CLARIFICATION

Dear Comrades,

We are in receipt of messages and emails from our grass root leaders and workers conveying their concerns over the decision of NJCA to defer the indefinite strike. Comments are circulated in other social medias like whats app etc. also. As it is not practically possible to reply to all the queries and comments, to put the record straight, we are clarifying below the common points raised by most of our comrades and well-wishers.

CONVEYING THE DEFERMENT OF THE STRIKE EVEN BEFORE THE NJCA FORMALLY ANNOUNCED IT:

NJCA has taken serious note of this incident and shall take precautionary measures in future.

2 WHETHER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CABINET DECISION ON 7^TH CPC RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE DELAYED FURTHER FOR FOUR MONTHS

The question of keeping in abeyance the implementation of the Cabinet decision on 29^th June 2016 regarding 7^th CPC recommendations, till the High Level Committee submits its report to Govt, was discussed in the NJCA meeting. It is decided that NJCA should not demand it, as the employees may be put to hardship, especially those who are in the verge of retirement. Com Shiv Gopal Misra, Convenor, NJCA has confirmed from the Finance Ministry that Govt notification on 7^th CPC recommendations is under process and it will be issued shortly, payment may be made from August salary.

3  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMPOWERED COMMITTEE CONSTITUTED EARLIER AND THE NEW HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE?

The new High Level Committee is the product of the discussion held by Group of Ministers including Home Minister, Finance Minister and Railway Minister with NJCA leaders after announcement of the Cabinet decision, in the wake of an impending indefinite strike. Govt is compelled to appoint the new Committee, as the decision taken by the Govt on the proposals submitted by the Empowered Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary (details of proposals of ECoS is not known to staff side) is not acceptable to the NJCA. Hence the new Committee shall be to reconsider the decision of the Govt. especially regarding minimum wage and fitment formula. Inspite of the assurance of the Groups of Ministers that the Committee is being constituted to reconsider the Govt. decision, if the Govt. again reject our demand, the NJCA have to reconsider its stand and deferred strike shall be revived.

4.      POSITION REGARDING ALLOWANCES

All allowances including HRA, transport allowance, fixed medical allowance to pensioners etc. are referred to a committee headed by Finance Secretary. Committee shall submit its report within four months. Pending final decision based on the report of the Committee, all existing allowances to be paid as per the existing rates in existing pay structure. Govt. may try to deny arrears of revised rate of allowances by implementing it from prospective date as in the past. This issue will be further discussed by the NJCA with the proposed Committee.

5    WE WOULD HAVE GOT A BETTER SETTLEMENT IF NJCA HAS GONE AHEAD WITH THE INDEFINITE STRIKE

All of us are aware that NJCA is not a monolithic, composite organization. It is a united forum of independent organisations. Each Federation has its own identity and individuality and take decision as per the direction of the managing bodies of each organization. Hence different views may emerge in the NJCA, but final decision is taken by consensus. If each organization stick on to its own stand and others to follow it, there is no question of consensus and NJCA will not exist.

With all its inherent weakness and limitations, the NJCA has successfully challenged the NDA Govt’s stand that there is no negotiation with the staff side on the 7^th CPC recommendations. Govt. thought that once the Cabinet decision is announced unilaterally, followed by unleashing of well-orchestrated media propaganda that big bonanza is given for Central Govt. Employees, the NJCA will be forced to withdraw its indefinite strike decision. But the calculation of the Govt went wrong. NJCA took a firm stand that unless and until the retrograde recommendations especially minimum wage and fitment formula is modified, there is no question of withdrawing the strike. All the Federations are firm on this demand which ultimately compelled the Hon’ble Prime Minister to intervene. (NJCA has written to Hon’ble Prime Minister for intervention even before the Cabinet decision, but the Govt. ignored the NJCA’s appeal at that time). As per the direction of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Home Minister Sri Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Sri Arun Jaitly and Railway Minister Sri Suresh Prabhu discussed the main issues raised in the Charter of demands with NJCA leaders, and assured that Govt. will appoint a High Level Committee to reconsider the decision of the Govt., especially on minimum pay and fitment formula. This assurance was given with the approval of Hon’ble Prime Minster.

