CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVT. EMPLOYEES & WORKERS. A-2/95,Manishinath Bhawan,Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110 027 | |
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Conf/15/2010
Dated: 17/07/2010
Dear Comrades,
The National Secretariat of the Confederation met at New Delhi (at Mavalankar Hall, Rafi Marg) on 16th July, 2010 at 3.30 PM immediately after the convention organized jointly by the AIRF, AIDEF and Confederation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 12th July, 1960 indefinite strike action of the Central Government employees. The meeting took the following decisions.
A. (i) To participate in the strike action slated for 7th September, 2010, for which call was given by the Central Trade Unions at the Convention, held at New Delhi on 15th July, 2010. The Convention was attended by the representatives of all Central Trade Unions, barring BMS and the independent Federations and Associations (including the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers). The Confederation and its affiliates will serve the strike notice after the National Executive Committee meeting scheduled to be held at New Delhi on 11.8.2010. (Copy of the declaration adopted by the Convention is enclosed. Annexure A)
(ii) The Strike Charter will include the 5 demands adopted by the 15th July convention of the Central Trade Unions and another 5 demands which are common to all Central and State Government employees. (The charter of demands is enclosed. Annexure F)
(iii) The campaign for the strike action will be jointly organized by the Confederation, All India State Government employees Federation and the All India Defence Employees Federation.
(iv) For making the campaign effective, joint conventions will be organized at all State Capital and other important centres in which the National leaders of all the three Organizations will take part.
(v) The dates for the proposed State Conventions is being finalized and the same will be intimated in a few days' time.
B. The Secretariat has decided to convene the National Executive Committee meeting of the Confederation on 11th August, 2010 at New Delhi to give impetus to the campaign for the strike preparation. The meeting will be held at the Gandhi Peace Foundation Auditorium, Deendayal Upadhyaya Marg, (Near ITO) New Delhi. (Notice for the meeting is enclosed. Annexure B)
C. (i) The meeting considered a report from the Secretary General of the all India Audit and Accounts Association on the brutal vindictive actions taken by the Audit Bureaucracy against the employees who participated in the 8th April, 2010 Mass Casual leave programme. According to him about 20,000 comrades have been issued with the charge sheet invoking Rule 14 and 16 of the CCS(CCA) Rules. He also informed the house that there had been no respite to the ongoing victimization against the union functionaries in Kerala, Rajkot, Kolkata and other places. Penalties like reduction in rank, reduction in emoluments, withholding of increments, stoppage of increments etc. were being awarded to a large number of employees, especially in Kerala in culmination of the disciplinary proceedings initiated, besides the dismissal of two comrades who were office bearers of the Kerala Unit. The Accountant General, Shri Ravindran who was the cadre controlling authority in Kerala and who was responsible for the mayhem created in Kerala is presently the Principal Accountant General, Hyderabad and it was reported that he has continued his anti union activities in Andhra Pradersh. The Union in A.P has not been allowed to hold its General Body meeting, the Union is not allowed to function at all, 300 comrades have been issued with charge sheet besides serving show cause notice under Rule 14 and 16 to all the comrades who participated in the Mass Casual leave programme. The meeting has come to the inescapable conclusion that the Audit bureaucracy has replanted itself to the mindset of the 17th Century and is presently carried by the insensitive bureaucrats like Ravindran . The meeting has, therefore, decided to adopt a resolution to place before the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. (Copy of the resolution adopted is enclosed. Annexure C)
(ii) In view of the developments reported by the Secretary General of the All India Audit and Accounts Association, the meeting has decided to call upon the State Committees to organize massive dharna programme on 5th August, 2010 at all State Capitals in front of the office of the respective Accountant General. It was also decided that a minimum number of 300 comrades must participate in the Dharna programme in each centre of which 100 must be from the IA & AD department. All Affiliated Association./Federations of the Confederation should deploy comrades (the number decided by the State committee) to participate in the Dharna. The Honourable Members of Parliament of the respective State may be invited, apprised of the situation, requested to address the Dharna and take up the issue of victimization with the Government and the C& AG. The Note detailing the vindictive actions in the I A & A. Department as prepared by the Secretary General, All India Audit and Accounts Association is enclosed.(Annexure D) The State Committees will send the following telegram to the Comptroller and Auditor General on 5th August, 2010 after holding a massive demonstration at the Dharna Venue in which the participation of large number of the Central Government employees may be ensured.
