d 02-12-2019
WHY CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES GO ON NATION WIDE ONE DAY STRIKE ON 8TH JANUARY, 2020
I. Background:
The return of the NDA Government, in the aftermath of 17th Lok Sabha election with larger and decisive mandate poses a big challenge for the entire working class movement. The Government which proved its commitment to the big corporate business houses, international finance and imperialism is more aggressive and brutal this time. The hell-bent move for privatisation of resource-rich as well as asset-rich public sector undertakings including Bharat Petroleum Company Ltd. (BPCL), Airports etc. massive outsourcing, aggressive corporatisation of Railway Production Units, major ports, and Ordnance Factories, closure of Government of India Printing Presses and Railway Printing Presses, complete deregulation of mining sector, handing over oil fields with huge investment for private exploration, legally writing off of major part of huge default of Corporates of around ten lakhs crore rupees, concessions in direct taxes to the corporates to the tune of 5.84 lakhs crore in the last five years, aggressive labour law reforms to impose conditions of slavery on the working people, facilitating expropriation of national assets and resources including land by the private corporate lobby, are some of the examples of this “big bang” pro-corporate and anti-people, anti-working class reforms. Government has made it clear that more reforms are in the pipeline.
National economy is pushed towards a greater disaster, towards perpectual dependence on international finance capital and imperialist powers. Country’s economy has been slipping into continuous slow down with virtual stagnation in employment generation. Unemployment rate in the country has been sky-rocketed to a 45 years high. Domestic markets, both industrial ,and consumer, are squeezed because of declining demand and consumption level owing to deepening impoverishment of the common people. The manufacturing sector is at its lowest. Job losses due to closure of industries and sales-outlets and also due to deep slump in automobile and construction sector is alarming. Income inequality and disparity between rich and poor has taken to an obscene level. Multiplication of the landless, hapless rural prolitariat is taking place in a big way.
The crisis in the economy has put the mass of the populace across the sector in tremendous sufferings and they are coming out in protest through various agitations, actions and mobilisation all over the country. The ruling class is getting increasingly intolerant to democratic expression of the masses. To divert people’s attention from the real cause of their sufferings, the ruling class is resorted to aggressive divisive machination and communal polarisation.
Therefore, the challenge is much bigger before us, but it is not insurmountable. The most crucial task before us, therefore is to further widen the unity of the working class movement and heighten the struggle towards offensive intervention. This broadest alliance is to be built up on the premise of uncompromising battle against neo-liberalism and its socio-economic and political instrumentalities. Central Government employees have a rich history and legacy of heroic struggles and sacrifices right from the colonial days. That rich history which we proudly inherit will inspire and give us confidence to unitedly confront and combat. We will definitely overcome.
II. Confederation and 10 points charter of demands:
Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers is the class-oriented militant trade union of the Central Government employees including Gramin Dak sevaks and Casual/Contract workers. Confederation always stood with the mainstream of the working class of India. Confederation is a constituent of the united platform of all Central Trade Unions (excluding BMS) and independent Federations. Confederation National Secretariat has unanimously decided to join the 8th January 2020 nationwide General strike in which about 20 crores workers of organised and unorganised sectors are expected to participate. Strike notice will be served to the Government and to all Departmental heads by Confederation CHQ and all affiliated Federations/Unions/Associations on 12th December 2019 with massive demonstrations and gate meetings. The following are the demands included in the 10 points charter of demands of Confederation.
1. Scrap New Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS) and restore Defined benefit Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to all employees who joined service on or after 0-01-2004. Guarantee 50% of the last pay drawn as Minimum Pension.
Government of India has implemented New Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS) for all Central Govt. employees entering service on or after 01-01-2004. The monthly pension amount being received under the Insurance Annuity Scheme under NPS varied from Rs.700 to Rs.3000/- per month, to those NPS employees who had already retired from service during 2018 and 2019, after completing 14 to 15 years of service, whereas as per the Old Pension Scheme an employee who completes minimum ten years qualifying service will get 50% of the last pay drawn as Minimum Pension which in any case will not be less than Rs.9,000/- for a lowest level employee with ten years service in Central service. In effecet the “New Pension Scheme” (NPS) has become a “No Pension Scheme (NPS). Thus the very principle laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India that “Pension is a social welfare measure rendering socio-economic justice to those, who in the hey day of their life ceaselessly toiled for the employer on an assurance that in their old age, they would not be left in lurch”, stands defeated. 10% of pay plus DA is recovered as monthly contribution fron NPS employees. After retirement they will not get any Dearness Relief, No Pension revision at the time of wage revision by Pay Commissions, No GPF but only voluntarily deposit in Tier-II account, No family pension on death after retirement, Pension not paid by Government but insurance companies are paying based on Annuity Insurance Scheme to be opted by the NPS employee and No additional pensions on attaining the age of 80 years or above. As per PFRDA Act there is no implicit or explicit guarantee by the Government regarding Pension. By discriminating between the Central Government employees who joined service before 01-01-2004 and after 01-01-2004, the Government has created a “class within the class”.
