Even as the majority of post offices in the city wore a desolate look, department officials here maintained that work had been only ``partially affected'' and essential counter services were being offered at almost all post offices in the city.

While local mail intermittently reaches those availing of the department's post box and post bag services, individuals are left with no option but to call upon their local post office and search for their letters among the many sorted bundles there. Meanwhile, citizens are opting for iangadiyas and courier services to carry out their daily despatches. Director, Postal Services, D K S Chauhan told Express Newsline on Monday that 90 per cent of the second class mail -- including periodicals, annual reports and pamphlets -- had been kept pending to give precedence to first class mail, comprising registered and inland letters, money orders, post cards and envelopes. Around 30 per cent of these were pending mostly in the Fatehpura, Race Course, Karelibaug and Fatehgunj areas, which had borne the brunt of the stir, he added.

However, Chauhan claimed, of the 56 post offices in the city, 40, including the Raopura and Pratapgunj Head Offices, were functioning normally. ``While 50 per cent attendance has been recorded in the East Vadodara division, 35 per cent employees are reporting to work in the Western division,'' he said, adding, ``Even the extra-departmental employees, for whom the striking unions are fighting, have been regularly reporting to work.''

All the rural post offices between Dabhoi and Chhotaudepur were functional, Assistant Director of Postal Services P P Soni said, claiming that that the effect of the strike was negligible in the region barring Valsad, Navsari and Kheda districts.

Mailbags were also being transported through the Railway Mail Section, he said.

On its earlier decision to set up seven nodal post offices offering essential services in the city, Chauhan said there had been no need for it as most POs were working.

However, employees affiliated to the National Federation of Postal Employees and Federation of National Postal Organisation dismissed the claims of `normalcy'. ``How can the department say that all's well when less than half of its workers are reporting for duty?'' said a striking employee.

They also criticised the department's decision to assign 25 trainees to sort out the pending mail. ``Even after 28 years in service, we tend to mix up the mail because of the unclear geographical demarcations. Only when complaints of misplaced letters start pouring in, will the department realise its folly'', a protesting employee said.

C V Soni, convener of the Joint Action Committee of various postal employees unions, said the employees would demonstrate outside the Pratapgunj Head Post Office on Tuesday and hold a kirtan session to mark their protest.

The Vadodara Kamdar Union has extended support to the striking employees.