VACATE VICTIMISATION IN ALL OFFICES OF THE IA & AD
. (iii) The National executive Committee which is scheduled to meet on 11th August, 2010 will decide upon the date of the National Dharna Programme before the Office of the C & AG at New Delhi. The National Dharna programme will have the participation of minimum one thousand activists drawn from different affiliated Associations/Federations of the Confederation.
COMMEMMORATIVE CONVENTION
ON 16TH JULY, 2010 AT MAVLANKAR HALL, NEW DELHI
As was informed in our circular No.14, the National Convention to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 12th July, 1960 All India indefinite strike action of the Central Government employees was held at Mavalankar hall, Rafi Marg, New Delhi on 16th July, 2010. The convention was jointly organized by the All India Railway men Federation, All India Defence Employees Federation and the Confederation of Central Govt. employees and workers. The convention was presided over by a presidium consisting of Com. Umraomal Purohit, President, AIRF, Com. S.K.Vyas, President, Confederation of Central Government employees and workers, Com. Sailo Bhattacharya, General Secretary, All India Defence Employees Federation. More than 1000 delegates participated in the convention. On behalf of the Presidium, Com. Umraomal Purohit made the introductory speech, followed by the presentation of the Declaration by Com. K.K.N. Kutty, Secretary General, and Confederation. In his presentation, Com. Kutty highlighted the issue of Minimum wage, the concept of DA and the extreme brutality with which the Government suppressed the strike. Com. Srikumar, Secretary General, AIDEF seconded the declaration. Com. Pathak, President, AIDEF presented the Hindi version of the declaration. Com. Shiv Gopal Misra, General Secretary, AIRF,Com. Harbajan Singh, from AIRF, Com. V.A.N. Namboodiri, President, BSNLEU, Com. M.S. Raja, Secretary, Confederation, Com. Parasar, Officiating Secretary General, National Federation of Postal Employees addressed the convention. Thereafter the following veterans were honoured.
Com. J.D. Suryavanshi, AIDEF, Com. Sadasiva Misra, AIDEF, Com. U.M. Purohit (AIRF), Com. Rakhal Das Gupata (AIRF), Com.S.K. Vyas (Confdn.), Com. K.L. Gupta (AIRF), Com. V.A.N. Namboodiri (BSNLEU), Com. R.L. Bhattacharya. (NFPE), Com. Diwakar (NFPE), Com. Rajnath Srivastava, (Confdn) and Com. Pabitra Ranjan Chakraborty (BSNLEU)
Te convention unanimously adopted the enclosed declaration and decided to observe the year commencing from 16th July, 2010 to 15th July, 2011 as the commemorative year of 1960 strike. The State Committees may take necessary action to carry out the directive contained in the declaration. (Annexure E)
The house observed two minutes silence in memory of those comrades who led the 1960 struggle who passed away and specially in respectful memory of those who laid down their life being the victims of the police brutality.
With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
Sd/-
K.K.N. Kutty,
Secretary General
Annexure A
Declaration adopted at the National Convention of Workers
on 15th July, 2010 Mavlankiar Hall, New Delhi.
Declaration
Representatives of Central Trade Unions and workers and employees federations having assembled in the 2nd National Convention of the workers on the 125th July, 2010, reviewed the joint action programme over five commonly agreed demands as decided in the first historic convention of workers on 14th September, 2009. This convention considering the review of joint actions, All India protest day on 28th October, 2009, Massive dharna on 18th December, 2009 and Satyagraha/jail bharo on 5th March, 2010 -10 lakh workers participated and also considering the situation arising thereafter adopts the following DECLARATION.
