FIGHT WITH CONVICTION

DISAPPOINTMENT OR BONANZA?

 

Media says it is a bonanza to Central Government Employees. Is it so? What is the fate of our demand for modifications presented in the meeting of Standing Committee of JCM by the Staff Side? Is justice rendered? Are we satisfied? Can we call it a day with regard to pay commission affairs?

 

Need Based Minimum Wage as per the 15^th ILC formula comes out to Rs.9700/- per month for a Group D employee. Applying unscientific means the 6^th Pay Commission has slashed it to only Rs.5700/-. Even the upgraded pay scales of a Group D to Group C is Rs.6600/- only. The Government by adding the benefit of 12% additional DA, which was not included in pay determination by the Pay Commission as on 1.1.2006, has only made it as Rs.7000/- for a Group C employee. Even by just maintaining the NNP Formula of 5^th CPC, the minimum pay cannot be below Rs.7,400/-. Therefore the announcement of the Government is totally negative and dissatisfactory. A grave injustice is perpetrated

 

The Government has not even considered the fact that fixing the minimum wage so low as 7000/- would be ridiculous because this minimum wages is not even above the amount of transport allowance recommended for the Bureaucracy @ 7,000/- per month. What a shame? Transport Allowance of a Officer is 7000/- and the minimum wages of an employee is also 7000/-.

 

 Thirdly, the issue of abolition of Group D from Central Government Services. Mr. Dholakia, the Member of the 6^th Pay Commission has said yesterday that the Class IV Employees will be en-block upgraded to the Class III. But the basic question is there will not be continued recruitment against these upgraded posts as and when officials retire from service? The Government has clearly spelt out that except Peon and Porter of Railway Department all other unskilled Group D would not be continued. This means the Government has accepted the outsourcing and contractorising of unskilled work of Group D. This is another grave injustice.

 

Fourthly, the 6^th Pay Commission has proved that it is a capitalist commission by nature. This has been proved by its biased recommendations of huge bonanza for Higher Bureaucracy and another yard stick for lower employees in the matter of fitment formula. All earlier pay commissions have applied same formula for pay fixation for all employees and officers alike. This is the first time a pay commission recommends a minimum of 41% raise at the beginning stage of Officers and more than 180% raise for top bureaucrats.  Same time the pay commission did not even recommend a uniform 40% raise to all employees below Group A. The unanimous demand of the Staff Side for ensuring a minimum 40% wage raise for all by applying 2.625 times of basic pay as on 1.1.2006 as like the minimum raise given to officers is rejected by the Union Cabinet. The grant of just 1.86 times of fitment benefit has not ensured even a minimum of 40% raise in wages for all employees. This is another grave injustice.

 

Fifth, though the date of effect has been accepted from 1.1.2006, the arrears payment in one lump-sum is denied. The 40% of arrears only would be given in the current financial year and the balance 60% would be given only in the 2009-2010 financial year. The postponing of payment is also an injustice.

 

Sixth, the Government has agreed only to raise the rate of increment as 3% instead of 2.5% recommended by the Pay Commission.  Non-acceptance of the Staff Side demand for a minimum of 3.5% increment is also rejected. Taking into account there is going to be another wage revision for the Public Sector Employee shortly and that for more than a decade there will not be any wage revision for the CG Employees, the denial of higher rate of increment would further cause the gap between the employees of Central Government and the Public Sector Units would widen further.

 

Seventh, the rationalization for grant of transport allowance even after the modification do not render justice to the lower grade officials below a basic pay of 4000/-. This is another grave injustice in the background of the fact that the CCA has been cancelled.

 

Lastly, the only good thing that has come about by the decision of the Union Cabinet is the acceptance of 3 ACPs for the Civilian and Military Services employees. Now financial up-gradations would be granted after 10, 20 and 30 years for Civilian Employees and after 8, 16 and 24 years for Defense Services under the modified ACP Scheme. This would ensure three financial up-gradations in service for all employees. Employees working in departments like the Department of Posts would naturally now prefer to switch over to the 'modified ACP Scheme' instead of their TBOP/BCR Schemes.

 

Therefore by any standards, the decisions of the Government are not at all a 'Bonanza' to the CG Employees but only a deception and denial of justice.

 

Under such circumstances, the Central Government Employees movement has to vehemently agitate and struggle for justice. The Extended National Executive Committee meeting of the Confederation of CG Employees would meet on 26^th August in New Delhi to chalk out its next course of action.

 

Now, let us not get confused with the announcement of the government on the pay commission and let us concentrate only on organizing the 20^th August Strike in a massive manner.

 

The 20^th August Strike is not only for pay commission related issues and therefore the announcement of the decision for implementing the pay commission recommendations cannot and should not stop us from effectively organizing for the Strike on 20^th August.

 

The Strike on 20^th August if for protecting our Pension and other rights which are now increasingly under the threat of privatization after 22^nd July Trust Vote Victory for the UPA Government. The Strike on 20^th August is also for fighting against all neo-liberal economic policies of the Government that are aiming to destroy the Government Sector and Public Sector fabric. The Screening Committee should go and the ban on recruitment should also go. The GDS should get justice by grant of Status and Pension. All the negative recommendations of Pay Commission shall be rejected by the Government.

 

Only a successful Strike by the Central Government Employees in general and the Postal Employees in particular would protect us. And the battle cannot be won without forging unity with the entirety of the working class and public sector employees and the employees of Central and State Government.

 

Time is short.

Get organized.

Unite with all.

Make the Strike on 20^th August A TOTAL SUCCESS.

 

 

 

 

 

--
K.Ragavendran
Secretary General NFPE