Further there are provisions in the PERDA Act to bring under the purview of Pension Fund, the existing OPS employees and also Pensioners through a Gazette notification. Seventh Central Pay Commission headed by Retired Justice of Supreme Court Shri. Ashok Kumar Mathur, in its report made the following observations about NPS:
“Almost a whole lot of Government employees appointed on or after 01-01-2004, were unhappy with the New Pension Scheme. Government should take a call to look into their grievances”.
Govt. appointed a Secretary level committee called “NPS Committee” for streamlining the NPS, but that committee was not mandated to look into the main demand of the NPS employees ie; scrap NPS, restore OPS and guarantee 50% of the last pay drawn as monthly pension. It is true that as per the recommendations of the NPS Committee, Govt’s. contribution to NPS is increased to 14% from 10% and some other cosmetic changes are also made in the NPS Rules. But the basic grievance still remained unattended and unsettled, as a result uncertainity about the social security and Pension looms large over the head of every NPS employee and the discontentment among the NPS employees (as correctly observed by 7th CPC) is growing day by day. We demand that NPS should be scrapped and OPS should be restored and at least 50% of the last pay drawn should be guaranteed as Minimum monthly Pension on retirement.
2. Honour the assurances given by Group of Ministers on 30-06-2016 to National Council (JCM) Standing Committee members regarding increase in Minimum Pay and fitment factor recommended by Seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC):
All the Federations/Unions/Associations in the Central Govt. Employees sector including Railways, Defence and Confederation had given a call for nationwide indefinite strike from 11th July 2016, demanding increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment formula recommended by Seventh CPC and other 7th CPC related issues. A goup of Cabinet Ministers including Shri. Rajnath Singh, then Home Minister, Shri. Arun Jaitley, then Finance Minister, Shri. Suresh Prabhu, then Railway Minister discussed the demands with the leaders of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) and assured that Minimum Pay and Fitment formula will be increased and a High Level Committee will be appointed to submit recommendations in this regard. The assurnces were reiterated by Shri. Rajnath Singh, then Home Minister on 6th July 2016 in the second round of discussion and Finance Ministry issued a press statement confirming the assurances. Accordingly, the proposed indefinite strike call of the NJCA was deferred, taking in good faith the assurances given by the Group of Ministers. Evenafter a lapse of three years, neither the promised High Level Committee is constituted by the Govt. nor the Minimum Pay and fitment formula is increased. The entire employees and Pensioners are betrayed. We demand the Government to take immediate necessary action for implementing the assurances given by the Group of Ministers.
3. Grant “Option-I Parity” recommended by the 7th CPC to all Central Government Pensioners.
7th CPC has recommended a new formula called “Option-1” for refixing the existing pension of Central Government Pensioners retired prior to 01-01-2016. Government accepted the recommendation in principle and constituted a Secretary level committee to examine and recommend regarding the feasibility of implementing ''option-1'' recommended by 7th CPC. The Committee was not, ready to heed the valid and scientific pleadings made by the staffside in favour of the recommendation made by 7th CPC which is an ''Expert Body'' headed by retired Justice of Supreme Court, instead viewed the case with a closed mind and gave recommendation to the Government that implementation of Option-I is not feasible. Govt accepted the recommendations of the Secretary Level Committee and rejected ''option-I'' recommended by 7th CPC.
The entire Pension community is very much aggrieved of the decision of the Government. We demand the Government to review the case dispassionately, so that the ''option-I parity'' recommended by the 7th CPC will be accepted and implemented
4. Regularisation of Gramin Dak Sevaks working in Postal Department and casual/contract workers working in all Central Govt Establishments.
