DEFERRING OF THE INDEFINITE STRIKE – CLARIFICATIONS
M. Krishnan, Secretary General,
Confederation of C. G. Employees & Workers
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. We sincerely thank all those
leaders, comrades and well-wishers, who have conveyed (and still
conveying) their views, opinions, criticisms and concerns to the
confederation CHQ.
1. 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 7TH CPC RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE DELAYED FURTHER FOR FOUR MONTHS
The question of keeping in
abeyance the implementation of the Cabinet decision on 29th June 2016
regarding 7th 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 7th 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 7th 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 7th 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.”
6. 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 7th 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.
7. WHAT ABOUT DEMANDS OF THE GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS, AS NJCA IS MORE CONCERNED WITH MINIMUM PAY FITMENT FORMULA ONLY
Any increase in the minimum pay
and fitment formula for departmental employees (MTS, Postman & PA)
will be extended to Gramin Dak Sevaks also proportionately as the GDS
Pay Scales are decided based on the pay scales of corresponding category
of departmental employees. So, the demand to increase minimum pay and
fitment formula of MTS, Postman and PA is equally important for GDS
also.
As regards, civil servant status
the NJCA has raised this demand before the Govt and 7th CPC. Even
though the 7th CPC Chairman, Retired Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur has
informed the JCM staff side leaders he will not consider the GDS case as
they are not included in the terms of reference of the Commission, the
Chairman gave a very damaging recommendation to the Govt. that GDS are
not Civil Servants but they are part – time employees and
Extra-departmental agents. He further stated that all the GDS are having
another main independent income from another source and GDS job is only
a side-business. NJCA leaders have raised the issue of GDS before the
Cabinet Secretary’s Committee and also before the Group of Ministers. We
shall again raise the issue before the proposed high level committee
also. Govt. has constituted a separate committee for GDS under the
Chairmanship of Retired Postal Board Member Sri Kamalesh Chandra. NFPE,
AIPEU-GDS and Confederation has submitted detailed memorandum before the
Committee and Secretary General NFPE Com. R. N Parashar, General
Secretary AIPEU-GDS Com, P. Panduranga Rao along with other leaders has
given evidence before the GDS Committee demanding Civil Servant status.
The GDS committee will submit its report before December 2016. Further
NFPE and AIPEU-GDS has filed a case in the Supreme Court for grant of
Civil Servant status. Supreme Court has transferred the case to Delhi
High Court which in turn transferred it to Principal Bench of Central
Administrative Tribunal, Delhi. The final argument of the case will take
place on 25th July 2016. NJCA, Confederation, NFPE and AIPEU – GDS are
jointly trying their level best to get justice to three lakhs Gramin Dak
Sevaks of the Postal Department. If the GDS Committee report is against
the GDS, then definitely NJCA and Confederation will be fully
supporting the agitational programmes of NFPE & AIPEU-GDS including
indefinite strike.
The main hurdle is the policy of
the NDA Govt. as the Communication Minister of NDA Govt. has rejected
our demand for grant of Civil Servant status to GDS.
M. KRISHNAN
Secretary General,
Confederation of Central Govt Employees & Workers
Email: mkrishnan6854@gmail.com
Mob: 09447068125
Source : http://confederationhq.blogspot.in/
