India - 'Overworked' postal workers vow to intensify protests

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Five employees of the Mail Motor Service (MMS) went on a hunger strike at the postal service’s office at Worli on Friday to protest against “exploitation by the officials.”

The strike, which was backed by 25 members of the All India Railway Mail Service and Mail Motor Service Employees Union, was called off at 9 p.m. after the police intervened. The union said it would protest at Azad Maidan again and organise a State-wide agitation if the authorities continued to ignore their demands.

The employees alleged that they were being forced to work overtime with a meagre remuneration of Rs. 15 per hour. P.V. Parkar, divisional secretary of the union, said: “We have to clock in eight hours at work, which includes five and half hours of driving. But they are making us drive for 15 hours, which is dangerous and can lead to accidents. If we protest, they threaten to transfer us to a far off place.”

Mr. Parker said several MMS employees had been transferred against their wishes. “The transfers were not even in accordance with the official guidelines.”