Despite trade unions demanding effective steps to curb price rise, particularly food price inflation, food prices escalating as high as 17 per cent, inflation rising to double digit, government continued to remain totally unresponsive to migrate the deep sufferings of the working people;
Despite the trade unions expressing deep concern at the uninterrupted violation of labour laws and trade union rights, situation becoming grim and repressive every day.
Despite trade union protesting against job loss, underpayment, unbearable living condition, increasing working hours, rampant contractorisation, casualisation and outsourcing, nothing is being doen to prevent the declining living condition and inhuman exploitation of working masses.
Desptie the trade union opposing the disinvestment in the profit making public sector, the latest disinvestment being pushed through in Coal India Ltd. BSNL, SAIL, NLC, Hindustan Coper, NMDC etc, the pernicious policy of reckless disinvestment is continuing with impunity.
Despite the Trade union earnestly asking for the setting up of a massive welfare fund for universal comprehensive social security coverage for the unorganized sector workers without any restriction, the fund allocation remained nominal and restrictive provisions continued.
The convention notes with concern, not only protest of the trade unions is being ignored, the policy that accentuates increase in the prices of food grains is being constantly bulldozed, the latest is the deregulation of petroleum pricing linking it with the international market leading to hefty increase in the prices of Kerosene, cooking gas, diesel, and petrol.
The convention reiterates the unanimously formulated demands once again as under:-
1. Price rise of essential commodities to be contained through appropriate corrective and distributive measures like universal PDS and containing speculation in commodity market.
2. Concrete proactive measures to be taken for linkage of employment protection in the recession stricken sectors with the stimulate package being offered to the concerned entrepreneurs and for augmenting public investment in infrastructure.
3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.
4. Steps to be taken for removal of all restrictive provisions based on poverty line in respect of eligibility of converge of the schemes under the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act 2008 and creation of National Fund for the Unorganized Sector to provide for a National Floor Level Social Security to all unorganized Sector to provide for a National Floor Level Social Security to all unorganized workers including the contract/casual workers in line with the recommendation of National Commission on Enterprises in Unorganized Sector and Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour.
5. Disinvestment of shares of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is not resorted to for meeting budgetary deficit and instead their growing reserve and surplus is used for expansion and modernization purpose and also for revival of sick Public Sector Undertakings.
This National Convention of workers, while exercising its constitutional and democratic right seeks to further its legitimate protest and call for immediate correct of the patently wrong policies that dangerously hurt the interests of the working people and the society as a whole, and to give vent to the feeling of the growing indignation of the working people.
The Convention therefore resolves to call for an All India General Strike on 7th September, 2010.
The Convention calls upon the entire working people of the country, irrespective of affiliations to make the all in united call for countrywide general strike a total success. If the Govt. does not concede the demands the trade unions will intensify the struggle further and prepare for a March to Parliament.
INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC TUCC
AICCTU UTUC LPF.
Annexure B
D/13/2010
Dated: 17-07-2010
This is to inform you that ameeting of the National Exe cutive of the Confederation will be held on 11th August, 2010 at Gandhi Peace Foundation hall, Deendayal Upadhyaya Marg, (Near ITO) . The meeting will commence at 11.00 AM. The following agenda will be discussed.
1. The proposal of the National Secretariat to organise one day strike action on 7th September, 2010 along with the working class of the country on a ten point charter of demands.
2. Review of the joint campaign programme along with AISGES, AIDEF and school and university teachers organisations.
3. The steps to be taken to elicit the participation of the entirety of CGEs in the strike action.
4. Application from organisations for affiliation.
5. Reporting on development at the National Anomaly Committee, MACP Committee and the Standing Committee and various other committees set up by the National Council on issues like Pension, Health care etc.
6. Victimisation in the I A & AD Department and the review of the 5th August, programme and finalisation of the date for the National Dharna Programme.