(a) About 2.76 lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks are employed in the Postal Department. Govt. appointed a one man committee headed by retired Postal Board Member Shri Kamalesh Chandra, to examine their wages and service conditions. The final report submitted by the Committee includes certain positive recommendations. As abnormal delay took place in implementing the recommendations of the Committee, the entire Gramin Dak Sevaks went on indefinite strike for 16 days in 2018. Finally Govt issued orders, but some of the recommendations are either modified, diluted or rejected, including payment of arrears from 01-01-2016 as per the formula recommended by the Committee. We demand the Government to regularise the services of Gramin Dak Sevaks and also implementation of the pending positive recommendations of the Kamalesh Chandra Committee report.
(b) There are thousands of causal/contract employees and workers engaged in all Central Govt departments and working for years together. They are not paid equal wages and not extended any benefits of regular employees. Even after working for more than ten years continuously, their request for regularisation is not considered favourably. There is no scheme to absorb them in regular service. We demand the Government to workout and implement a scheme to regularise all casual/contract workers including Part-time, Contingent employees and daily rated mazdoors and extend them all the benefits of regular employees.
5. Stop Corporatisation/Privatisation of Railways, Defence and Postal Departments. Withdraw the orders for closure/reorganisation of Govt. of India Printing Presses, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Salt Department,Stationery Offices etc.
The no holds barred big bang reforms unleashed by the Central Government has given rise to an alarming situation in the Central Governent Departments. The proposed move to Corporatise Railway Production Centres and allowing private passenger trains, Corporatisation of Defence Ordinance Factories, Life Insurance and Parcel Sector of Postal department, closure of Govt. of India Printing Presses, proposed reorganisation of Salt Department, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Stationary Offices etc. has put in danger the very existence of various Central Govt. Departments and also the job security of lakhs of Central Govt. Employees, Gramin Dak Sevaks and Casual/Contract Workers. The present fate of the Telecom Department which was corporatised in 2000 into different companies is a bitter lesson for all. We demand the Government to desist from the proposed move to corporatisation, privatisation, closure and reorganisation of Central Govt. departments.
6. Filling up of seven lakhs vacancies existing in various Central Govt. Departments:
As per the 7th CPC report (Annexure to Chapter-3) there are 7,47,171 vacancies in the Central Govt. Departments as on 01-01-2014. More retirements has taken place after 01-01-2014 and now the figure may go upto 8 lakhs. During the period from 2001 to 2008, thousands of posts are abolished in all Departments as per the downsizing orders issued by the NDA Govenment in 2001. Only very few posts are filled up after 2014 and most of the Departments are running with 30 to 40% shortage of manpower. This has resulted in heavy increase in workload on the existing employees and has adversely affected the efficiency of all Central Govt. Departments to a great extent. We demand the Government to take immediate necessary action for filling up all vacant posts in all departments of Central Government.
7. Revision of Wages from 01-01-2016 and payment of arrears of pay and Bonus from 2016 onwards to the employees of Autonomous bodies:
Due to the stringent conditions imposed by the Finance Ministry, the pay revision from 01-01-2016 and payment of arrears is still pending in most of the Autonomous bodies under Central Government. Further they are denied Bonus from 2015-16 onwards. We demand the Government to take necessary action to redress the long pending genuine grievances of the Autonomous body employees.
There are other issues also which is already submitted to the Government and the Heads of various Ministries/Departments which are listed in the enclosed Charter of Demands.
Confederation National Secretariat request each and every Central Government Employee to propogate the above genuine demands by all means among the entireity of Central Government Employees. We also request all Central Government Employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks and Casual/Contract Workers, to whole heartedly participate in the strike on 8th January 2020 and make the strike a thundering success in the Central Government Employees sector.
Organise, if you want to survive,
Organise, if you want to ensure job security
Organise, if you want to ensure better wages,
Organise, if you want your Pension to be protected,
Organise, if you want your Trade Union Rights to remain.
STRIKE....... STRIKE....... STRIKE....... STRIKE.......
INQUILAB ZINDANAD
JANUARY 8TH ZINDABAD
ALL INDIA STRIKE ZINDABAD
With struggle greetings,
Yours faithfully,
M. Krishnan,
Secretary General,
Confederation.
Mob: 09447068125
Email: mkrishnan6854@gmail.com
10 POINTS CHARTER OF DEMANDS OF CONFEDERATION
1. Scrap New Contributory Pension scheme (NPS). Restore Old defined benefit Pension Scheme (OPS) to all employees. Guarantee 50% of the last pay drawn as Minimum Pension.
