2017 - our experience & 2018 - our
pledge
trust of employees and pensioners retrayed
and their hopes ended in despair
and their hopes ended in despair
“there is no alternative to the struggle for
existence”
M.
Krishnan
Secretary
General, Confederation
Seventh Central Pay
Commission Chairman, Justice (Retired) Ashok Kumar Mathur in his foreword to
7th CPC Report has quoted the following lines in the case of Bhupendra Nath
Hazarika and another Versus State of Assam & others wherein the Supreme
Court of India has observed as follows:
“It should always be borne
in mind that legitimate aspirations of the employees are not guillotined and a
situation is not created where hopes end in despair. Hopes for every one is graciously precious
and that a model employer should not convert it to be deceitful and
treacherous..... A sense of calm
sensibility and concerned sincerity should be reflected at every step. An atmosphere of trust has to prevail and
when the employees are absolutely sure that their trust shall not be betrayed
and they shall be treated with dignified fairness, then only the concept of
good governance can be concretized. We
say no more.”
We don’t know whether the
powers-that-be at the helm of affiars of the Central Government has ever read
the above observations of the Apex Court quoted by 7th CPC. Fact remains - BJP-led NDA Government has
guillotined the legitimate aspirations of the Central Government employees and
pensioners and created a situation wherein their graciously precious hopes
ended in despair. The Government converted
their hopes to be deceitful and treacherous.
The stand taken by the Government is devoid of calm sensibility and
concerned sincerity. Trust of the 32
lakhs employees and 33 lakhs pensioners is betrayed and their expectations of
fair treatment from Government has been proved wrong.
Who
gave the hopes and who betrayed:
In the wake of indefinite
strike call given by National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) of Central Govt.
Employees from 11th July 2016, in the crucial meeting held in the night of 30th
June 2016, solemn assurance was given by none other than the topmost Cabinet
Ministers of NDA Government Sri. Rajnath Singh, Home Minister, Sri. Arun
Jaitley, Finance Minister and Shri. Suresh Prabhu, then Railway Minister. It was told that Hon’ble Prime Minister Sri.
Narendra Modiji has directed the group of Ministers to hold discussion with
NJCA leaders. Group of Ministers gave
categorical assurance that minimum pay and fitment formula will be increased
and for that purpose a High Level Committee will be constituted. Again on 6th July 2016 Sri. Rajnath Singh,
Home Minister, reiterated the assurance and Finance Ministry issued a press
statement confirming the assurance. Leaders
and employees trusted the words of the Senior Cabinet Ministers. Eighteen (18) months are over. No High Level Committee is constituted. No hike in minimum pay and fitment formula is
granted.
Delaying
tactics and then denial:
From the very begining of
coming to power, the NDA Govt. has adopted a tactics of “delay and then deny”
the legitimate aspirations of the Central Govt. Employees and Pensioners. Pay Commission was granted four months
extension. Empowered Committee took
seven months and pay scales were implemented without any change after seven
months delay from the date of submission of 7th CPC report. Allowance Committee took one year and finally
arrears of HRA and other allowances for eighteen months are denied. Pension Option-I Committee was appointed to
deny the one and the only favourable recommendations of the 7th CPC for
Pensioners. NPS Committee made it clear
that withdrawl of NPS or guaranteeing minimum pension (50% of the last pay
drawn) are not under its purview.
Anomaly Committee informed the JCM Staff side that 80% of the items
submitted by staff side including increase in minimum pay and fitment formula
will not constitute an anomaly and hence will not come under the purview of the
Anomaly Committee. Regarding
implementation of the positive recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee on
Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) also almost eleven (11) months are over after the
submission of the report to Govt. on 24-11-2016. The brutal exploitation of casual and
contract workers is increasing day by day.
Eventhough Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) is not regular
promotion, instead of seniority-cum-fitness Government imposed more stringent
conditions to deny the promotions to thousands of employees.
Wage,
Job, Social Security and Trade Union rights under attack:
Not only the legitimate pay
and allowances of the Central Govt. employees are denied, their job security is
also under attack due to the neo-liberal policies pursued aggressively by the
NDA Government. Many work done by Railway Employees are outsourced and
privatised and now leasing out of Railway stations and Railway Land to private
corporates under PPP model is under progress. Decision has been taken by
Government to outsource and privatise Defence production and related activities
like Research, Maintenance and services etc. and to permit 100% FDI in Defence
industry. 200 products being
manufactured by the Ordinance factories are ordered to be handed over to
private corporates. Small Svings Schemes
which was the monopoly of the Postal Department is outsourced to private banks
and orders for outsorucing of booking and delivery of registered and speed post
article is also issued. Out of 17 Govt.
of India Printing Presses 12 presses are ordered to be closed as per Cabinet
decision. Many other small departments
are also facing the attack of outsourcing, privatisation and closure.