7. Venue and date for the National Council meeting which is due to be held by December, 2010.
8. Subscription due and financial position- discussion thereof.
9. Any other matter with the permission of the Chair
With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
Sd/-
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General
To
All the National Executive Committee members and the Secretaries of the State COCs.
As per the Constitution, the National executive consist of Office bearers of the Confederation and one member from those affiliates who have a paid up membership of more than 3000 and has no representation in the National Sectt. Of the Confederation. This apart, we have decided to invite for this meeting the Secretaries of all State COCs in view of the ensuing strike action slated for 7th September, 2010.
Annexure C
Resolution adopted at the meeting of the
National Sectt. Of the Confederation on 16.07.2010.
This meeting of the National Secretariat of the Confederation of Central Government employees and workers, held at New Delhi today the 16th July, 2010 notes with distress the spree of vindictive action pursued by various Accountant Generals against the employees of the I A & AD Department. It notes that more than 20000 employees have been proceeded against under Rule 14 or 16 of the CCS(CCA) rules. The resort to such vindictive action has been taken by the Administration of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the simple reason that the employees together decided to be on mass casual leave demanding the vacation of victimization of the Union functionaries in Kerala, Rajkot, Gwalior, Kolkata, Nagpur etc. The very fact that large number of employees participated in the Mass Casual leave programme is indicative of the fact of the growing discontent against the highhandedness of the Administration.
The authorities in the IA & AD have not been permitting the genuine trade union functions for the last several years. No meeting of the employees is allowed if the same is held under the auspices of the recognized Associations, whereas permission to hold cultural shows even during office hours are granted. In the name of discipline, objections howsoever genuine they are, are not being tolerated. Despite repeated plea made by the All India Audit and Accounts Association, the Comptroller General of India did not deem it to fit to intervene and set right the high handed behavior of the Accountant General Kerala. On his promotion as Principal Accountant General, he was transferred to Hyderabad, where, as per the report, he has continued with his intolerant attitude towards the Association. Permission to hold the General Body meeting, a constitutional requirement and a necessity to abide by the stipulations made by the CCS(RSA) Rules, 1993, was denied to the recognized Association in Andhra Pradesh. The General Secretary of the Association has been proceeded against under Rule 16 for holding the General Body meeting during lunch break.
The meeting taking into consideration of this unprecedented situation created by the authorities under the Comptroller and Auditor General has decided to appeal to the Honourable Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the country and the Cabinet Secretary to kindly intervene in the matter and direct the concerned to hear the grievances of the employees and settle the same in an amicable and peaceful atmosphere. In order to create a conducive atmosphere for talks, the authorities may be asked to withdraw all punitive and vindictive actions against the employees who had gone on Mass casual leave as a means of protesting against the inordinate delay in settling issues and to give vent to their feeling of anger against the vindictive actions of various Accountant Generals, especially the Accountant General, Kerala.
The meeting also decided to send a copy of this resolution to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India with an appeal that the vindictive and punitive measures against the union functionaries may please be halted and the Associations, which are recognized to present and pursue the problems and demands of the employees may be permitted to function.
S.K. Vyas
President.
Annexure D
Note on Victimisation in IA&AD
The attack against the leaders and activists and leaders of All India Audit & Accounts Association has been taking place in different offices for more than a decade.
In the pretext of introducing CCS(RSA), Rules, 1993 freedom to form Associations was denied, many of the comrades were proceeded against at Nagpur, Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur and all out support was extended to disruptionists by administration itself indulging in spreading canards against the Association.
Once it was understood that the All India Audit & Accounts Association could not be decimated through disruptions, recognition has to be accorded to the Association, though willy-nilly.
But soon the attack on the trade union rights of the employees was started in many stations, the worst face of it is in Kerala.
