Confedertion of Central Government Employees &;
Workers Central Headquarters
Ist Floor, North Avenue Postoffice Building, New
Delhi-110001
No.Confdn/2016-19 Dated
25-06-2018.
National Convention of Central Government Employees
Declared Four Months Intensive Campaign And
One Day Nation Wide Strike on 15-11-2018
* Scrap New Contributory
pension scheme and Restore old defined
Benefit pension scheme to all Employees.
* Settle
10 point Charter of Demands of Confederation.
State Govt employees
& Teachers also declared One day nationwide strike on 15-11-2018
" Defeat the Disastrous Neo-Liberal Policies
Defeat the
anti-labour, anti-people ruling class politics.''
Dear
Comrades,
Attacks on workers and
peasants as a whole and Central Government Employees in particular are mounting
day by day. Entire working class and
peasantry are on struggle path. The
successful famers struggle in Maharashtra and sixteen days indefinite strike of
three lakhs Postal Gramin Dak Sevaks are the latest mass struggle.
None of the 7th CPC related
demands of Central Government Employees are settled. The increase in pay of 14.28% was the lowest
and worst in the history of pay revision of Central Government employees. The assurance given by the group of senior
Cabinet Ministers of NDA Government in the wake of impending indefinite strike
from 11th July 2016 regarding increase in
minimum wage and fitment formula is in paper evenafter a lapse of 24
months. Now the Finance
Minister had replied in the Parliament that - “no change in minimum
pay and fitment formula is at present under consideration of the Government”.
Employees who joined service
on or after 01-01-2004 are retiring with a mergre pension of Rs.1000/- to
Rs.2000/-per month only under the NPS scheme. In effect "New pension
system'' has become "No pension system''.
As per RTI reply out of 32 lakhs Central Government employees, as on
30-04-2018, 17,58,144 employees are covered under NPS. Uncertainity is looming
large over their retirement life.
Everymonth 10 % of their salary (including DA) is deducted under NPS,
but as per PFRDA Act - "there
shall not be any implicit or explicit
assurance of benefit, except market based guarantee mechanism to be purchased
by the subscriber.” 7th CPC after hearing various stake holders of NPS has
given the following directive to the Government - "almost a whole lot of Government employees appointed
on or after 01-01-2004 are unhappy with the New Pension Scheme, Government
should take a call to look into their complaint.'' Eventhough Government has appointed a
committee for streamlining NPS, the committee was not mandated to examine and
recommend ''scraping of NPS” or ''minimum guaranteed pension'' ie; 50% of the
last pay drawn. Staffside has placed the
above demands before the committee.
Report of the committee, submitted one year back, is not yet
published. In short the discontenment among the NPS
employees is growing day by day and it may burst out at any time if the
Government refuses to revert back to the old defined benefit pension system.
Six lakhs posts are lying
vacant for the last many years and now Government has issued orders to abolish
all posts lying vacant for more than five years. HRA arrears, MACP Bench mark,
MACP promotional heirarchy and date of effect from 01-01-2006, option-I for
pensioners - Govt is not ready to reconsider their stand. Three lakhs Gramin
Dak Sevaks are compelled to go on indefinite strike for 16 days foe getting
their legitimate wage revision approved by the cabinet. Their demand for
regularisation, Civil servant status and implementation of other positive
recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee are still pending. Exploitation of casual and contract workers
continue. Equal pay for equal work is
denied.
Large scale outsourcing and
privatisation has become the order of the day. Foreign Direct Investment and privatisation of Railways and
Defence and large scale outsourcing of the work done by Defence Civilian
employees are in full swing. Government declared about 200 defence products
manufactued by Defence employees as ''non-core'' items and gave orders to
private multinational companies for their supply, rendering thousands of
Defence employees jobless in Govt owned 41ordnance factories. 12 out of 17 Government of India presses are ordered to
be closed. Same is the fate with other departmental printing presses including
Railway printing presses. Majority of the Autonomous body employees and
pensioners are yet to get their rightful 7th CPC revised pay and pension due to
stringent conditions imposed by Finance Ministry. Compassionate appointment has become a
mirage.
