Saturday, August 18, 2007

Answer in Parliament on 6th CPC report.

CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS.

Manishinath Bhawan,

A/2/95 Rajouri Garden

New Delhi 110 027

Dated 18^th August, 2007

Dear Comrade,

Reproduced hereunder is the Starred Question No. 57 raised in Rajya Sabha on 14^th August, 2007 on the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

"Shri Shantaram Laxman Naik:

Will the Minister of Finance be pleased to State:

(a) the number of meetings of the Sixth Pay Commission held so far;

(b) the subjects covered in these meethings;

(d) the date by which the interim report is likely to be presented in Government; and

(e) the date by which the final report will be submitted by the Commission to Government

ANSWER

FINANCE MINISTER

(SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM)

A statement is laid on the table of the house.

STATENEBT REFERRED TO WITH REGARD TO REPLY TO PARA (a) TO (e) OF THE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 57 FOR ANSWER ON 14^TH AUGUST 2007

The Sixth Central Pay Commission has held 20(Twenty) meetings so far with various Associations, Department Heads etc. wherein different issues relating to matters covered by the Terms of Reference of the Commission were discussed. The Commission has informed the government that it expects to submit its final report within the stipulated dates, which is April,4 2008. Hence no interim report is contemplated.

*********

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

National convention 13.8.2007: declaration to organise strike on 30th October,2007

Dear Comrade,

Placed hereunder is the copy of the Confederation's Circular letter No. 8 dated 14.8.2007, which details about the decisions taken at the National Convention of Central and State Govt. employees held at New Delhi on 13th August, 2007, resolution and declaration adopted by the house and the decision to organise a day's strike on 30th October, 2007. We request all affiliates and COCs to take all necessary steps to implement the decisions of the convention. with greetings, yours fraternally, KKN Kutty. Secretary General. Confederation.

CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS

A-2/95 Rajouri Garden,

New Delhi,. 110 027

Phone: 25105324

98110 48303

No.D/11/08/2007 Dated: 14^th August, 2007

Dear Comrades,

National Convention 13-08-2007

The National Convention, under the auspices of the Confederation of CGEs. All India State Govt. employees Federation and various teachers federation was held at MPCU Auditorium, Gujarathi Samaj Marg, Delhi on 13-08-2007. Presidium consisting of the following comrades conducted the proceedings:

1. Com. C.C.Pillai {Confederation)

2. Com.R.G.Karnik(AISGEF)

3. Com.Kartik Mandal(STFI)

4. Dr.V.K.Tewari(AIFUCTO)

5. Com.Sailo Bhattacharya (AIDEF)

Com.Sukomal Sen, General Secretary, AISGEF, presented and proposed for the adoption of the declaration. He proposed to call upon the employees to organize a day's strike on 30-101-2007. Com.S.K.Vyas, President, Confederation who seconded the proposal explained in details to why the date of strike had to be fixed on 30^th October, 2007. Com.M.K.Pandhe, President, CITU inaugurated the convention. Com.Tapan Sen, MP., Com.Sailo Bhattacharya, Gl.Secy., AIDEF, Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Secy.Genl., BSNL Emp. Union, Com.Rajesh Menon, Secy.Genl., Confederation of Central Govt. Gazetted Officers Organisation were the leaders who accepted our invitation and addressed the delegates. 858 delegates representing various organizations of State and Central employees participated in the deliberations at the convention. The deliberation was finally summed up by Cpm.K.K.N.Kutty, Secy.Genl., Confederation of CGE and Workers. Earlier Com.M.S.Raja, Secy., Confederation had moved a resolution for the consideration of the house condemning the Indo-US nuclear agreement. The declaration with amendment and additions and the resolution moved by Com.M.S.Raja were approved by the house unanimously. Copy of the declaration and the resolution are enclosed.

The house decided to call upon all participating Federations to organize joint campaign and mobilization fortnight between 10 ^th Sept., 07 to 25^th Sept., 2007 by holding joint convention/meetings etc and serve the strike notice on 19^th September, 2007 on all heads of offices/Department after a massive demonstration eliciting the participation of all employees.

