Snail mail could get even slower in moped dispute - Cyprus

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/snail ... e/20120404" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NO BIKES, no mail: a number of home-delivery postmen are demanding an advance from the government for the purchase of mopeds which they use to deliver the post, otherwise they would not use them for work.

Under the terms of their employment in the civil service, mailmen are required to procure their own motorbikes for work.

Until recently, these civil servants would submit an application to the government for an advance on the purchase of a moped, in the form of interest-free instalments.

But under an amendment to the 2012 budget, as part of broader penny-pinching, a blanket freeze has been imposed on advances to civil servants for the purpose of purchasing a motor vehicle for work, be it a car or a moped.

The affected postmen have written to the House Finance Committee and to the relevant ministries (Communications and Finance) asking for an exemption from the freeze.

In their letter, the postmen warn that unless “this injustice is lifted, we will have no choice but to end the private use of the motorbikes and will demand that the [civil] service provides the motorbike instead.”

“On the one hand your employer demands that you buy your own vehicle for work, but on the other hand refuses to give you any financial assistance. That doesn’t make much sense, does it,” said Sofronis Chartas, head of the postal workers branch of PASYDY, the civil servants’ union.

The postmen say they understand that, due to the financial squeeze, state coffers are strained. But they point out that the total amount of the advance for the purchase of mopeds comes to just €40,000 per year – peanuts compared to other government expenses.

Chiartas explained: “Postmen are among the lowest-paid civil servants. They’re on the A1 pay scale, which means they get around €1,000 gross. You can’t expect people on such a salary to fork out a couple of thousand euros to pay for their own bike and then get nothing back.”

And postmen hardly take advantage of the advance on the mopeds, he said. “It’s not as if they will use the moped to take the family on trips. Unlike other civil servants who might make private use of their cars, mailmen can only use their motorbikes strictly for work.”

But with almost the entire civil service now clamouring for the release of funds for hiring additional staff, especially in the health services, the plight of the postmen could take a back-seat in the minds of lawmakers overseeing government expenditures.