Trade Union rights and
facilities are curtailed and denied.
Orders banning dharna and demonstrations are issued. The draconian FR 56
(j) and Pension Rules 48 are misused as
a short-cut to punish and victimise employees. Government sponsored unions are
given undue patronage. Recognition and
trade union facilities of fighting organisations are withdrawn and their
leaders are transferred to far-off places.
It is in this background, the
National Convention of Central Government Employees held at Hyderabad on
10.06.2018 has decided to fight out these retrograde policies of the Central
Government by mobilising entire Central Government employees. Four months intensive campaign throughout
the country will be organised culminating in nation wide one day strike on
15-11-2018. National leaders of
Central Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, CITU) has addressed the National Convention
and assured their full support and solidarity to the struggle of Central
Government employees.
All India State Government
Employees Federation (AISGEF) has also decided to go on one day nation wide
strike on 15-11-2018, raising the demands - Scrap NPS and stop
outsourcing. Com.A.Sreekumar, General
Secretary, AISGEF declared their decision while addressing the National
Convention.
We are aware that the
policies pursued by the NDA Government including non-settlement of genuine
demands of Central Govt. employees, is directly linked to the politics of those
who are in power at the Centre and hence if Government is not ready to change
its retrograge policies we have no alternative but to vote out those who are at
the helm of affairs. Those who betrayed
32 lakhs Central Government employees and 33 lakhs pensioners have to pay the
price for it. 16 days historic
indefinite strike of Gramin Dak Sevaks is an eye-opener to all. There is no short-cut for realising our justified
demands from a totally negative and unwilling Government.
The Resolution and
declaration adopted by the National Convention, Charter of Demands and
Programme of action are enclosed herewith. All affiliated organisations and
State/District level C-O-Cs are requested to
1) to issue separate Circulars along with the
Resolution and declaration, charter of demands and programme of action to all
their Units without fail.
2) to translate the above documents into
local languages and issue printed notices pamphets and posters. (Hindi Version
also published below).
3) Give wide publicity through print and
electronic media, social media and also through Union websites.
4) to convene immediate meetings of the All
India/State/District Managing bodies and chalk out programmes for effective
implementation of the campaign programmes and one day strike on 15-11-2018.
5) Ensure maximum participation of rank and
file membership in all the campaign programmes and also in the one day strike.
6) Mobilise and ensure participation of
maximum employees as per quota fixed in the MASS RALLY at New Delhi on 5th
September 2018. Instruct all those who
are participating in the Delhi Rally to book their up and down travel tickets
immediately.
7) Chalk out separate departmental wise
campaign programmes of each affiliated organisations.
Fraternally yours,
M.Krishnan,
Secretary General
Confederation.
Mob & WhatsApp: 09447068125
2018 november 15th nation wide
one day strike of
central govt. employees
confederation - programme of action
(approved
by the National Convention held at Hyderabad on 10-06-2018)
I. 2018
July 1st to August 14th
State/District level conventions.
2. 2018
August 15th to 31st
Submission of memorandum to all MPs,
MLAs, Chief Ministers etc. seeking their intervention for settlement of
demands. (Draft copy of the memorandum will be exhibited in confederation
website: www.confederationhq.blogspot.com after 31st July 2018)
3. 21st
August 2018 - Tuesday
Mass dharna at all District
headquarters.
4. 5th
September 2018 - Wednesday
Mass rally at New Delhi. (Quota of
employees to be mobilised and participated in the Mass Rally by each affiliate
and C-O-C will be published seperately within two days).
5. 10th
October 2018 - Wednesday
Serving of strike notice at all levels
with mass demonstrations.
6. 17th
October 2018 - Wednesday
Raj Bhavan March at all State
Headquarters or March to an important Central Govt. office situated in the
state capital.
