Govt. ignoring us, say union leaders

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC 9. The Government began deploying Home Guards at some key sorting and distribution centres in the metros even as the postal strike entered the fifth day today. Despite the presence of the Union Communications Minister, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan, in the capital, there was no invitation to the union leaders for talks.

``We are willing to talk to the Government but there has been no invitation from them. The strike will continue till there is an honourable solution,'' said postal federation leaders. They maintained that the participation rate by the employees remained high and were confident that the deployment of Home Guards would not make any material difference to the situation.

Sources said federation leaders engaged in some backroom manoeuvring to acquaint the political establishment with the exact nature of their demands and their implications. They were understood to have met several political leaders here as well as in the States to solicit their support.

The federation leaders said the Opposition and the ruling party were occupied with the mandir-masjid tangle and ``did not bother about the hardship being faced by the common man and the woes of the postal staff''.

Some telecom unions have decided to stage a two-hour walkout on Tuesday and Wednesday in support of the strike.

The All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) today became the second central trade union after CITU to express solidarity with the postal workers. The AITUC President, Mr. J. Chittaranjan, called upon the Government to open talks with the employees.

``Instead of honouring the previous agreements with postal workers, the Government is trying to wriggle out of the commitments,'' he contented.

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