CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS
A/2/95 Rajouri Garden
New Delhi. 110 027
Phone: 011 2510 5324
Website: confederationhq.blogspot.com
e.mail: confederation06@yahoo.co.in
No.D.11/11/08 Dated: 11.07.08
Dear Comrade,
One day strike on 20th August, 2008. Sponsoring
Committee decision.- National Convention of Central
And State Govt. employees and teachers.
The National Convention of Central and State Government employees, University and College and School Teachers was held at MPCU Shah Auditorium at Delhi on 8thJuly, 2008. On behalf of the Confederation of Central Govt. employee and workers 168 delegates representing various affiliated Associations/Federations and COCs participated in the said convention. The draft declaration presented by Com. Sukomal Sen and seconded by Com. S.K. Vyas was subjected to deliberation. Several amendments were suggested by the speakers. The version adopted at the convention after taking into account these suggestions and the Press Statement issued immediately thereafter is enclosed. The convention while endorsing the decision of the sponsoring committee of Central Trade Unions and Federations has called upon the Central and State Govt. employees, and teachers to organize a series of programmes of actions culminating in one day strike on 20th August, 2008. We request the affiliates and COC to take necessary steps required for the successful conduct of the one day strike on 20th August, 2008.
6th CPC related issues.
There has been no official information about the decision taken by the Committee of Secretaries on various proposals made by the Staff Side JCM. It is however unofficially learnt that the proposal of the Committee of Secretaries is likely to be given to the Government by 20th of this month. In the meantime, as you are aware the Government is seeking a confidence vote in the Parliament on 22nd inst. We also do not know whether the Govt. will further discuss the issue with the Staff Side. In the meantime, the Staff Side had received a communication from the Director JCA, copy of which was endorsed to us by the Staff Side Secretary vide his letter dated 7th July, 2008. We have responded to the said communication vide our letter of the same date. The entire correspondence in this regard is placed on the website along with this circular letter.
As has been intimated in our last circular letter on the subject, a satisfactory settlement on core financial issues is the need of the hour. The discrimination in the fitment formula between the officers who are placed in PB3 and PB4 vis- a – vis others is without any logic and principle and brings about a vast amount of difference in emoluments, apart from providing varied percentage of benefit to even similarly placed employees. The irrational computation of minimum wage, if not addressed, will have an everlasting impact on the wage structure of Central Govt. employees. The process of negotiation that is presently on the anvil in the case of Public Sector employees, once come to fruition will widen the existing disparity in the wages of the Central Govt. employees and workers of the Public Sector workers. The future of further recruitment in Government department for carrying out the existing Group D functions is bound to be stopped. Since no organizations can do away with these functions, the only alternative will be contractual employment. The National Executive of the Confederation, which met on 8th July 08 has, therefore, decided to meet immediately on knowing the Government's decision on the 6th CPC related issues. The emergent meeting will be notified to take place within a few days' time. The members are requested to kindly respond and reach Delhi for consultation and decision.
Matters relating to CGHS
Meeting on issues related to CGHS with the Secretary, Health is slated for 4th August, 2008. C-o-Cs are requested to send notes on the difficulties/problems being faced in their area in regard to the CGHS facilities to the Hqrs so that the same could be taken up with the Government.
With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General.
Copy of letter in No. 3/1/208/JCA dated 23.6.2008 from the Director JCA Department of Personnel and Training addressed to the Secretary Staff Side, JCM, National Council.
Sir,
We have received three notices for holding a massive rally at Jantar Mantar on 10th July, 2008 from Confederation of Central Government Employees and workers, National Confederation of Central Government employees and workers and Government Employees National Confederation, New Delhi. A copy of the notices is enclosed for your perusal.