7. 3rd
October to 10th November 2018
State/District wise Compaign programme of National leaders of
confederation and its affiliates. (seperate circular will be issued mentioning
places and name of leaders)
8. 2nd
November 2018 - Friday
Mass Hunger Fast at all levels.
9. 15th
November 2018 - Thursday
Nationwide one day strike.
In addition to the above compaign programmes each affiliate of confederation
should chalk out their own department wise compaign programmes covering all
states.
2018 november 15th nation wide
one day strike of
central govt. employees
10 points charter of demands of confederation
(adopted
by the National Convention held at Hyderabad on 10-06-2018)
1. Scrap New Contributory Pension Scheme.
Restore old defined benefit Pension Scheme to all employees.
2. Settle 7th CPC related issues including
increase in Minimum Pay and fitment formula, HRA arrears from 01-01-2016, MACP
Bench Mark, promotional heirarchy and date of effect from 01-01-2006, Option-I
for pensioners and anomalies arising out of implementation of 7th CPC
recommendations.
3. Fill up all vacant posts. Reintroduce
Regional Recruitment for Group B & C posts. Withdraw orders for abolishing
posts lying vacant for more than five years. Revive all posts abolished during
2001 to 2008 under Annual Direct Recruitment plan as per May 2001 orders of former NDA Government.
4. (a) Regularisatin
of Gramin Dak Sevaks and grant of Civil Servant status. Implement remaining
positive recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra committee report.
(b) Regularise
all casual and contract workers including those appointed on or after
01-09-1993.
5. Ensure equal pay for equal work for all.
Remove disparity in pay scales between Central Secretariat Staff and similarly
placed staff working in field units of various departments.
6. Stop closure of Govt. establishments and
outsourcing. Withdraw closure orders of Govt. of India Presses. Stop proposed
move to close down salt department. Stop FDI and privatisation of Railways and
Defence department.
7. Implement 7th CPC wage revision and pension
revision of Autonomous body employees and pensioners. Grant Bonus to Autonomous
body employees pending from 2016-17 onwards.
8. Remove 5% condition imposed on
compassionate appointment.
9. Grant five time bound promotions to all
Group B&C employees. Complete Cadre Reviews in all departments within a
time-frame.
10. (a) Stop
attack on trade union rights. Ensure prompt functioning of various negotiating
forums under the JCM scheme at all levels.
(b) Withdraw
the draconian FR-56(j) and Rule 48 of CCS Pension Rules 1972.
If necessary, affiliates can
add their own departmental wise issues as PART-II of the charter of demands.
RESOLUTION
The
National convention of representatives of Federations/Unions/Associations
affiliated to the Confederation of Central Government employees and workers’
held at Hyderabad on this day the 10th June, 2018 hereby unanimously
resolves to adopt the following declaration and
carry out the programmes of action detailed in the Annexure to this
resolution to pursue the charter of
demands incorporated in the declaration .
This
convention firmly believes that the non-settlement of the demands of the
Central Government employees by the present NDA Government at the centre is the
product of their sheer unwillingness as they know that conceding of the just and genuine demands of
the employees will derail the neo-liberal policies, the intensive continuance of which the
Government is committed.
This
convention is extremely concerned over the increasing unemployment,
joblessness, impoverishment, agrarian crisis, rural distress, farmers suicide
and the every widening inequalities in income and wealth under the new economic
policies pursued by this Government.
The Government in the last four years in adherence to their
policies had been handing over the Natuon’s wealth, viz. Land, forest, mines,
water bodies and public sector enterprises
including vital defence establishments to foreign multi-national
corporations. Discarding the time tested
foreign policies the Government had been embarking upon becoming a junior partner of the US
imperialism and supports every untenable action of the Trump
Administration. This convention
condemns in the strongest terms, the
attempt on the part of the Government to bring in a labour code to take away
all welfare measures provided to the working class and to facilitate and
promote “ease of doing business” for the corporate entities. This convention deplores and denounces the
attack on minorities, dalits, adivasis and working people to terrorise them.
