CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS.

Manishinath Bhawan

A/2/95 Rajouri Garden

New Delhi. 110 027

Phone/Fax: 011-25105324

Cell: 98110 48303

President: Com. S.K.Vyas.

Secretary General:Com. KKN. Kutty

Conf/D-9/2007

Dated: 29^th October,2007

Dear Com,

We send herewith a copy of the letter we have addressed the cabinet secretary today i.e. on the eve of strike action which is slated for tomorrow the letter is self - explanatory

wth greeting

  Yours fraternally ,

KKN KUTTY

secretary General                                                                                   

Copy of letter adress to the Cabinet secretary on 29 october, 2007

Dear Sir,

We solicit your kind reference to our notice dated 17^th September,2007 intimating you of our decision to go for a day's strike on 30 ^th October 2007 in pursuance of the 12 point charter of demands. We regret to note that we were not favoured with even an acknowledgement of our letter cited and no discussion at any level ensued in settlement of the issues. However, we have been directed by the National Executive of the Confederation to submit a brief note on each of the issues in pursuance of which the employees are constrained to go on strike on 30 ^th inst.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Sd.

K.K.N. Kutty

Secretary General

PS: Post copy duly signed has been sent separately.

BRIEF NOTE ON 12 POINT DEMANDS;

1.Interim Relief:

The grant of interim relief was an issue that was referred to the 6^th CPC by the Govt. as part of its terms of reference. We had with facts and figures brought to the notice of the 6 ^th CPC that the wage differential at the minimum level even as per the 5^th CPC devised formula was more than Rs 2600. In the light of that the employees had demanded payment of Rs. 1000 as Interim relief. The CPC did not submit a report on interim relief to the Govt. and the employees were denied the wage increase for the past 22 months, whereas the Govt. granted interim relief to the officers of the Oil Sector on the threat of a strike action.

2.New Contributory Pension Scheme

Despite the fact that the PFRDA Bill introduced by the Govt. to convert the existing defined benefit pension scheme into a contributory one is still to be passed by the Parliament, the Govt. has gone ahead to implement the provisions of the bill – in fact without any legal ground – in respect of the employees recruited after 1.1.2004. This has created an invidious discrimination in the matter of pay and allowances between the employees recruited prior to and after 1.1.2004. In the case of those recruited after 1.1.2004 they are perforce to contribute 10% of their salary for earning pension, which amounts to a virtual wage cut.

3. Right to strike

As to why the Central Govt. employees are denied the TU right and the right to strike despite the prescription enshrined in Art. 309 of the Constitution for the last 57 years is inexplicable. The various court pronouncements denying the said right to strike to Govt. employees is the direct consequence of the refusal on the part of the Govt. to introduce legislation in the Parliament to replace the existing obnoxious rules framed on the lines of the rules made by the erstwhile colonial rulers.

4. Downsizing.

There had been phenomenal reduction in the workforce under the Govt. since 1991. This is not only because the Govt. has chosen to shed some of its functions (without any genuine reasoning) but also due to its arbitrary decision of not filling up the vacancies and abolishing 2/3 ^rd vacancies year after year since 2001. Presently 20-25% of the workforce are contingent/casual/daily rated/contract employees who are paid abysmally low level wages not even capable of sustenance. All downsizing exercises are being carried out without causing any discussion with the staff side even though the Cabinet Secretary on more than one occasion had issued directive to the Ministries and departments to do so.

5. Price rise.

Whatever might be the official figures on the rate of inflation, the ground reality is the exhorbitant rise in the price of essential commodities, which has made the life of the common man and the low paid workers in acute distress. Under the new dispensation, the Govt. employees are totally precluded from the purview of the Public Distribution system and even the Kendriya Bhandars and Super Markets have been closed down. No attempt is being made to stabilise the prices of essential commodities like cereals, pulses and vegetables etc.

6. Compassionate appointment.

The discrimination in the matter of compassionate appointment in respect of employees in departments other than Railways continue despite the solemn assurance given by the Cabinet Secretary and the agreement reached on 15.2.2006 at the standing committee meeting. The Department of personnel dilly dallies the issue in removing the cap of 5% instituted without any rhyme or reason.

7.Privatisation of CGHS.

The CGH scheme is said to be replaced by the medical insurance, which if done would put lakhs of Central Govt. employees and Pensioners in extreme difficulties in so far as health care is concerned. Rates of various clinical and pathological tests and surgical operations have been reduced drastically with the result that no hospital presently admit a Govt. employee for treatment. The concerted efforts to weaken the CGHS is nothing but a prologue to winding up/privatizing the CGHS.

8.Arbitration awards.

The sixteen awards of the Board of Arbitration brought back to the negotiating table have been discussed at various fora on many occasions without reaching any finality for the last one and half years. This is despite the offer of the staff side to substantially reduce the financial liability on each of the said award.

9. Bonus

Bonus ceiling, which has now been raised by the Govt. has not been made applicable to the Govt. employees. This apart the question of replacing the adhoc bonus with a scheme of PLB was one of the recommendations of the 5 ^th Central Pay Commission. Without taking any decision on the said recommendation after several rounds of discussions, the Govt. has again referred the matter to the 6^th CPC without holding out any assurance that its recommendations would be accepted.

10.Judicial committee for the GDS

If the Govt. constitute a judicial committee to look into the grievances of the GDS employees in 1994 as a corollary to the setting up of the 5 ^th CPC why it refuses to do now is incomprehensible. It is pertinent to point out in this connection that the Govt. had agreed to refer the wage revision issue of GDS either to the 6^th CPC or to a separate Judicial committee in the wake of a strike decision of the Postal employees. That commitment was not honoured and the Govt. has refused to budge from its avowed position has become a matter for serious concern for the ED employees. They have no belief in the impartiality and efficacy of the mechanism devised by the Govt. in looking into their grievance.

11. Rate of interest

The interest rates of provident fund was slashed by the Govt. earlier on the ground that the market rate of interest has come down drastically. Now that the market rate has gone up the Govt. ought to have raised the interest rate of provident fund accumulation. The very fact that the rate of interst for GPF is even less than the rates provided for in the case of Employees Provident Fund scheme, is indicative of the discriminative treatment in this matter. The Govt. should restore the interest rate to 12% immediately. The Pensioners who eke out a living by investing their hard earned retirement benefits in small savings instruments have been hard hit by the abnormal reduction of interest rates.