Siliguri, 10th August: The employees of the Department of Posts in Siliguri joined the nationwide strike in support of several demands, including the opposition to the privatization of the Indian Postal Service, on Wednesday.
Reportedly, on the call of the All India Postal Employees Union, the employees staged a protest in front of Head Post Office in Siliguri. Despite all the counters being open, service was disrupted due to a shortage of staff. Due to this, long queues were seen at many counters.
As per the information, apart from its main function of distributing mail, the department has been assigned to accept deposits under the Post Office Small Savings Scheme, provide life insurance cover, and even act as an agent of the disbursement of wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
In this regard, the employees of the post office alleged that the Union government is attempting to privatize and corporatize certain sections of the department. They warned of staging a larger demonstration if their demands are not met.