The
convention notes the dastardly methods employed by certain groups in the
society with the tacit support of those in authority to drastically divide the
society affecting the cohesive co-existence of different sections of the
people. They had been creating a fear
psychosis amongst the people. The disruption of the secular social fabric
is conceived to ensure that no united and strong force emerges and to create insurmountable difficulties in
bringing about working class unity..
It has become clear, that the
panacea for the ills that has now been inflicted upon the Indian society and polity is to effect a significant change
in the governing policies. The convention has noted that forging a joint
platform of all the working people with the intent of organising incessant
struggles cannot, therefore, brook any
delay.
The
Convention happily notes that the All lndia State Government employees Federation
have come to the same conclusion and are willing to be partners in the venture
to oppose the economic policies of the present Government and are agreeable to
synchronise their strike action with the decision of this convention. The Convention taking into account the views
of the All India State Government employees Federation, decides to organise a country wide strike on 15th
November, 2018.
The Convention directs the National Secretariat
of the Confederation to be in touch with the leaders of the Central Trade
Unions and other Industrial Federations to explore the possibilities of
organising a strike action in the month of November, 2018 and authorise them to make necessary changes in the date to
ensure the widest possible trade union action.
This
convention realises the need and necessity of complete extermination of the
present neo-liberal economic policies of the Government if workers are not to
be reduced to permanent serfdom; and to ultimately bring about an egalitarian society.
With this objective, the convention adopts the following declaration and appeal
to all members of the organisations affiliated to the Confederation to carry
out the programmes of action with courage and conviction so as to generate
sanctions and consequent change in the approach and policies of the Government.
DECLARATION.
1.
This convention declares that restoration of the
Defined benefit pension scheme to all Central Government employees irrespective
of the date of their entry into Government service is the paramount amongst all
issues and demands of the Central Government employees included in the annexed
charter of demands. The struggle against
the New contributory pension scheme introduced by the Government in 2004 must
be incessant till the Government agrees to withdraw the same and restore the
defined benefit pension scheme for all civil servants in the country. The Contributory pension scheme was the
product of the neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the successive
Governments that came to rule since 1991.
It was conceived, formulated and imposed at the instance of the
International Monetary Fund and the world bank combine to ensure free flow of
funds to the Corporate entities to enable them to maximise profits. The
Confederation of Central Government employees and workers and no doubt the All
India State Government employees Federation realised right at the beginning its
pernicious impact and demanded its withdrawal.
In the declaration that was adopted in the joint convention of the two
organisations, it was clearly pointed out that the very purpose of the new
scheme was not to arrest the financial outflow of the Government as has been
made out both by the Government and the
IMF but only to help the corporate to access easy funds. Never had been such a
naked attempt in the past on the part of any Government to compel the employees
to subscribe to a fund whose benefits to the subscriber were not defined.
In the beginning, a section of intellectuals in the society,
the rulers, a predominant segment of the people’s representatives, the top
echelons of the bureaucracy; even some trade union leaders and their
organisations eulogised the scheme projecting the never-existant benefits to mislead the workers and the public at
large. While presenting the proposal
before the Parliament, the Government in fact misled the house to inform them
over the benefits the Government might reap due to lesser financial outflow for
meeting the pension entitlements of the Civil servants. Initially it was a lone voice emanated from
the joint platform of the Confederation of Central Govt. employees and the All
India State Govt. employees Federation against this ill -conceived proposal of
the Government of India- a lone voice for a right cause. Various programmes of
actions were chalked out and carried out under the auspices of the joint
platform of Confederation and AISGEF including a one day strike on 30th
October, 2007. However, the then UPA
Government stuck to its position and introduced the PFRDA bill in the
Parliament and ultimately they could get it legislated with the support of the
BJP which was in opposition then. In the background of the well reasoned
submissions made by the Confederation
and AISGEF the Government appointed Committees and Commissions to go into the
matter, which had been loaded with self serving bureaucrats. Most of these
commissions sang what the political masters wanted to hear except the one appointed
by the 6th CPC. Dr.Gayatri’s
report was categorical that the Government will have to bear in fact additional
financial burden for the next 35 to 40 years due to the introduction of the New
Contributory pension scheme. The bureaucrats also began to realise the reality
later. The employees, nay all
subscribers, to their dismay found that
the new Pension system is in fact a No
pension system. The oft-repeated
argument that it was necessary to arrest the accelerated financial outflow from
the exchequer was established to be false in the face of Dr. Gayatri’s report.