You will appreciate that the Government has been doing its utmost to respond to the justified demands of its employees. This is borne out by the fact that the Government has already held Standing Committee meetings on 7th March, 2008 and 7th May, 2008 to discuss various issues including the Sixth Pay Commission issues. Further, an empowered Committee has been set up under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to look after the issues arising out of 6th CPC report before its implementation. We have been consistently in touch with the Staff Side. In fact the last meeting of Empowered Committee with Staff Side we had on this issue was on 17.5.2008.
As you are aware most of the demands are already under consideration n the Empowered Committee for seeking acceptable solutions and therefore, you will appreciate that the situation does not warrant resorting to proceedings for massive rally on 10.7.2008, hence your kind intervention is solicited in the matter.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/. Smitha Kumar,
Director.
Copy of letter in NC/JCM/208/64 dated 7.7.2008 from the Staff Secretary, National Council JCM, addressed to all Standing Committee members.
Sir,
I am directed by Secretary National Council, Staff Side JCM to enclose herewith a copy of the letter No.3/1/2008 JCA dated 3.7.208 received from Smt.Smita Kumar, Director, Department of Personnel, PG and Pension, Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi for your kind information.
Yours faithfully
Sd. V.K. Keshab,
For Secretary.
Copy of letter No.D-16/2008 addressed to the The Director-JCA, from Confederation of CGE & Workers dated 07-07-08
Madam,
With reference to your above letter, it is informed that Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers have not given any notice to Govt. to organize a massive rally at Jantar Mantar on 10 July.2008( copy enclosed with your above cited letter). We also clarify that no such programme is to take place on 10th July,2008 by the employees under the banner of Confederation of Central Govt. employees & Workers
We, however, cannot say anything about the other two organizations -one affiliated to BMS& the other(founded by late Shri Lalit Maken) affiliated to INTUC if they are holding any such mass rally.
We are, however, quite anxious due to delay the finalization of acceptable solutions on demands placed in behalf of staff side National Council JCM by the empowered committees
Thanking You
Yours Faithfully
KKN.Kutty
Secretary General
Copy to Com.Umraomal Purohit, Secretary, Staff Side, National Council, JCM, 13-C Ferozshah Road, New Delhi -110 001 and all Standing Committee Members of the National Council JCM.
PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ
JOINT CONVENTION OF GOVERNMENT SECTOR EMPLOYEES
AND TEACHERS FIRMLY RESOLVE TO MAKE
THE 20 AUGUST 2008 GENERAL STRIKE A GRAND SUCCESS
New Delhi
8 July 2008
About 800 delegates representing the Confederation of Central Government employees and workers, All India State Government Employees' Federation, All India Federation of University and College Teachers Union, School Teachers Federation of India attended the National Convention today at MPCU Shah Auditorium, Civil Lines, Delhi. The Convention was presided by a presidium consisting of S K Vyas, R G Karnik and Kartik Mondal.
The Convention was inaugurated by Com. M K Pandhe, President CITU and was addressed by Com Tapan Sen, MP, Secretary CITU, Com S K Bose, Assistant Secretary, NRMU, Com. Sailo Bhattacharya, General Secretary, All India Defence Employees Federation, Com. Bidyanath Mukherjee of School Teachers Federation of India, Com. B S Hota, President, All India University Employees Confederation, Com. James William, National Secretary AIFUCTO, Com. Rajesh Menon, General Secretary of Confederation of Central Govt Officers Organisations.
The Declaration, later approved by the Convention was presented by Com. Sukomal Sen, General Secretary AISGEF, and seconded by Com. S K Vyas President Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers.
Com. KKN Kutty, Secretary General of Confederation of Central Employees summed up the discussion in which about 30 delegates participated. The final text of the declaration as approved by the Convention is enclosed. The Convention endorsed the decision of the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions to organize a day's strike on 20 August 2008 and made a firm resolve to make the strike a grand success and carry out the following programmes of action.
