GDS Committee Recommendations on wage structure and Fixation of wages

GDS Committee Recommendations on wage structure and Fixation of wages

The Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDSS) are part timers and presently engaged by the Department for a minimum period of 3 hours and a maximum period of 5 hours in a day predominantly in GDS Post Offices and wages are paid to them accordingly. The terms and conditions of their engagements are different from regular employees with regard to job profile, working hours, working conditions, age of discharge from service and applicability of rules etc. They are mandatorily required to have alternate source Of income to supplement their income SO that they are not solely dependent upon the allowances paid by the Govemment for working as GDS.

Time Related Continuity Allowance

10.2. The compensation system or wages of GDS is termed as Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) as it is related to the time utilized by GDSs for post Office works. The wage of GDSs is not called salary or pay recognizing that the work, the procedures, the system Of maintenance of accounts etc. are vastly different from departmental Post Offices.

10.3. Traditionally, GDSs are paid wages on actual workload assessed on the basis of transactions handled by them. The workload so assessed is converted into different time slabs (hours and minutes) between 3 to 5 hours and GDSs are paid accordingly on monthly basis. The Committee noted that no GDS could be paid for less than 3 hours and for more than 5 hours in the present system. The GDSs having workload of more than 5 hours are not paid extra for additional hours of duty put by them in GDS POs. In addition to workload and time factor, the TRCA slabs are
presently dependent upon the categories of GDSs and nature of duties assigned to them in the Post Offices.

10.4. The committee found that prior to Talwar Committee report 1995; the allowances paid to the GDS had no relation with Departmental Pay Scales. The initial monthly wage of a BPM was Rs.275/- only, whereas the minimum pay scale recommended by 4th CPC was 750-940. Justice Talwar had recommended equation of BPM Scales with that of Postal Assistant, which was not accepted by the Department. Eventually, a relationship was however established between departmental scales and revised GDS scales implemented after Talwar Committee report as
shown in Table 10.1.

10.5. The Committee noted that subsequently, Nataraja Murti Committee in its recommendations maintained the relationship of comparing TRCA slabs as shown in the Table

10.1. It is observed that the Central Government upgraded the scale of MTS and Postman at the time of implementation of 6th CPC recommendations, but the Department did not increase the TRCA slabs proposed by the Nataraja Murti Committee, proportionately. This resulted in the loss of parity once again as shown in Table 10.2.
Gramin Dak Sevak Committee Report 2016

Download : GDS Committee Report