The Association in Kerala objected to outsourcing of functions initiated by the then Accountant General. For stating in a meeting called by the Accountant General that the Association is objected to the outsourcing a leading activist of the Association was suspended. Hundred of comrades were charge sheeted under Rule 14 as well as Rule 16 for participating in the agitation following the suspension. The lady comrades who protested against the indecent behaviour of Accountant General touching their bodies and taking photographs in his mobile phone were also subjected to Rule 14 charge sheet.
More than 300 comrades in Kerala are facing dies non upto 40 days for participating in the agitations since 2007, 2 comrades have been dismissed after mock disciplinary proceedings, 33 comrades have been punished under Rule 14 including reversion to the lowest stage of LDC (from Auditor/Accountant – Grade Pay 2800) with multiple reduction in stages, 57 under Rule 16 (increments stopped upto 3 years), 40 denial of promotions, 8 reversion from deputation, 48 break in service, also many comrades have been denied of benefits under MACP scheme.
In Rajkot, President of the Association has been kept under suspension for more than a year while in West Bengal former President of All India Audit & Accounts Association was kept chargesheeted under Rule 14 on the eve of his retirement. Another comrade has been reverted from Sr Accountant (GP 4200) to Accountant (GP2800).
Channel of negotiations were kept frozen for quite long. The 45th Conference of the Association decided to go for one Day Mass Casual leave on 8th April 2010 on a 15 point Charter of Demands that included vacating of victimizations in Kerala and other offices and also implementation of arbitration award and grant of higher pay scale at par with Assistants of CSS. The programme of Mass Casual Leave was decided by the Conference endorsing the decision of Joint Action Committee of Audit & Accounts employees and officers Organizations.
The administration of CAG did not bother to negotiate the charter of demands before the programme of Mass Casual leave despite our repeated requests; rather they wanted an unconditional withdrawal of the programme.
After the programme of the Mass Casual leave show cause notice was issued to all those participated through out the country, followed by Rule 14 charge sheet for those who are left with 3years of service and Rule 16 charge sheet for all others. The specious reason given by the CAG administration for different standards is that senior should have behaved more responsibly!
Even the assurance of the Dy Comptroller & Auditor General to discuss and settle the whole issue has been upturned by his immediate subordinates.
In addition to this, the Accountant General who created mayhem in Kerala is now posted on promotion at Andhra Pradesh. Till this day he did not have a courtesy to meet the Association (except once in Office Council meeting after nearly 8 months where he boasted that he still controls the Kerala Office!).
Holding meetings is denied, visit of All India leaders to the office is banned, visit of the leader from the unit to other stations is obstructed; even holding of annual general body meeting to adopt the accounts and approve the elections to the Executive Committee is denied.
Coms V Nageswara Rao, President of the Unit (who is also the additional Secretary General of All India Audit & Accounts Association and Organising Secretary of Confederation), G Raja Gopal, General Secretary and Easwara Rao, Treasurer have now been issued with charge sheet under Rule 16 for conducting the annual general body meetings. The CAG administration is shutting its eye to these developments.
The die-hard bureaucracy of IA&AD is at its true colour, again.
The intention behind all these is very clear – the administration wants the employees and officers to swallow their self respect and for that fear psychosis has to be generated and through that disaffection towards the All India Audit & Accounts Association has to be sowed in the minds of the membership. Even the British colonialism would be put to shame by the actions of CAG administration.
We request and solicit support of all democratic minded organisations in the fight against the obduracy of audit bureaucracy.
