2019 January 8th & 9th Historic Two Days Nationwide strike And Our Future Task
M.Krishnan
Secretary General
Confederation of
Central Govt. Employees & workers
We
shall not stop, Till Our Goal is Achieved
We Shall March Towars Bigger Struggle in the
coming Days
To Scrap NPS & to
Restore OPS
To Defeat The Perpetrators of disastrous neo-liberal policies.
Congratulations
and big salute to all those leaders and workers who worked tirelessly and
organised the most wide-spread and largely participated two days nationwide
strike under the banner of Confederation, which is the vanguard of the Central
Government employees movement.
Central Government employees
had created history again. The two days
nationwide strike on 2019 January 8th & 9th was not only widespread but a
thundering and magnificent success in all respect, surpassing all the recent
past strikes in percentage of participation.
Of course, there was weakness in some sections and in some areas, but
that didn’t affect the overall success and impact of the strike.
When the dominant leadership
of the JCM National Council staffside and National Joint Council of Action
(NJCA) ie., Railway Federations, are reluctant to go on strike against the
betrayal of the BJP-led NDA Government on Minimum Pay & Fitment formula,
NPS, Option-I of Pensioners, HRA arrears etc, inspite of the fact that
Confederation and Defence Federation has authorised the Railway Federations
leadership to serve strike notice reviving the deferred indefinite strike of
2016 July 11th, it is Confederation, Confederation alone, has shown its
commitment to the cause of the 32 lakhs Central Government employees and 33
lakhs Central Govt. Civilian Pensioners, by organising two days historic strike
along with the 20 crores workers of Indian working Class. Confederation organised one day strike on
12-12-2012 and two days strike on 2014 February 13th & 14th demanding
appointment of 7th Central Pay Commission, One day strike on 16-03-2017
demanding scrapping of NPS and honouring of assurance given by Group of
Ministers and one day strikes on 2nd September 2015 and 2016 along with the
mainstream of the working class against the neo-liberal economic policies. We decided to go on strike, demanding 10
points charter of demands of which the first and the main demand is “Scrap NPS
& Restore OPS” in the mass convention of Central Government employees held
at Hyderabad on 10th June 2018.
Intensive campaign for the strike started from July 2018 onwards. The message of the two days strike went to
every nook and corner of the country and reached almost all central Govt.
Offices and employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks, Casual/Contract Workers and
Autonomous body employees and Pensioners.
We are proud that we have stood with the workers and peasants of our country
as a class-oriented militant trade union and Confederation represents the hope
and aspirations of lakhs and lakhs of Central Government Employees and Central
Govt. Civilian Pensioners.
NDA Government and Central Govt. Employees - our
Experience:
(1) New
Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS):
Everyone of us is aware that it is the
previous BJP-led NDA Government which introduced the NPS in 2003 through a
Gazette Notification dated 22nd December 2003, to all new entrants recruited on
or after 01-01-2004. We are also aware
that the Congress-led UPA-II Government passed the PFRDA Bill in Parliament to
legalise NPS, with the full support of opposition BJP MPs in 2013 and
thereafter PFRDA Act came into effect from 18th September 2013. Only 43 MPs of Left Parties, TMC, JDU, BSP,
SP & RJD opposed the bill in Lok Sabha against 125 votes of Congress &
BJP. In Rajya Sabha 25 MPs opposed while
115 supported. Confederation along with
All India State Govt. Employees Federation (AISGEF) conducted series of
agitational programmes against NPS from 2003 onwards including National
Convention, Parliament March, signature campaign and strikes.
7th Central Pay Commission headed
by Shri. Ashok Kumar Mathur, Retired Justice of Supreme Court of India, in Para
1.24 of its Report made the following observations:
“Almost a whole lot of Central
Government employees appointed on or after 01-01-2004 were unhappy with the New
Pension Scheme. While National Pension
System (NPS) did not form a part of our Terms of Reference; we have recorded
the sentiments of the affected employees.
The Government should take a call and step into to look into their
demands”.
In Para 10.03.11, the 7th CPC again
made the following comments:
“The larger Federations and Staff
Associations advocated scrapping of the NPS on the ground that it discriminate
between two sets of Government employees.
Individuals covered under NPS have pleaded for reverting to Old Pension
Scheme (OPS) on the grounds of uncertainty regarding the actual value of their
future pension, on the face of market related risks.”
