demand to Central government is to only fill up the vacant posts of GDS, postmen and MTS in Maharashtra so that we are not overburdened.  In Maharashtra, there are 6,000 vacant posts. In the east and west divisions of Pune, there are 320 vacancies for postmen, 50 for MTS and 75 for GDS. So, every staffer has to bear the workload of two persons at a time. We work overtime for over 4 hours daily, for which we do not get any benefit as well.”

He said, “On July 3, we organised a protest march at the Superintendent’s office situated at the Market Yard Post Office after our duty hours. Around 250 postmen gathered. Similarly, on July 6 and on July 12, we will organise a protest march at the General Post Master’s Office in Camp and at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, respectively. If our demands are not met even after these protests, then we will go on indefinite strike from July 20.”