National Executive Meeting

The National Executive of the Confederation along with the Secretaries of the COC met today. While endorsing the decision of the Convention, the house discussed the various steps to be taken to make the strike slated for 30^th October a grand success. It was decided that the COCs will be given the list of all affiliates; the CHQ will give them the list of organizations which have served the strike notice on 19^th; the copy of the circular of the affiliates will be made available to all the COCs; the Secretaries of the State COCs or the COCs of the State capital to chalk out campaign programmes in the respective states to cover all employees working in moffusil stations; leaflets and posters would be printed and circulated by all the COCs on the basis of a centrally issued format; steps would be taken to get in touch with Defence and Railway organizations for eliciting solidarity and support action wherever possible; the need for interim relief and the ramification that might emerge from its denial would be explained to the employees in detail; the extreme danger that emanates from the decision to introduce the new contributory pension scheme would be explained as also the necessity to set up judicial committee for GDS; etc.

The Confederation CHQ in consultation with the AISGEF shall chalk out campaign programme and shall communicate the same to all affiliates/COCs. The affiliates and COCs will take necessary steps to organize the joint convention on the dates specified by the CHQ. On the conclusion of the campaign fortnight, the COCs will chalk out tour programme for mobilization to all moffusil station in the respective States.

With greetings

Yours fraternally,

K.K.N.Kutty,

Secretary General

Declaration adopted at the National Convention of Central, State Government, State PSUs employees and Teachers to be held at MPCU Shah Auditorium, Delhi On 13^th August, 2007

This National Convention of Central, State Government employees, teachers and State Public Sector Undertakings being held today, the 13^th August, 2007 at Delhi while taking into account various burning issues confronting them adopts the following declaration:

2. At this moment the most dangerous issue that is confronting the employees in the government sector is the conspiracy to foist the IMF-World Bank dictated New Pension Scheme on them and denial of Interim Relief to the Central Government Employees pending final recommendation of the 6 ^th CPC as had been the practice on all earlier occasions.

The Central Govt. employees, the State Government employees teachers and the workers in the Central and State Public Sector Undertakings particularly, and the working class in general, had been the victims of severe economic offensive of the successive Governments that came into existence in the country ever since the new economic policies were ushered in 1991. While the Government of India had been modulating these policies on the advice and direction of the triumvirate viz. IMF/World Bank and WTO, the State Governments had been curtly directed to adhere to these policies. Some of the State Governments followed it willingly; whereas others under various pressures exerted on them.

Systematic downsizing and closure of Government departments and PSUs;; drastically amending the labour laws to facilitate the new entrepreneurs to indulge in hire and fire, lowering interest rate of GPF and other small savings like EPF, Postal Savings Schemes etc.; curtailing the social security benefits available for the Government employees; allowing the foreign and domestic monopoly capital to loot and plunder the indigenous resources; etc. had been the hall marks of these policies over the years. Acting upon the Expenditure Reforms Committee's recommendations, the Governments both at the centre and the States could close down many Governmental undertaking throwing thousands of workers surplus and redundant.

The Sponsoring Committee of Central Trade Unions and the National Platform of Mass organizations were spearheading the resistance against these ill advised economic policies. The Confederation of Central Government Employees and workers and the All India State Government employees Federation and most of the Federations of the Government employees, teachers and PSU workers were working closely with the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions and the NPMO and had been the participants in all the Strike actions organized against these economic policies.

In view of the continuing and unabated offensive unleashed by the Government of India and various State Governments and especially in the background of (i) doing away with the existing statutory defined benefit pension scheme;(ii) the denial of interim relief despite the setting up of the Pay Commission,(iii) the continued contractorization of regular employment in the Governmental Sector, (iv) reduction of interest rates of the Provident Fund accumulations despite the rising market rates of interest,(v) the refusal to fill up the existing vacancies in various departments of the Governments despite the increasing unemployment;(vi) the refusal of many State Government to merge the DA with basic pay (vii)the spiraling inflation, the Central and State Government employees, teachers and workers of some of the State owned PSUs have jointly decided to mobilize the employees and workers for a decisive action and to hold a convention to discuss and deliberate upon the issues confronting them.

To bring about the so called pension reforms and make available the pension funds for stock market operations had been one of the significant directives of the World Bank. In December, 2003, the then NDA Govt. notified the new contributory pension scheme to replace the existing statutory defined benefit scheme of pension for Central Govt. employees who join service on or after 1.1. 2004. Almost all State Governments adopted the new scheme enunciated by the Govt. of India. In order to give statutory effect to the said notification of the NDA Govt, the UPA Govt. brought about an ordinance in December, 2004, which was later replaced by the PFRDA Bill. However, the Bill could not be made into an Act, due to the principled objection of Members of Parliament belonging to the Left Parties. The Conference of the Chief Ministers and State Finance Ministers convened by the Prime Minister on 22 January, 2007 also met with stiff resistance to the contemplated pension reforms. However, this did not deter the Finance Minister of the UPA Govt. to go ahead with the Pension reform process in a most undemocratic manner. The new Pension Scheme was rejected by the West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura Left Front Finance Ministers. On the strength of the support rendered by the other State Governments, the UPA Govt. has now appointed the Fund Managers and has also decided to make available 5% of the accumulated contributions from the employees recruited on or after 1.1.2004 to the Stock market for which there is no legal sanction.