1. Joint Conventions at States/District/Industrial centers to be completed by 15th July, 2008.
2. Massive demonstration/mobilization/dharna in all the states and Industrial centers on 30th July, 2008.
3. Serving of strike notice through demonstration on 4th August, 2008.
The Convention concluded at 6 P.M. with the presidential address by R G Karnik on behalf of the presidium.
Sukomal Sen K K N Kutty
General Secretary Secretary General
All India State Government Confederation of Central Govt
Employees Federation Employees and Workers
DECLARATION
Adopted unanimously at the convention of
Central and State Government employees, University, College and School Teachers.
This Joint Convention of Central & State Govt. employees, Defence workers, University, College and School Teachers and other employees held this day, the 8th July, 2008 adopts the following declaration:
The Convention notes with distress that the Govt. of India and many State Governments in the country have been following the World Bank-IMF dictated neo-liberal economic policies unabated since 1991 despite the sustained and continued opposition and resistance of the working people. While fabulously enriching a few in the topmost strata of the society and allowing comfort to the high segment of the middle class, it has pushed millions of our countrymen to penury and poverty. While the economy is claimed to have grown at a faster pace during this period, the workers, peasants and common people became poorer in a much more accelerated manner.
The unprecedented inflation and rise in prices of the essential commodities and its accelerating trend caused due to the pursuance of the anti-people economic policies of globalization, liberalization and privatization has made the workers' and poor people's life miserable and unbearable. The raging inflation nullifies whatever increase in DA is granted by the Central and State Governments and will wipe out any financial benefit that might accrue to the employees if the VI-CPC recommendations are modified and implemented.
The Central and State Govt. employees and the teaching community have always been in the forefront of the struggles and industrial actions organized under the auspices of Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions. This convention, therefore, strongly supports the decision of the Sponsoring Committee to organize yet another one day countrywide united strike on 20th August, 2008 to oppose the disastrous economic policies and force the Govt to effectively control and bring down the rampant escalation of prices of commodities
The present ferocious trend of price-rise which has already touched about 12% has become a killer disease for the ordinary countrymen, but most astonishingly, the Central Government is betraying an extremely callous and indifferent attitude to this type of unforeseen price-rise and pooh-poohing it as nothing but a 'world phenomenon'.
The trade unions of the country including those in the Govt sector can not remain just as spectators, when employees and the common people are writhing with unbearable pain of this phenomenon. It is, therefore, the bounden duty of all trade unions to rise up to the occasion with vigorous protest compelling the Govt to control the spiraling price rise of essential commodities and rescue the people from this extremely tormenting and fatal situation.
It is diabolical that while the country is reeling under the unprecedented and uncontrolled price rise, the Govt. is crazy in pursuing the Nuclear Deal even at the cost of national sovereignty. Hence arises the need for joining the countrywide strike on 20 August 2008.
This convention recognizes the fact that the Govt's attempt for withdrawal of the Statutory Pension Scheme of Govt. Employees to replace it with a contributory system is conceived to transfer funds from poor to rich and to finance the stock market operations. The mass scale outsourcing of regular jobs, contractorization, privatization have become the modern instruments of exploitation. This is being applied in all Govt sectors including the teaching community and the teaching institutions. In all sectors; be it private, public or Government; denial of legitimate wages to the workers are encouraged blatantly by the Govt. Basic and hard earned labour welfare legislative enactments are sought to be replaced by reactionary ones to provide room for unhindered exploitation of workers and to appease the Trans-national Corporations.
Right to Strike for the Govt. employees has not yet been formally granted. This year is the 60th year of Declaration of Human Rights by the ILO. Govt. of India is a member State of the ILO. However, for the last 60 years Govt. of India has been consistently refusing to ratify the ILO convention 87,98 in regard to TU rights and 151 concerning such rights to workers in public services. This convention demands of the Government to ratify the convention 87, 98 and 151 and afford the right to strike to the Government employees.