Naturally, in tune with the recommendations
of 7th CPC, when the NDA Govt. decided to appoint a High Level Committee called
“NPS Committee”, the Central Government employees, especially the younger
generation, expected that their anxiety and concerns will be taken into account
by the Central Government and NPS will be scraped and OPS will be
restored. But the final decision of the
Government not to scrap NPS but only to increase the percentage of contribution
by the Government from 10% to 14% was a great blow to the NPS employees. Their hopes are shattered, “their legitimate
aspirations are guillotined” and a situation is created where their “hopes
ended in despair”.
Their hope faded further when Shri.
Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister, in his letter dated 3rd January 2019 addressed
to Shri. Nitin Gadkari, another Cabinet Minister in the NDA Government,
justified the continuation of NPS as follows:
“NPS is expected to provide old
age income security to subscribers besides providing capital for the social and
economic development of the economy”.
The final blow came when the NDA
Government made its stand clear without any ambiguity in a reply dated
25-12-2018 given in Parliament stating that - “Representations have been
received which inter-alia also include the demand that Government may revert to
Old defined benefit pension system.
However, due to the rising and unsustainable pension bill and competing
claims on the fiscal, there is no proposal to replace the National Pension
System (NPS) with Old Pension System (OPS) in respect of Central Govt.
employees recruited on or after 01-01-2004”.
During the past 2-3 years many NPS
employees, mainly Gramin Dak Sevaks and Casual Labourers promoted to
departmental posts after 01-01-2004 (as their previous service is not treated
as regular service) and also aged dependents of deceased employees who got
compassionate appointment after 01-01-2004 etc, retired from service after
completing 10 to 13 years service. Their
Annuity Pension under NPS is Rs.700/- to Rs.2700/- maximum per month, thus
confirming our apprehension that “NPS is nothing but No Pension System”.
Unlike the BJP led NDA Government at
the Centre, certain State Governments understood the seriousness of the
situation and they have declared that they want to scrap NPS. (Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu during
Jayaalitha’s time, Karnataka and Kerala Governments). Some of them appointed expert Review
Committees to work out modalities for coming out of NPS. From the stand taken by the above State
Governments it can be seen that it is the political stand of the ruling party that
matter. At the centre, it is the
political stand of the Political Party ruling the country which is crucial.
2. Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula:
After the continuous struggle by
Confederation including strikes from 2011 onwards, the then UPA Government was
compelled to announce appointment of 7th Central Pay Commission. Gujarat State
Government objected the decision of the UPA Government to appoint 7th CPC. Shri. Narendra Modiji was the Chief Minister
of Gujarat at that time. After coming to
power at the Centre in 2014, the BJP led NDA Govt. made deliberate attempt and
intervention to delay and deny the legitimate demands of the Central Govt. employees
and Pensioners including the demands relating to Minimum Pay, Fitment Formula,
HRA from 01-01-2016, Option-I for pensioners etc.
When the entire Central Government
employees ,under the banner of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) decided
to go on indefinite strike from 11th July, 2016 a Group of Cabinet Ministers
including Shri. Rajnath Singh, Home Minister, Shri. Arun Jaitley, Finance
Minister and the then Railway Minister Shri. Suresh Prabhu, gave categorical assurance
on 30-06-2016 that Minimum Pay and Fitment formula will be increased and for
that purpose a High Level Committee will be constituted. Even after a lapse of 2½ years neither High
Level Committee was constituted nor Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula is
increased.
The Finance Ministry in its Lok Sabha
reply dated 11-12-2018, categorically stated as follows:
“The fitment factor for the
purpose of fixation of pay in the revised pay structure, based on the
recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission is 2.57 which is uniformly applicable to all
categories of employees. As the same is
based on the specific and considered recommendations of the 7th CPC, no change
,thereon is envisaged”.
Thus the BJP led NDA Government has
betrayed 32 lakhs Central Govt. employees and 33 lakhs Central Govt. Civilian
Pensioners.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case
of Bhupendra Nath Hazarika and Another Vs. State of Assam and others (reported
in 2013(2)Sec.516) observed as follows, which is quoted by 7th CPC in its
preface -
“It should always be borne in
mind that legitimate aspirations of the employees are not guillotined and a
situation is not created where hopes end in despair. Hope for everyone is gloriously precious and
that a model employer should not convert it to be deceitful and treacherous...... A sense of calm sensibility and concerned
sincerity should be reflected in every step.