The very concept of a defined adequate pension ( being a deferred pay) capable of providing socio-economic justice to the employees at their old age, as proclaimed by the Supreme Court of the country, now stands dismantled as Pension under the new dispensation would be a fluctuating or vanishing phenomenon, dependent upon the vagaries of the Stock market. The terms of reference of the study group set up by the 6^th Pay Commission to go into the pension structure amply indicates a possible migration of the existing employees to the new contributory pension regime.

Moreover, overzealous with the motive of aiding profit generation of the International and Domestic finance capital, the Central Government has allowed the PSUs to invest upto 30% of their surplus cash in equity of mutual fund resulting the flow of about Rs. 70,000 Crores to the share market

It was in the face of the Supreme Court decision in August, 2003 denying the right to strike to the working class and especially to the Government employees the All India State Government employees Federation and the Confederation of Central Govt. employees jointly took the decision to organize a one day strike on 11 ^th Feb. 2004, which was shifted to 24^th Feb. 2004 at the instance and insistence of the Central Trade Unions to make it a much bigger trade union action against the atrocious judgment. What was the most disturbing aspect of the apex court decision was the iniquitous and democratically unsustainable position taken against the internationally recognized basic right to strike for the workers. It was absolutely in contrast with the International Labour Organization's conventions on "Freedom of Associations and Protection of the right to organize ( No.87) and the application of the principles of the right to organize and bargain collectively (No. 98) neither of which India has unfortunately ratified. To bolster the demand for making the right to strike an invaluable and legal right through an Act of Parliament under the provision of Article 309, ( which the Parliament and the State Legislatures were ordained to do so) a memorandum signed by the 40 Million people was submitted to the Speaker Lok Sabha by a delegation of the Central and State Employees organizations. In response to several queries that were raised in the Parliament later, the UPA Govt. took the condemnable position that the right to strike is uncalled for as the Govt. employees are highly protected and have ample scope for effective bargaining.

In a bid to intensify the downsizing and privatization and outsourcing of Governmental functions, the UPA Govt. Continued with the Policy of ban on recruitment and abolition of posts imposed by the NDA Govt. in 2001. In November, 2006, they have further introduced a total ban on recruitment to be operative for the next three years. The Central Govt. health scheme is on the anvil of being replaced with the Medical Insurance scheme for the benefit of the multinational corporations. All catering, watch and ward, scavenging related jobs have been contractorised in almost all the Departments of the Central and State Governments. The faculty members of the Educational Institutions are now contract workers. Even the sovereign functions of the Govt. viz. Tax collection, mint and printing currency notes are either privatized or outsourced.

Many State Governments who follow the Central pattern of DA have not merged 50% of DA, though such a decision was taken by the Government of Indian as early as in April, 2004. Some of the State Governments are yet to make payment of various instalments of the Dearness allowance to their employees.

In departure to the conventions and principles, the UPA Govt. did not sanction the Interim Relief in October, 2006, when the notification was issued setting up the 6 ^th CPC, but referred the same for the consideration of the Commission itself of the need and desirability of Interim Relief. The 6^th Pay Commission declined to submit any report on the grant of Interim Relief. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the Government of India to immediately announce the grant of interim relief to all Central Govt. employees at the rate of 15% of Pay + DP subject to a minimum of Rs.1000 with effect from 1.1.2006, a demand the Central Government employees raised.

The other issues included in the charter of demands appended to this declaration viz. setting up of Judicial committee for GDS; removing the 5% cap on compassionate appointments; regularization of contingent, daily rated, casual workers; implementation of Board of Arbitration awards; raising the ceiling on bonus; hiking the interest rates on provident fund accumulation on par with the prevailing market rates etc. had been the subject matters of discussions with the Government for the past 3-4 years without reaching settlement.

This National Convention, therefore, demands the Central and State Governments to withdraw the New Contributory Pension scheme, halt downsizing operations and other anti-employee and anti people moves and initiate actions to settle the demands included in the charter of demands.

