ONE DAY STRIKE ON 15^TH FEBRUARY 2017

·       AGAINST THE BREACH OF ASSURANCE AND BETRAYAL BY GROUP OF MINISTERS OF NDA GOVERNMENT.

·      TO UPHOLD THE SELF-RESPECT AND DIGNITY OF 33 LAKHS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND 34 LAKHS PENSIONERS.

ABOUT 15 LAKHS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND AUTONOMOUS BODY EMPLOYEES WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE STRIKE

v  Central Government employees and Pensioners betrayed by NDA Govt. by breach of assurance given by Group of Cabinet Ministers including Shri Rajnath Singh, Shiri Arun Jaitely and Shri Suresh Prabhu regarding increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment formula. This is the worst pay revision after 2^nd CPC report in 1960. Government implemented the report without any modification suggested by Staff side (JCM). In 1960 entire employees went on five days strike.

v  Central Government Pensioners and Family Pensioners betrayed by NDA Government by not implementing Option-I (parity) recommended by 7^th CPC and accepted by Cabinet.

v  Autonomous bodies employees betrayed by NDA Government by issuing instructions NOT TO IMPLEMENT 7^th CPC benefits to Autonomous body employees and Pensioners UNTIL FURTHER ORDERS.

v  Three lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks of the Postal Department betrayed by NDA Government by not extending the benefits of 7^th CPC to them and also by not publishing the separate one-man committee report already submitted to the Government.

v  Thousands of Casual, Part-time, contingent employees, daily rated mazdoors and contract workers are betrayed by the NDA Government by not regularizing their services and by not revising their wages on the principle of “Equal Pay for Equal Work”.

v  7^th CPC Submitted its report after 21 months on 19^th November 2015. Even after 13 months the NDA Government has not implemented the revised HRA, Transport Allowance and all other Allowances. Government is deliberately delaying it further to deny implementation from 01.01.2016 and also to delay it to next Financial year 2017, thereby denying arrears.

v  Government betrayed Central Government employees and Pensioners by denying eligible 3% Dearness Allownace with effect from 01.07.2016. DA for pre-revised Minimum pay of 7000 is 7% = 490 per month. Same pre-revised pay of 7000 revised to 18000 after merger of 125% DA as on 01.01.2016. New DA granted for revised minimum pay of 18000 is 2% = 360 per month. Thus there is a recurring loss of Rs. 130/- per month in DA granted to Minimum pay. For other higher pay scales the loss is still higher.

v  In the past, only one Committee before implementation of CPC report and one Anomaly Committed after implementation was constituted. This time Committee after Committees are constituted but no negotiated settlement with the JCM (NC) staff side on any of the issue, but only one-way hearing of the views of the staff side. Implementation Committee, Empowered Committee, Allowances Committee, Pension (Option-1) Committee, Anomaly Committee, New Pension System (NPS) Committee and Senior officers Committee (?) to discuss the issues arising out of 7^th CPC recommendations. (no formal orders constituting the Group of Senior Offices Committee and no terms of reference made public). Almost six months are over after Cabinet approving pay scales and one year is over after submission of 7^th CPC report, but no outcome of any committee).

v  No negotiated settlement on Confederation’s 21 Point Charter of demands which includes increase in minimum pay, Fitment formula, no reduction of HRA rate, Revision of all allownaces, Restoration of abolished Advances, Option-1 for pensioners, Scrap New Pension System, Autonomous bodies wage revision, GDS Issues, Casual Labour issues, MACP promotional hierarchy and “Very good” bench mark, filling up of vacancies, removal of 5% compassionate appointment restriction, Five promotions, LDC/UDC pay upgradation, Parity in pay scales with Central Secretariat Staff, removal of CCL adverse condition, equal pay for equal work etc.

WHAT HAPPENED ON 30^TH JUNE 2016 ?

AND WHO BETRAYED THE EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS ?

On the night of 30^th June 2016, Shri Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Minister for Railways informed the Secretary, JCM (NC) Staff side Shri Shiv Gopal Misra that the Prime Minister had empowered three Cabinet Ministers, viz: Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Home Minister, Shri Arun Jaitely, Hon’ble Fiance Minister and Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Hon’ble Railways Minister, to negotiate with the staff side, JCM (NC), and invited staff side (JCM) for a meeting at the Official residence of Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Home Minister on the same night 21:30 hrs. On persistent demand of the staff side (JCM), the Group of Ministers assured that the issue of increase in the Minimum wage and Fitment formula will be referred to a High Level Committee and the Committee will submit its report to the Government within four months.

NOW SIX MONTH’S ARE ALMOST OVER.

WHERE IS THE HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE REPORT?

Let us make the 15^th February 2017 one day strike a resounding success.

15^th FEBRUARY 2017 – ONE DAY STRIKE

Towards the inevitable end - Victory.

K.K.N. Kutty

President, Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and workers.