Crores of rupees from the State Treasury and the poor employees’ contributions
went to enrich the corporate houses through the stock market and mutual funds. The young comrades, who were recruited after
1.1.2004, who were compulsorily made to be the subscribers of the New
Contributory Pension scheme found fault with not only Government but some of
the leaders of the Trade Union movement of Central Govt. Employees. In sum, this is the present scenario. What
this convention declares is to fight against this new scheme – together or
alone - It is an uncompromising war to ensure that the present contributory
pension scheme is scrapped lock stock and barrel and the erstwhile defined
benefit pension scheme is brought back to cover all Government employees.
2.
The wage revision of Central Government
employees is periodically effected through the system of setting up of Pay
Commissions. The 7th Central
Pay Commission came into existence after the Confederation conducted a series
of programme of action culminating in a one day strike on 12thDecember,
2012 and two days strike on 13th and 14th February,
2014. The recommendations of the
Commission was so disappointing that all organisations participating in the JCM
came together to form a National Joint Count of Action to spearhead
agitations. The NJCA decided to go on
indefinite strike from 11th July, 2016 onwards. What which irked the employees was the way in
which the Commission went ahead with doctoring the formula for fixation of the
Minimum wage and consequent fitment proposition. While the proposed strike action was
gathering momentum, the Government opened its doors for negotiations. To facilitate a negotiated settlement, the
NJCA accepted the proposal of the Government to set up a Committee to go into
the matter of Minimum wage and fitment formula and revise the same within the
course of four months. However, as is
the case with this Government, they refused to honour the commitment which they
made on 30th June, 2016, when the heat of the struggle got
dissipated. The Govt. has now gone on
record through a written answer to a question raised in the Parliament to state
that the revision of minimum wage and fitment formula was no more in their
agenda for consideration.
There had been wide and varied criticism over the decision
taken by the NJCA leaders to defer the strike action scheduled to take place
from 11.7.2016 onwards on the basis of the “unmeant” assurance held out by the
Government. Many of the allegations
levelled emanated from the trust deficit, the employees and pensioners had over
the political authority of the Government, the BJP. The surprisingly strident
criticism was due to the widely prevalent perception of the political players
at the helm of affairs of the country.
They could not have been possibly faulted, for chicanery had been employed on quite a number of occasions
earlier by the ruling party. It was not
that the NJCA leadership was unaware of the character and characteristics of
those in governance but they had to be driven by the mass front
compulsions. The present ruling
coalition was fully aware of the ground reality that was prevalent among the
mass of the middle class employees and tactically decided to defer decision on
the vital demands of the CGES to create an illusion amongst the common
workers. They had been able to sustain
that illusion, mainly because of the in-cohesiveness amongst the various
organizations of the CGEs and the sheer unwillingness on the part of a few to
tread the struggle path.
Now that the reality is revealed, the moot point is what must
be the response. The common multitude of the employees irrespective of the
organizational allegiance wants the issue to be confronted. In the absence of any preparation for a
tangible response, there is every possibility of the matter facing a natural
death The Government with their fine
propaganda machinery has been so far successful to create an impression that
civil servants of the country are better placed in terms of salary and
allowances and the Government had done well in accepting and implementing the
suggestions of the 7th CPC.
The employees’ organizations have not been able to successfully combat
or counter this palpably misguiding or mal-propaganda based on untruth.
Having failed to get the support of the dominant organisations
in the NJCA, the Confederation, true to its ideology, called upon its members
to organise a series of programmes
including Parliament March, Mass dharna in front of Finance Minister’s office,
human chain at all centres, burning of HRA orders, Mass dharna at district and
state levels culminating in a one day strike.