Inspite of it, the NJCA has not deferred the strike and insisted written confirmation of the assurance regarding constitution of High Level Committee. Again Hon’ble Home Minister Sri Rajnath Singh called the NJCA leaders and reiterated the earlier assurances and informed that the Finance Minister will issue a press statement confirming the assurance given to NJCA. Only after receipt of the copy of the press statement issued by the Finance Ministry, NJCA has deferred the strike till the finalization of the report of High Level Committee.

As the Hon’ble Prime Minister of  our country has intervened and as three Cabinet Ministers of Govt. of India discussed the demands with NJCA leaders and gave assurance that the demands, especially minimum pay and fitment formula will be reconsidered, and as the Home Minister has again reiterated the assurances to NJCA leaders and Finance Minster has issued press statement confirming the constitution of High Level Committee, the NJCA felt that before embarking upon an indefinite strike which is the last weapon in the hands of the workers, we should give time to the Govt. to implement the Minister’s assurances given as per the direction of the Prime Minister and honour its commitment given to NJCA leaders. NJCA taking a stand that we don’t believe the Ministers and their assurance and shall go ahead with the strike, may not be taken in good spirit by the general public and the media. In case the Govt. backs out from its assurances, the NJCA has got every right to revive the deferred indefinite strike.

Com. Shiva Gopal Mishra, Convenor, NJCA has made it clear in the circular issued on 7^th July 2016, which reads as follows: -

“Though there is positive assurance from the Govt. of India, but all of you will not take rest and assume counseling the cadre and ground staff that they should remain in full preparedness, because if there will not be SATISFACTORY OUTCOME, we will be having no alternative except to agitate the issues again.”

    WHAT ABOUT PARITY IN PENSION? WILL IT BE IMPLEMENTED AS THERE IS A CLAUSE IN THE GOVT DECISION THAT THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE WILL EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPTION No I, ie PARITY IN PENSION TO PAST PENSIONERS

This issue was raised before the Group of Minister by Com. K. K. N. Kutty, who is also the Secretary General of NCCPA (National Co-ordination Committee of Pensioners Associations). It was pointed out to the Finance Minister that even though the Govt. has decided to accept 7^th CPC recommendation to have two options to pensioners, it is qualified with the words “subject to feasibility.” The Finance Minister categorically assured the delegation that the Govt. has accepted the recommendations in toto and the Pension Department has only been asked to sort out the difficulties in implementation of the Option-No-I, if any.

Just like the issues of Salary hike, Fitment formula or parity of Pension, the issue of NPS is common to all Central Govt. Departments. In spite of that, this issue appears to be less highlighted

The problem of NPS employees are well taken care of by the NJCA.  Please see the Press Statement issued by NJCA on 6th July 2016 after taking the decision to defer the strike which is published in confederation website. The last paragraph reads as follows------- "The NJCA particularly notes that the Govt. has set up a separate committee for reviewing the New Pension Scheme, which has been a matter of concern to all employees and workers who are recruited to Govt. services after 01.01.2004." Please also see the para -12 of the Press Communique issued by the Govt. through Press Information Bureau immediately after the Cabinet decision on 29th June 2016 which reads as --------- "Para-12--- The Cabinet also decided to constitute a separate committee to suggest measures for streamlining the implementation of New Pension System (NPS)". Cabinet decision is taken as it is one of the important demand of the Charter of demands of NJCA submitted to Govt. NJCA shall take follow up action on this particular demand as all of us are very much concerned about this important demand. This demand is directly linked to the policy of the NDA Govt. as all of you are aware that it is the previous NDA Govt. which took a Cabinet decision in 2003 to implement New Contributory Pension Scheme to Central Govt. Employees from 01.01.2004.