Annexure E
Declaration:
Convention of Central Government Workers and employees 16th July, 2010
This National Convention of the Central Government workers and employees being held at Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first indefinite strike action of Central Government employees, declares that it was an epoch making event. The strike action, led by the All India Railway men Federation, All India Defence Employees Federation and the Confederation of Central Government employees and workers which commenced at the midnight of 11th July, 1960 (at Zero hours of 12th July, 1960) was called off on 16th July, 1960. It was an historical event in as much as the issues raised for settlement were basic and fundamental to the process of collective bargaining. The grant of minimum wage to the workers; dearness compensation to meet the erosion in the real wages due to inflation in the economy; setting up a negotiating body to address to the day to day problems of employees at the workplace; to recognise the Unions and Association through a process of secret ballot; to replace the hire and fire system or arbitrary termination of service or retrenchment or dismissal with a legally acceptable procedure recognising the principles of natural justice; the need to have bilateral negotiation for wage settlement were the main issues that were projected, the non settlement of which resulted in the commencement of the strike. The five days of strike action became glorious for the indomitable spirit and courage with which the striking workers faced the unprecedented and uncivilised brutal repression unleashed by the then Government of India to crush the strike. The strike action was characterised by the then Prime Minister of the country as a civil rebellion; made special enactments called the Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance; issued executive directives under the Armed Forces Emergency Duty Act to specify that P & T, Railways, Aviation, Ports, Defence establishments, Mint, Security Press as vital organs of the country and banning any disturbance to its functioning as unlawful activities; arresting the leaders and activists; convicting them to rigorous imprisonment through summary trials; employing the Police and Army to brutalise, whereby 14 comrades including five comrades of Dahod (Western Railways) Com. Ranjit Singh, Sakharam, Sitaram, Kripashankar and Khaderan alias Giridhar were killed by the Police firing; initiating vindictive and punitive actions by arresting about 18000 activists, suspending 27000 employees, terminating the services of 6000 workers, dismissing another 6000 employees from service; awarding various punishments like reduction in rank and emoluments; transferring persons who participated in the strike to distant places; de-recognising all Unions and Federations, which had served the strike notice etc. The strike was glorious, for the workers faced and challenged this tyranny, the abuse and misuse of state power for long five days with determination. It became glorious for the issues that were raised by the workers in 1960 had to be addressed by the Government and accept most of them in later years.
This convention salutes the comrades who built the trade union movement of Central Government employees and workers in various departments and industrial units by facing these challenges and conquering them with the greatest sense of sacrifice and tenacity so as to have their colleagues and comrades a better tomorrow. This convention calls upon all organisations of Central Government employees to hold joint seminars and conventions in all State and District Head Quarters and other workplaces to honour those valiant comrades who made the 1960 strike possible and glorious. This convention considers it as incumbent upon all who are active in the movement of the Central Government employees to derive proper lessons from the glorious action of 1960 and inspire the younger generation of employees and workers to build a militant movement capable of ensuring that the country never witness such brutalities and with that objective calls upon all concerned to observe the period of one year commencing from today as the golden jubilee year of the glorious strike of Central Government employees.
All India Railwaymen Federation All India Defence Employees Federation
Confederation of Central Government Employees and workers
Annexure F.
Charter of demands;
1. Price rise of essential commodities to be contained through appropriate corrective and distributive measures like universal PDS and containing speculation in commodity market.
2. Concrete proactive measures to be taken for linkage of employment protection in the recession stricken sectors with the stimulate package being offered to the concerned entrepreneurs and for augmenting public investment in infrastructure.
3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.
4. Steps to be taken for removal of all restrictive provisions based on poverty line in respect of eligibility of converge of the schemes under the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act 2008 and creation of National Fund for the Unorganized Sector to provide for a National Floor Level Social Security to all unorganized Sector to provide for a National Floor Level Social Security to all unorganized workers including the contract/casual workers in line with the recommendation of National Commission on Enterprises in Unorganized Sector and Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour.
5. Disinvestment of shares of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is not resorted to for meeting budgetary deficit and instead their growing reserve and surplus is used for expansion and modernization purpose and also for revival of sick Public Sector Undertakings.
6. Fill up all existing vacancies in all Government departments.
7. Stop outsourcing/contractorisation of Governmental Functions
8. Regularise all Daily rated workers/employees and Grameen Dak sevak and remove ceiling on compassionate appointments
9. Withdraw PFRDA Bill and extend statutory defined benefit pension scheme to all Government employees
10. Guarantee right to strike as a fundamental right of employees.