The strike that took place on 16.03.2017 elicited the unprecedented
response of the largest number of its members.
The propaganda unleashed against the confederation, especially by those
who chose to keep silence over the dilly dallying tactics of the Government was
that the Confederation was acting upon mere perception as the Government has never stated that it
would not honour its commitment. The
present unambiguous statement laid on the table of the Parliament by the
Government in the matter makes the chicanery officially confirmed. Those who
prefer to choose silence even now must understand that their silence will only
strength the cloud of doubt that arose on 30th June, 2016.
What more excuses will
come to the rescue of those organisations is difficult to fathom.
The Convention expresses the firm view that the employees must
react in a very serious manner to the despicable machinations of the
Government.
3.
The rate of unemployment in the country has been
on the increase ever since the new economic policies were sought to be
implemented. Not only no new industry
could be established, the maximization of profit mantra sapped all regular
employment opportunities in organized sector.
A sizeable segment of the jobs in the organized sector was in
formalised. The regular workers were
replaced by contract labour. In some of
the industries, the entire enterprise was contracted out, the management
retaining a very few supervisory or managerial positions. Presently in all big industrial undertakings
in the country, majority of the workforce are either contract workers or
workers engaged on daily rated basis.
The Government not only encouraged the anti-labour practices but also
adopted the same policy in the fully owned public Sector undertakings as also
in the Government Departments. There had
been very little job opportunities created during the last two and half decades
except in the Service Sector. Whatever
job opportunities were created in the so called special economic zones, the
denial of trade union rights to the workers ensured that they were no better
than contract workers. Governmental
Sector witnessed the return of casual and daily rated workers , a system which
was in vogue in the early 50s but was forced out through constant trade union
struggles. The VI-CPC had recommended the abolition
of Gr. D. posts numbering about 9.4 lakhs. In para 3.7.7 the commission
has observed that:
"Increasingly basic work
relating to cleaning, sweeping, maintenance etc. is being outsourced. This is a
welcome trend that needs to be encouraged by bringing about systematic changing
in the existing scheme so that the employees in Govt. are only utilized for
requiring a certain levels of skills".
Majority of the functions presently carried out by the Gr.
D. employees across the board is unskilled. What had actually been done
by the Commission is to abolish the unskilled functions in the Governmental
sector to pave way for more and more contractorisation of these jobs while the
existing employees (whose working strength has become less than 50% of the
sanctioned strength) might be classified as Gr.’C. and assigned to do functions
which are of skilled nature with lesser emoluments than what it could have been
even as per the V-CPC recommendations. In the days to come the unskilled
nature of jobs would be either outsourced or would be contractorised.
Recruitment will hereafter become unavailable in the Governmental sector for
those who are in the lower strata of the society who could not afford or who
are not provided even the primary education even though the universal primary
education is stated to be the objective and goal of a welfare Government.
In fact they are being punished as the Government abdicated its responsibility
to provide them the nascent requirement of primary education. The
recommendation is therefore, a by-product of the neo-liberal economic policies
which we have been fighting against all these
years. As has been feared, the Government has now
decided to ensure that all unskilled jobs are to be contractorised. The guidelines issued by the
Department of Personnel for the Mutlti-tasking staff makes it mandatory that
the future recruitees in government service must have a minimum educational
qualification of matriculation. The
recruitment will be done through the Staff Selection Commission. These personnel may not be deployed
for the unskilled jobs like sweeper, farash, Mali, watchmen etc. The Department of Personnel has
already advised all concerned to go in for contractorisation of these
functions. The workers so recruited by the contractors are not to have any job
security as they will be liable for termination without assigning any reason
whatsoever. As per the information now made available at
the floor of the Parliament, the number of contract workers engaged by various
public sector undertaking and Governmental organisations is 21,12 715.
