Message  of the President of ITEF on the eve of the 65^th Foundation Day.

It is the proud privilege of the President to place a message to the members of ITEF on the eve of the Foundation Day.  i.e. 10^th February every year, a tradition commenced by my illustrious predecessors and  continued un-interrupted till date.  This is an occasion to recall the important happenings of the year gone by and the way it had impacted all of us and to think about as to how to combat the possible adversities emanating from some of them.   Before I do so, I take this opportunity to convey my fraternal greetings and good wishes to all our members.

Last year this day, all of us were hoping that the NDA Government will consider the issues, problems, grievances and demands placed by the National Council Staff Side on behalf of the entirety of the Central Government employees over the recommendations made by the 7^th CPC on wage revision and service conditions.  The NJCA which was formed to spearhead the movement for the realization of common demands of the Central Government employees had by that time received the respectability and acceptance of all employees over its persistent efforts to present a common front before the Government, the determination it has shown to pursue the issues through struggles and the unity it could bring about at the grass root levels.   The all-round unity had rejuvenated the movement of the central government employees and could even elicit the willing participation of the officers in all programmes of actions.  An atmosphere of camaraderie existed as never before.  Therefore, when the NJCA decided to postpone the strike action from the month of April to July, 2016 on account of the State assembly elections in five States, there had been no voice of dissent at all.  By the end of June, 2016, the preparation for the strike action, coming as it is after more than three decades, had reached its peak.

The 29^th June, 2016 Cabinet decision of the government rejecting almost all demands of the employees was, therefore a bolt from the blue for not only for the NJCA but all the affiliates and their members.  The spontaneous anger of the rank and file of the workers was clearly visible.  The unanimous and determined stand of the NJCA on 30^th June, 2016 to go ahead with the strike action was that everyone expected.   Before the expiry of 24 hours the Government had to set up a Group of Ministers and invitation extended to the leaders of the NJCA on 30^th June, for discussions.   The government held its talks at the residence of the Home Minister on 30^th June, night.  The offer of revisiting the issue  of Minimum wage and multiplication factor; setting up of a committee and issuance of orders within a time frame of four months, even though explicable in the circumstances, shattered the unity of NJCA assiduously built over a period.   Many comrades genuinely felt that the NDA Government was indulging in chicanery and the four months period was conceived to demolish the unity of the employees.  That apprehension nurtured by a section of the employees however turned out to be right as no Committee was set up nor any fruitful discussions were held with the NJCA during the said period on the two vital issues of Minimum wage and multiplication factor.  When the NJCA met again on 17^th January, 2017,  after about six and half months, the natural course ought to have   been to revive the decision of the strike action , which had been rightly deferred on  6^th July , 2016 as a sequel to the confabulations  with the Group of Ministers.  Despite such a plea advanced by the representatives of the Confederation, the NJCA decided to tread the path of negotiation before the eventual action of strike is resorted to. 

It is in this background that we must look at the decision of the Confederation to organize a one day strike action initially on 15^th Feb. 2016, now postponed to 16^th March, 2017 on account of the commencement of the election process in five states.   ITEF is duty bound to make the action a cent per cent success.  I know I have written a lengthy message to narrate the developments so far, which I could not have or should not have avoided.  The decision of the Confederation to which ITEF is an affiliate rather a founding member,  in the context it is taken,  is the one and only right course left to a militant organization which believes in struggles.  From my experience in the movement for the last 40 years I am fully aware of the hurdles ahead in organizing the strike especially when the Confederation has been compelled to tread a lonely path.  This struggle is to expose those in authority, who are, to say the least behaved like cheats, liars and those who practice double speak as a profession.  I know the generation-next may not blame us in our inability in negotiating a better and decent wage structure but will certainly not forgive us if we do not stand up to deceit and insult.  I, therefore, appeal to my colleagues and comrades to overcome all difficulties as none of them are insurmountable and make the 16^th March strike action a cent per cent success as had been the case on all previous occasions for ITEF in the last sixty five years. 

Our Secretary General has written to the Chairman, CBDT to convey the brewing situation in the Department vide his letter dated 23^rd January, 2017.  The contents of the said letter were the outcome of the discussions, the National Secretariat had in its meeting held on 21^st Jan,2017. The entire personnel in the Income Tax Department had been saddled with unbearable burden of workload, in the first six month of the fiscal, due to the Income Disclosure Scheme, the next three months due to the advancement of the limitation period from 31^st March to 31^st December and the last quarter with the onerous objective   of reaching the budget target of revenue collection and to attend on to the plethora of information flown to the system in the post demonetization period.  Stupendous is the amount of information and data received by the Department through the Banks and other agencies dealing with financial transactions in the Country, the inquiry into which alone can help to unearth the black money in the economy.  Of the 70,000 and above personnel, the Department has been sanctioned with, 45 to 50% is lying vacant.  The major reason is the absence of finalization of the recruitment rules, the files and noting of which traverse between the Department of Revenue and Department of Personnel.  Whatever might be the issue, it affects and affects adversely the very functioning of the Department.  To combat the situation, the local administration has resorted to large scale outsourcing and local employment on daily rated basis compromising the very security and confidentiality of the functions of the Department.  In the present style of functioning, it is heard that the bureaucrats are supposed to listen and not to talk.  Similarly stake holders have only been afforded the right to present their case and grievances but cannot demand discussions.  In the said scenario, there is no likelihood of the grievances reaching the top or finding a resolution in the near future.  We must expect that the issues would be sorted out by the end of the fiscal year.  Thereafter it will have to be a continuous and sustained struggle. 

Once again, let me take this opportunity to convey our best wishes and greetings to all our members on this auspicious occasion of the 65^th anniversary of our Federation.

Ashok Kumar Kanojia

President.