India's strike-hit postal services were limping back to normal Monday, even as one of the three major postal unions said its members were determined to push on with their industrial action.
Leaders of the two other unions had directed their members to return to work Monday morning, following a weekend meeting with Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
But the National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE), which represents around 70 percent of the 600,000 employees who had been on strike for 13 days, did not follow suit.
"We haven't withdrawn the strike," said NFPE general secretary C.C. Pillai.
Nevertheless, in the Indian capital New Delhi almost 50 percent of post office staff reported to work.
"The situation is normal ... the employees are clearing the backlog," a spokesman for the communications ministry said.
Paswan was hopeful that the remainder would return to work Tuesday as the minister had vowed the government would accept their legitimate demands, the spokesman said.
But union leader Pillai insisted that no assurances had been made.
"The other unions may be afraid or pressurized to withdraw the strike, because the minister did not assure us about implementing any of the demands for which we were fighting," Pillai said.
According to the NFPE, all workers -- whatever their union affiliations - in southern and western India were still on strike.
Postal services across the country have been paralyzed since December 5 when the strike began.
The workers' demands included higher wages, full civil service benefits and pension rights for 300,000 part-time staff.
More than 360 million articles of mail have been stranded in some 150,000 post offices across India because of the stoppage, government officials said.
Experts say even if the strike is called off, it could take weeks to clear the backlog and restore services to normal -- NEW DELHI (AFP)
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