In the
background of the continuing ban on recruitment, many of the Government
organizations have resorted to outsourcing of their functions which are of
permanent and perennial nature to agencies on fixed rates. The very fact that the Government has
made available funds for the Departmental heads to resort to outsourcing
establishes the intention of the Government. The functions being carried out by the
Group C employees and the Group B Non gazetted officials are liable to be
outsourced. Once the
outsourcing becomes hassle free, there will be no likelihood of any fresh
creation of posts in these
cadres. The large scale
computerization has helped the outsourcing as a feasible proposition.
The Government
has now issued instructions to abolish all posts which were lying vacant for
the past five years. Innumerable number of posts, in fact about 50% of the
sanctioned strength, are lying vacant for the simple reason that the recruiting
agency had not been able to provide the requisite number of qualified/eligible
candidates. This again was a
predetermined design. In a very short period of time, the recruitment to Group
C cadres and Group B cadres would be halted.
Since there is no recruitment possible for Group B Managerial posts,
most of the Departments will be left with officers recruited through the civil
service examination and a few employees hired on contract basis.
4.
Another important issue is the atrocious
decision taken by the Government in the matter of pension revision, which has
affected adversely lakhs of Central Government Pensioners. In the memorandum, the contours of which were
finalized in a convention held at Chennai where the representative of almost
all pensioners’ organization took part, the point that was stressed with utmost
importance was the need to bring about parity in pension entitlements between
the past and present pensioners. During the oral evidence presented before the
7th Central Pay Commission, to whom the memorandum had been
submitted, the question of parity was thoroughly deliberated. Though the representatives of the Pensioners
Associations and Federations did not make any concrete suggestion as to the
methodology to remove the existing disparity in the pension entitlements, they
no doubt presented the reasons and causes for such disparity. Taking into
serious consideration of the submissions of the Pensioners
Associations/Federations and more so what was submitted by the Staff Side of
the JCM, the Commission realizing the enormity of injustice being meted out to
the senior pensioners, made a suggestion which is now commonly known as the
Option No. 1. The Commission recommended to the Government two methodologies to
be employed as pension revision formula, option of which is left to the
individual pensioner. He or she was
entitled to choose either of the option depending upon the financial benefit. The whole pensioner community considered this
recommendation of the 7th CPC as the best way of resolving the issue
and bring about parity between the past and present pensioners. There had been all-round criticism of the
overall recommendations of the 7th CPC from the employees but every
single individual employee or organization appreciated the formulation made by
the Commission in respect of Pensioners.
However, at the instance of the Pension Department, the
Government while accepting this recommendation made a subjective clause. The acceptance of the recommendation was
subjected to the feasibility of implementation for which the Government
constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of the Secretary Pension. As it is natural, the Committee headed by the
Pension Secretary found the recommendation “infeasible” for the simple reason
that in a few cases, the relevant records would not be available with the
Government. The Service records of an
employee or pensioner is supposed to be maintained by the Government. How can the individual pensioner be punished
for the mere fault of a Government department was the question the pensioners
and staff side raised before the Committee, which went unanswered. The Committee suggested another methodology
as the pension fitment formula. The
Pensioners representatives and the Staff Side of the JCM had no objection to
the said formula for that was to benefit some of the pensioners, including the
top echelons of the bureaucracy.
However, they requested that the Committee’s suggestion might be treated
as the third option to be applied whoever wants it or in whichever case the
records are not available. The
suggestion made by the staff side was rejected as also the Option No.1. It was pointed out that rejection of a claim
on the specious ground that the records are not available with the Government
is legally untenable. In all such
cases, the Government does have the option to obtain a solemn affidavit from
the claimant, a practice followed by the Governments throughout the world. The
irony is that such decision was taken by the Government whose Finance Minister
is a legal luminary. What is
established without an iota of ambiguity is the Government’s overdependence on
the self-seeking bureaucrats, who had an axe to grind in rejecting Option No. 1
and the utter insensitivity of the political authority towards the concern of
the common people even if they are senior citizens.
5.