December-January is fog days in Northern India, especially Delhi.  Because of the high level pollution, it is not fog that engulfs Delhi but smog.  Temperature dips and rises quite often.  Air and Rail traffics are frequently disturbed and sometimes go out of gear.  It was not unknown to the National Sectt.of the Confederation when they decided to organize the rally at the Parliament street on 15^th December, 2016. There was no alternative as on November, 6^th, the stipulated four months period was over.   The National Sectt. of the Confederation came to the conclusion that the Government of India is run by people who indulges in double speak.  They have no shame even in indulging in betrayal.    

Confederation has a noble history and fine tradition. It does not indulge in the nasty habit of mincing words.  It exhibits the courage of calling a spade a spade.  It always has stood for the interest of the employees and workers, whom it represents.  It was built up over the years in the high values and traditions of a fine trade union.  While it believes that despite the differences in ideology, perception, and approach to the issues and problems, methods of negotiation, unity of the employees and workers are paramount in winning demands.   It was to uphold that tradition, on innumerable occasions, it agreed to defer the strike action, and ultimately even on 11^th July, 2016.  It had perceived correctly the weak pretensions of the Government, demonstrated before the leaders of the NJCA both on 30^th june, 2016 and 6^th July, 2016.  Therefore, its leadership could appreciate  the criticism that emanated from the right thinking persons in its stride. Many of those who chose to criticize the decision were concerned of the dent  the decision to defer the strike action  had created to the image of the Confederation.  An explanatory campaign was the need of the hour.  For sheer paucity of time, it could not be undertaken.  It would have allayed the apprehensions.  When it was done, though a little belatedly, it had its salutary impact.  And naturally, the National Sectt. could not have indulged in the luxury of revisiting the issue with independent action programme  when the climate in Delhi could become tolerable.  As is the case with every vibrant organization, there are persons who take advantage of the situation, criticize and create cacophony with the intent of destroying the very organization itself. The mammoth rally at Delhi in front of  the Parliament house on 15^th December, 2016 was the vindication of the understanding the Confederation National Sectt. had on the issues and a magnificent reply to all those whose intent was to destroy the organization.  

It is quite heartening that our Comrades, who felt betrayed by the chicanery of the Present Government, weathered the inclement weather conditions, the disruption of rail and air traffic movements,  the difficulties in reaching the venue by road, the chilly atmosphere at Delhi and above all the persisting engineered criticism of certain vested interest,  exhibited the anger and discontent in the most exemplary manner on 15^th December, 2016.  They deserve our felicitation, congratulation and grateful salute in creating yet another historic and successful programme.  They have through their loud and emphatic slogans raised and followed by thousands provided the required impetus to the National Sect. and confidence to go ahead with the forward steps of the battle.  The decision that was announced by the Secretary General to organize a one day token strike in protest against the attitude of the BJP Government was greeted therefore, with great enthusiasm by the rallyists

The demonetization and the consequent debilitating impact over the availability of currency has indeed made insurmountable impediments.  The whole country has been taken for a ride in the name of the noble cause of cleaning the economy of the black income.  Neither the generation of the black income  s tapped nor its proliferation  has been  targeted.  About one fifth of the National income of the country is stated to be in black. That hurts and hurts the common people.  While the successive Governments that came to power in the country since 1991, including the present in office had been extending concessions and exemptions for the corporate giants in crores, the common people were finding it difficult to make the both ends meet. The enforcement laws fear to knock at the doors of  those who have looted the  Nation and refused to pay back even  the loan they had contracted from the Nationalized Banks . The circus in the floor of the Parliament, session after session,  precludes any serious discussion or deliberation over the good  or bad of the executive  decisions concerning governance.   All appears to be with a  design to obliterate the real issues of the people from the centre stage.

The 105,000- crores, which is a highly exaggerated financial outflow worked out by the 7^th CPC for this fiscal year has been substantially reduced, thanks to the deferring the grant of enhanced allowances, disapproval of the Option No.1 granted by the commission to the Pensioners as a relief, the continuous derailing of the negotiating machinery and the sheer refusal even to abide by the decisions of the Judiciary and Arbitration Boards, deferring decision on extending the benefit of revision of wages and pension  to the employees of the autonomous organizations  etc. To sustain the untenable actions, threats are employed invoking the provisions of the colonial rules and regulations.   A good number of participants in the magnificent rally at the Parliament street on 15^th December, 2016 was the retired personnel, despite their physical debilities due to the advancing age.  They look forward to the NCCPA and the Confederation to articulate, present and fight for their demands and ensure that justice is rendered to them.

There is no doubt that the ongoing struggle undertaken by the Confederation will create sanctions not only on the Government but also on those who witness it from the sidelines but refuse to become part and parcel of an event that is bound to have its imprint in the history of the movement of the Central Government employees in the country. That should not deter us but steel  our determination to march to its glorious end of victory.