This convention views the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission as yet another manifestation of the intent of the ruling class to intensify the neo-liberal economic policies. The 6th CPC has discarded all the established norms and principles of wage determination and has advanced untenable arguments to deny the employees the minimum wage. It has openly advocated Corporatisation and even privatization of major departments of the Govt. of India, Railways and Defence in particular. This convention asks the Government to deist from the practice of Corporatisation and privatization of Government departments. In consonance with the practices prevailing in the western world, the commission has suggested hefty pay packets and benefits for the top echelons in the bureaucracy denying in the process even the legitimate and genuine demands of the employees. The commission's recommendation to dispense with the existing Bonus scheme and introduce a system of performance related wage structure being bereft of any logic or merit has been rejected by all the organizations of Central Govt. employees unanimously. The convention condemns the suggestion made by the 6th CPC to abolish Group D Cadre and to stop recruitment of Group D employees as being superfluous in the Govt. departments and permit contractorization of these functions henceforth. This direction of the 6th CPC, if implemented by the Central Govt, will play havoc in the States, where the number of Group-D employees is in colossal numbers. This convention therefore demands the Govt. to enter into a meaningful discussion with the employees' organizations and bring about a satisfactory settlement on the recommendations made by the 6th CPC and ensure that the retrograde recommendation on stoppage of Group D recruitment is rejected.
The 6th CPC has not recommended to extend the existing defined benefit Pension Scheme for new recruits, which the Govt has stopped without any statutory sanction This is unacceptable and the Convention demands that the proposed new Contributory Pension Scheme which is yet to receive the assent of Parliament should be scrapped and all Govt. employees (including those recruited after 1.1.2004) brought within the ambit of the statutory defined pension scheme.
In addition to the above demands of the Govt sector in particular, the Convention fully adopts the Charter of Demands and endorses the programme of actions chalked out by the Sponsoring Committee in its national Convention held at New Delhi on 13th May, 2008 and calls upon the central and State Govt. employees, University, College and School Teachers to organize a day's countrywide strike on 20th August, 2008 in unison with the other sections of the working class in the country and carry out the following preparatory programmes of action.
1. Joint Conventions at States/District/Industrial centers to be completed by 15th July, 2008.
2. Massive demonstration/mobilization/dharna in all the states and Industrial centers on 30th July, 2008.
3. Serving of strike notice through demonstration on 4th August, 2008.
This Convention urges that Central and State employees' organizations, Teachers and other section of employees in the Govt sector should take steps for successful observance of the Strike through unified and coordinated action in all States.
The Convention also calls upon the State Govt. employees and Teachers to organize solidarity action programme as and when the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers and other sections of the Central Govt. employees go for strike and other industrial action demanding satisfactory settlement of the 6th CPC recommendations.
The 6-Point Charter of Demands adopted by the Sponsoring Committee in National Convention of Trade Unions on 13 May 2008
- Take urgent step to contain price-rise through (a) universalizing the public distribution system throughout the country to cater all essential commodities at controlled price through PDS, (b) ban on futures and forward trading in all essential commodities, (C) reduction of tax in petrol and diesel, (d) stringent action against hoarding and black marketing.
- Strict implementation of all labour laws particularly in respect of minimum wages, working hours, social security and safety and stringent action against all cases of violations; stop contractorisation and outsourcing
- Scope of the Unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Bill pending in Parliament should be expanded to cover all unorganised sector workers irrespective of BPL or APL category to ensure a national minimum social security benefit for them as per unanimous recommendation of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour with Central Govt Funding.
- Farmers Loan Waiver Scheme to be extended to loans from private moneylenders; nationalized banks to extend easy credit to peasants at lower interest rate.
- Lift ban on recruitment in Govt services; remove the negative and discriminatory features in the recommendation of 6th Pay Commission and finalise the same for implementation in consultation with the employees organisations; expedite regularization and grant of pension to 'gramin dak-sevaks.'
- Expedite wage negotiation for the employees of Central PSUs including the contract workers without any conditionality.