Wage revision of
Grameen Dak Sewaks is a classic example of this Government’s attitude towards
workers, especially those in the lower rung of the hierarchy .Grameen Dak Sewaks,
formerly known as the Extra Departmental Agents is the innovative exploitative
system evolved by the British Colonial rulers to spread the postal
communication to rural India. Appointed as agents who were authorised to use
the Postal seal as a mark of official status were entitled either for a
commission or a honorarium. The
Government that came into existence in free India found the system convenient
and cheap and decided to continue.
Through incessant struggles, the Postal workers tried to end this
unsavoury system of employment and they had been quite successful in raising
their status and emoluments. Through a
series of struggles organised mostly under the leadership of the National Federation
of Post and Telecom Employees and later under the banner of the National
Federation of Postal Employees, the Grammen Dak Sewaks marched ahead. The very word Grameen Dak Sewaks was in
recognition of the demand that the British system must come to an end. Despite near total unanimity over the need to
end this system once and for all across the political system, none has dared so
far to raise them on par with the organised segment of the working class. They are still considered as casual workers having
no benefit of the regular postal employees and are denied the retirement
benefits. It was the Talwar Committee which really went into the hopeless
living and working conditions of the GDS and made recommendations which if
accepted would have changed the scenario.
Many of their recommendations, which were meant to raise the standard of
living of the employees, were not acted upon at all. In the wake of the setting up of the 7th
CPC, the Confederation of CGE and workers demanded the Commission to treat the
GDS on par with the regular Government Servants. The Commission Chairman, Shri Ashok Mathur, a
retired Supreme Court Judge however, did not agree. Had he been able to take a
decision on this vital question of their status their case for wage revision
could have been covered by the 7th CPC itself. The Government then
appointed the Kamalesh Chandra Committee to look into their issues and demands.
Retired as a postal bureaucrat, Shri Kamalesh Chandra was fully aware of the
exploitative system. No doubt many of the recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra
Committee was in favour of the GDS employees and if accepted will improve the
service conditions. The Committee did
not address the issue of status under the garb that the same was under the
judicial scrutiny. The report was in the consideration of the Government for
the past 18 months.
The indefinite strike action of
all GDS Unions which commenced on 22nd
May, 2018 asking the Government to take a final decision on the recommendation
of the Kamalesh Chandra Committee with
the full support and even participation of the regular Postal employees,
elicited solidarity action from all sections of the working class in the
country, especially from the Central Govt. Employees. The Government dragged the strike for 16
glorious days. Despite their best
efforts, the Government or the Postal Department could not break the unity of
the Unions and Associations of the GDS employees throughout the long 16 days
strike period. The arrogance on the part of the political authority was the one
and only reason that the matter was
allowed to be delayed for more than 18 months.
The glorious strike of the GDS Employees which went on 16 days has the
total participation of the GDS employees and the Government thoroughly failed
in all their attempts to break that solid unity. Ultimately the Government has to come down
and approve the major recommendations regarding wage rise of the GDS. The GDS
Unions deserve the accolade from all for organising such a great strike action
.
6.
The attached charter
of demands includes many other issues which are pending settlement for many
years. They include inter alia, the
removal of the ceiling on compassionate appointments; regularisation of casual,
contract and daily rated workers, filling up of vacant posts; equal pay for
equal work; rescinding the decision to close down the Printing presses; five
promotions in the service career; recognition of Unions/federations; regular functioning
of the JCM; removal of the provisions of Rule 56.J; grant of wage /pension
revision benefits to employees of autonomous bodies etc. etc.
The Convention declares that the employees who are
members of the organisations affiliated to the Confederation will embark upon a
series of programmes of action detailed hereunder culminating in a one day
strike action on 15th November, 2018, on which date, the All India
State Government employees will also be on a day’s strike in pursuance of their
charter of demands. As it is the desire
of the participants of this Convention
that the strike action must have the largest possible participation of the
workers in the country, the National
Secretariat of the Confederation is directed to take steps to synchronise
the date of action with similar action organised by the Unions/Federations
under the auspices of the Central Trade Unions.
Click here to view - Resolution & Declaration in Hindi