An atmosphere of trust has to prevail and when the employees are
absolutely sure that their trust shall not be betrayed and they shall be
treated with dignified fairness, then only the concept of good governance can
be concretized. We say no more”.
The NDA Government has “guillotined”
our aspirations. NDA Govt. has betrayed
the employees and Pensioners and created an atmosphere where “Hopes ended in
despair”. NDA Govt. converted our hope
to be “deceitful and treacherous”, “Dignified Fairness”, “Calm sensibility” and
“Concerned Sincerity” in treating our case is lacking on the part of NDA
Government. Hence we have no alternative
but to defeat the betrayers in the coming biggest battle of democracy.
The fate of the following other
demands raised by the Confederation are also met with the same fate from the
NDA Government:
* Regularisation of Gramin Dak Sevaks and
Casual/Contract Workers. Implementation
of the remaining favourable recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee on
GDS.
* Grant of HRA arrears from 01-01-2016,
removal of bench mark for MACP and grant of promotional hierarchy and date of
effect of MACP from 01-01-2006.
* Fill up of all vacant posts. Reintroduce Regional Recruitment for Group B
and C Posts.
* Implement Option-I formulation of 7th
CPC for Pensioners.
* Settle anomalies arising out of 7th CPC.
* Parity in Pay scales between Central
Secretariat Staff and similarly placed staff working in field units of various
departments.
* Withdraw closure orders of Govt. of
India Printing Presses. Stop closure of
Govt. establishments and outsourcing of Govt. functions. Stop proposed move to close down salt department.
* Implement 7th CPC Wage Revision and
Pension revision in remaining Autonomous
bodies. Grant Bonus to Autonomous body
employees pending from 2016-17 onwards.
* Remove 5% ceiling on compassionate
appointment and grant appointments in all deserving cases.
* Grant five Assured Career Progression to
all Group B and Group C employees.
* Stop attack on Trade Union rights. Ensure prompt functioning of all JCM
forums. Withdraw the draconian FR 56(j)
and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.
Election and Central Government Employees:
In a democratic country like
in India, elections to the Legislative bodies are also part of the struggle
against the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the ruling class. Com.K.G.Bose, the legendary leader of the
Central Govt. Employees movement has observed as follows:
“It
is a common say, particularly among the Government employees that the Unions
should remain aloof from the politics.
All the confusion has arisen because of the fact that the correct
definition of the “Politics and Trade Union” has not been understood by most of
us. Those two things are not separate
from each other rather they are inseparable.
Politics do not mean the policies of a particular political party. Each and every demand of the Govt. employees
is linked with the politics of the country.
It is high time that the age old confusions be removed from the minds of
the Govt. employees and their unions.
Collective thinking on the problems of life in the context of a nation
is a fundamental right of every section of the people and therefore, the
Central Govt. employees cannot be deprived of their birth right on the plea of
“Political influence”.
It is in the above
background, we have to take position in the coming General Elections. Our experience during the last five years
have proved that BJP-led NDA Government is the most anti-worker and anti-people
Government the country had since independence.
This Govt. is by the corporates, of the corporates and for the
corporates. The working class, including
Central Govt. employees, should be made aware of this challenge and prepared to
defeat it. It should be kept in
mind that defeat of this Government is not the end, but our struggle for
reversal of the neo-liberal policies has to continue with increased vigour even
after ensuring defeat of the anti-worker government. In any case, continuation of this Government
is against the interest of the working class, especially the Central Govt.
employees. Change is the need of the
hour.
As a class-oriented militant
trade union, it is our responsibility to channelize the discontentment and
anger of the employees on proper direction with the objective of strengthening
united struggles to defeat the neo-liberal policies and ultimately pave the way
for taking the struggle towards an exploitation free society. Let us make 2019 that started with the two
days historic strike, a year of heightened struggles leading to decisive
struggles against the neo-liberal policies.
Let us be prepared for a bigger struggle in coming days to “Scrap NPS & Restore OPS” and also
for the realisation of our long pending demands.
Let us not forget that the
ruling class may use all tricks at their command, all weapons in their armoury
to divert the attention of the people and workers, away from their burning day
to day livelihood issues, to divide and disrupt their unity to engineer
polarisation of the society on caste and communal lines for their electoral
gains. We should be prepared to defeat
all such machinations and should preserve our unity.
Let us remember the following lines
from the famous speech of Late Martin Luther King, Jr -
“Change does not roll in the wheels of inevitability, but
comes through continuous struggle, and so, we must straighten our backs and
work for our goal.”
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