Charter of demands

1. Scrap the PFRDA Bill and Cancel appointment of the Pension fund Managers; Introduce statutory pension scheme for the new recruits;

2. Grant full Trade Union rights including the right to strike to all Government employees through appropriate legislation;

3. (a) Stop downsizing the Government departments, privatization and contractorization/ casualisation of Governmental and teaching functions. Stop contractual appointments of teachers and workers, regularize all daily rated, casual and contingent employees

(b) Lift the Ban on recruitment and fill up the existing vacancies of all Government departments, educational institutions and State undertakings; Provide job to jobless

4. Grant Interim relief of minimum of Rs.1000/-/ to all Central Government employees. Implement the 6^th CPC recommendation with effect from 1.1.2006.

5. Bring down the abnormally rising prices of essential commodities and strengthen subsidized public distribution system.

6. Merge of 50% DA with basic pay with all consequential benefits and release of all DA instatements to the State Govt. employees.

7. Withdraw the 5% cap and other restrictions on compassionate appointment. Restore the compassionate appointment scheme wherever it stands abolished.

8. Stop the proposal to replace the CGHS by Medicare insurance scheme.

9. Implement all pending awards of the Board of Arbitration.

10. Remove the quantum ceiling on Bonus and grant bonus to all.

11. Set up a Judicial Committee for wage revision of Grameen Dak Sewaks in replacement of Nataraja Murthy Committee.

12. Increase GPF& Small Savings' interest rates and restore to its early level.

This National Convention urges upon all organizations of the Central and State Government employees and the teachers to unite and mobilize the employees for a sustained struggle and organize a countrywide national strike on 30^th October 2007 in order to realize the demands.

This Convention calls upon the Central and State Government employees and the teachers to jointly organize campaign fortnight between 10^th and 25^th of September, 2007 by holding joint conventions, meetings etc. It also appeals all organizations to observe 19^th September, 2007 as Strike Notice Serving Day by holding massive demonstrations and meetings in front of all offices and serve strike notice.

This National Convention strongly urges upon the Central and State Governments to Scrap the New Contributory Pension Scheme and settle the Charter of Demands immediately failing which the Central and State Government employees, teachers and others will be constrained to resort to more vigorous agitations including indefinite strike action.

R E S O L U T I O N

1. This National Convention of Central & State Government employees, teachers and State Public Sector undertakings held at MPCU Auditorium, Delhi on 13 ^th August, 2007 resolves to urge the Government to take into consideration the serious concern expressed by various political parties, Senior Scientists, intellectuals and others of the country in respect of the Indo-US bilateral Nuclear Co-operation Agreement.

2. This bilateral agreement known as "123 agreement" cannot be seen outside the context of the Hyde Act which is the "National Law" of USA passed by US Senate in December, 2006. The "123 Agreement" binds India in perpetuity whereas legitimizes the US abiding by its "National Laws"

3. The areas of concern expressed from various corners include threat on security of India, deviation in the foreign policy, continuation of sanction on dual use of technologies and materials, failure to fulfill the assurance given to the Parliament by the Prime Minister on 17^th August, 2006.

4. Many scientists have cautioned the government that the "123 agreement" may slow down India's attempt to build a self reliant nuclear power programme powered by thorium.

5. Hence this Convention appeals to the government to go with the "Sense of Parliament" and review the agreement in the Parliament on Indo-US Bilateral Nuclear Co-operation in the interest of the sovereignty of the country.

The Postal JCA comprising of NFPE and FNPO has decided to intensify the agitation in pursuance of the demand for setting up Judicial committee for GDS and has called upon the members to organize the relay hunger strike in front of all Divisional, Regional, Circle and Directorate offices from 19^th September, 2007 to 21^st September, 2007. All COCs are requested to get in touch with the Postal JCA in their state and give solidarity and support to the programme of action.

Circular No. 8 of the Confederation

Dear Comrade,

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Pension fund study group of ICSE

Dear Comrade,

We have the copy of the power point presentation before the ICSE study Group set up by the 6th CPC to the Confederation CHQ e mail address of confederation06@yahoo.co.in . Kindly access the same through the e mail as we have failed to upload it on the website. Sorry for the inconvenience caused in this regard.

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

KKN Kutty

Secretary General.

Power point presentation on pension fund financing before ICSE

Dear Comrade,

We send herewith a copy of the power point presentation made by the Confederation before the 6th Pay Commission set up Study Group of ICSE Bangalore.

Thanking you,

Yours fraternally,

KKN Kutty

Secretary General;

pension financing:

Dear Comrades,