Orders are issued by Govt.
threatening serious disciplinary action against employees who participate in
dharnas, demonstraions and strikes. JCM
National Council meeting we as not held for the last seven years. Most of the Departmental Councils are not
functioning. Chief Executives of recognised Associations are harassed and
vindictively transferred and recognition and trade union facilities to the
Associations are withdrawn. Results of the
membership verification under the Recognition Rules are not being declared and
even verification process under check-off system is stopped half-way.
NPS has become “No-Pension
System” as many of the employees who retired after 10 to 12 years are getting
monthly annuity pension (from Insurance
Company) less than Rs.2,000/- only whereas the minimum pension for 10 years
service under the old pension scheme is now Rs.9,000/-. Government is not ready to heed the demand of
the staff side to withdraw Contributory Pension Scheme and guarantee minimum
pension (50% of the last pay drawn) to all under Contributory Pension
Scheme. The observations of the 7th CPC
that - “almost the whole lot of Government employees appointed on or after
01-01-2004 are unhappy with the New Pension System. Government should take a call and look
into their grievances” remains in paper.
Thus the social security of the employees is facing greatest threat from
Government.
‘Tough
time never last, but tough people do’
No doubt the entire working
class along with Central Government employees are passing through a tough
period. There life and livelihood are
under attack. And at the same time
resistance movement against the policy offensives are gaining momentum. Entire Trade Unions (barring BMS) has
organised three days “Maha Dharna” at New Delhi in which lakhs of workers
participated. BMS was also compelled to
organise a separate protest programme against the retrogade policies of the
Narendra Modi Government. Central
Government employees under the banner of Confederation conducted series of
agitational programmes like Parliament March, One day strike, Mass dharna in
front of Finance Minister’s Office, Human Chain, Burning of HRA Orders,
District level dharnas, State level dharnas etc. demanding settlement of 21 point charter of demands submitted to Government. Coming days will witness more sectoral
struggles and joint struggles leading to indefinite strike.
No
alternative for struggle:
Thus the struggles of the
Working Class which was hitherto defensive in nature, is becoming more and more
offensive. We have to intensify our
struggle during 2018 for our survival.
Let us remember and tell our friends in the Central Govt. Employees
movement who are waiting peacefully and endessly hoping for justice from
NDA Government -
“Organise if you want real
living wages, organise if you want to have your working hours reduced, organise
if you desire better treatment from your superior officers, organise if you
want that the authorities should consult and consider your opinion on all
administrative measures affecting you.
Petitions, memorandums and supplications will count for nothing, so long
as you do not organise yourselves in a manner to convice the Government that
you will no longer stand nonsense.”
Let us march forward with
full commitment and determination.
Ultimate victory shall be
ours.
If it weren’t for the Union
Our union’s story is
there to be seen,
We’ve won many
victories and we’ve suffered defeats,
But as I turn through
the pages and look back through time,
There’s one single
question stands out in my mind -
Today we may prosper,
today we live free,
But if it weren’t for
the union, where would we be?
From it’s humble
beginnings our union has grown,
So no working person
need struggle alone.
But no gain that’s
been made has been made without cost,
And together we’ll
see that no gain’s ever lost;
Take a look at those
countries where workers aren’t free-
If it weren’t for the
union, where would we be?
Would you choose to
go back, working twelve hours a day,
Would you choose to
toil more and a pittance be paid?
Will you stand in the
union against the new right,
or do you think on
your own you can withstand their might?
The answer is written
in our history,
If it weren’t for the
union, where would we be?
They say we’ve got
problems, and the unions they blame,
Well, Franco and
Pinochet they said the same.
If our union they
weaken, if our union they break,
Then where’s our
defence from becoming enslaved?
So would you choose
bondage above liberty?
And if it weren’t for
the union, where would we be?
It’s our union, our
union that defends our rights,
But our union is as
strong as our will is to fight,
For the union is you
and the union is me,
So stand up and stand
by our union.
-
Peter Hicks and Geoff Francis.
.........................
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