2. Honour assurance given by Group of Ministers (GoM) to NJCA leaders on 30-06-2016. Increase Minimum Pay and Fitment formula. Withdraw the proposed move to modify the existing time-tested methodology for calculation of Minimum wage. Grant HRA arrears from 01-01-2016. Withdraw “Very Good” bench mark for MACP, Grant promotional heirarchy and date of effect from 01-01-2006. Grant Option-I parity recommended by 7th CPC to all Central Govt. Pensioners. Settle all anomalies arising out of 7th CPC implementation.
3. Stop corporatisation/privatisation of Railways, Defence and Postal Departments. Withdraw closure orders of Govt. of India Printing Presses. Stop proposed move to close down Salt Department. Stop closure of Govt. establishments and outsourcing.
4. Fill up all six lakhs vacant posts in the Central Government Departments in a time bound manner. Reintroduce Regional Recruitment for Group B & C posts.
5. (a) Regularisation of Gramin Dak Sevaks and grant of Civil servant status. Implement remaining positive recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee report.
(b) Regularise all casual and contract workers including those joined on or after 01-09-1993.
6. Ensure equal pay for equal work for all. Remove disparity in pay scales between Central Secretariat staff and similarly placed staff working in field units of various departments.
7. Implement 7th CPC Wage Revision and Pension revision of remaining Autonomous bodies. Ensure payment of arrears without further delay. Grant Bonus to Autonomous body employees pending from 2016-17 onwards.
8. Remove 5% condition imposed on compassionate appointments. Grant appointment in all eligible cases.
9. Grant five time bound promotions to all Group B & C employees. Complete Cadre Review in all departments within a time-frame.
10. (a) Withdraw the anti-worker wage/labour codes and other anti-worker Labour reforms. Stop attack on trade union rights. Ensure prompt functioning of various negotiating forums under the JCM Scheme at all levels.
(b) Withdraw the draconian FR 56 (j) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension Rules 1972.
.................
F CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & WORKERS
Ist Floor, North Avenue Postoffice Building, New Delhi-110001
Circular dated 02-12-2019
To
1. All National Secretariat Members
2. All Affiliated organisations
3. All General Secretaries of C-O-Cs.
Dear Comrades,
1. Please see the attached campaign programme. This is in addition to the campaign programme of all affiliated organizations and C-o-Cs. All C-o-Cs are requested to take necessary action to arrange the meetings with maximum participation of employees. All affiliated organizations should give instructions to their local units ,to ensure maximum participation of their members in the meeting. Leaders allotted to each place should also contact each other and the C-o-Cs concerned.
2. Phone Numbers of Leaders is enclosed herewith.
3. In addition to the above, separate intensive campaign programmes should be conducted by each affiliated organization and C-o-Cs. This is most important.
4. All affiliated organizations should serve separate strike notice to their departmental heads on 12-12-2019 without fail. Copy of the strike notice should be sent to all lower units and exhibited in website. One copy may be emailed to confederationhq@gmail.com
5. Copy of the strike notice served by Confederation Central Head Quarters to Cabinet Secretary will be published in the website along with the 10 points charter of demands.
Yours fraternally,
M. Krishnan
Secretary General
Confederation
Mob&Whatsapp: 09447068125
email: mkrishnan6854@gmail.com
CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & WORKERS
Ist Floor, North Avenue Postoffice Building, New Delhi-110001
02-12-2019
2020 JANUARY 8TH ALL INDIA STRIKE
CAMPAIGN PROGRAMME OF NATIONAL SECRETARIAT MEMBERS
&
OFFICE BEARERS OF AFFILIATES OF CONFEDERATION
Sl.No. States Place Date Leaders attending
1. Andhra Pradesh Vijayawada 27-12-2019 P. Suresh
Venkata Subbu
Venkatesan
Nageswararao
Usha Bonepalli
P.Pandurangarao
2. Assam Guwahati 27-12-2019 Tapas Bose
U.K. Tiwari
Arup Chatterjee
Subir Kr. Mazumbar
3. Bihar Patna 18-12-2019 Giriraj Singh
Pujush Roy
U.K.Tiwari
Shantau Bhattacharjee
4. Chhattisgarh Raipur 02-01-2020 P. Suresh
D.B.Mohanty
Ashok Kumar Kanojia
5. Delhi All important Dates & place to President & all other
centres in be decided by available National
Delhi State C-O-C Delhi Secretariat Members
6. Gujarat Ahmedabad 01-01-2020 R.N. Parashar
Ashok Kumar Kanojia
7. Haryana Ambala 27-12-2019 Giriraj Singh
8. Himachal Pradesh Shimla 03-01-2019 Vrigu Bhattacharjee
Virendra Sharma
9. Jharkhand Ranchi 20-12-2020 Giriraj Singh
Shantau Bhattacharjee
Pijush Roy
10. Karnataka Bangalore 03-01-2020 M.S.Raja
Venkatesan
P.V.Rajendran
P.S.Prasad
R.Seethalakshmi
Janaki Raman
Sreenivasan
11. Kerala Trivandrum & 02-01-2020 & M.S.Raja
Ernakulam 06-01-2020 M. Krishnan
V.Sreekumar
P.V.Rajendran
Gopalakrishnan Nair
12. Maharashtra Mumbai 27-12-2019 K.K.N.Kutty
Nagpur M.S.Raja
Pune Ravi Nair
R.P.Singh
K.V.Jayaraj
P.M. Worlikar
Nilesh D.Nasare
Gurprit Singh
Balakrishna Chalke
P.U.Khadse
13. Madhya Pradesh Bhopal 27-12-2019 R.N. Parashar
T.K.R.Pillai
Yaswanth Purohit
14. North East Shillong 20-12-2019 Debnath
Arup Chattarjee
Ramani Bhattacharjee
15. Odisha Bhubaneshwar 27-12-2019 Vrigu Bhattacharjee
Janardhanan
D.B.Mohanthy
16. Punjab Chandigarh 01-01-2020 Virendra Tiwari
Balwinder Singh
17. Rajasthan Jaipur 03-01-2020 Giriraj Singh
Balwinder Singh
18. Tamil Nadu Chennai 02-01-2020 M.S.Raja
Jayakumar (NFAEE)
J.Ramamurthy
DuraiPandyan
R.B. Suresh
Balasundaram
S. Santhosh Kumar
Mani Achari
Venkatesan.
19. Uttar Pradesh Lucknow & 01-01-2020 R.N.Parashar
Allahabad Giriraj Singh
(Allahabad)
J.P. Singh
Virendra Tiwari
(Allahabad)
Subhash Chandra Pandey
20. Uttarakhand Dehradum 01-01-2020 Vrigu Bhattarcharjee
Arup Chatterjee
21. West Bengal Kolkata 30-12-2019 K.K.N.Kutty
Pijush Roy
Janardhan Majumdar
Arup Chaterjee
Tapas Bose
Bibhas Dey
Rupak Sarkar
22. Telangana Hyderabad 03-01-2020 K.K.N.Kutty
M.Krishnan
T.Narasimhan
P. Suresh
S.B.Yadav
Nageswara Rao
Usha Bonepalli
Venkata Subbu
CONTACT NUMBERS OF CONFEDERATION LEADERS
1 K.K.N. Kutty 9811048303
2 M.S Raja 9868145667
3 T.Narasimhan 9440056969
4 Asokkumar Kanojia 9810206426
5 M.Krishnan 9447068125
6 Nageswar Rao 9912348233
7 Giriraj Singh 9811213808
8 R. Seethalakshmi 9868114355
9 Rupak Sarkar 8902198000
10 R.N. Parashar 9868819295
11 Pijush Roy 9433515577
12 K.V.Jayaraj 9869501189
13 Ravi.B.Nair 9969234999
14 Subash Chandra Pandey 9005334999
15 Vrigu Bhattacharya 9868520926
16 Arup Chatterjee 9874408310
17 Nilesh D. Nasaze 9850354898
18 Bibash Dey 9831472849
19 A.Balasundaram 9080791266
20 Shantanu Bhattacharyya 8981034091
21 Mani Achari 9442155128
22 S.Santhoshkumar 9444991236
23 Tapas Bose 8017743253
24 P.Suresh 9811358335
25 T.K.R.Pillai 9425372172
26 Gurprit Singh 9422440266
27 P.Panduranga Rao 9849466595
28 Gopalakrishnan Nair 9446047688
29 Virendra Tiwari 9839195933
30 J.P.Singh 8005445445
31 R.B.Suresh 9444074470
32 P.S. Prasad 9480066620
33 Subir K. Majumder 9401991313
34 Usha Boneppalli 8985971009
35 R.P.Singh 9969080996
36 Venkatesan 9445955553
37 D.B.Mohanthy 9437072066
38 Janardhan Majumder 7003775506
39 P.V.Rajendran 9446023884
40 Virendra Sharma 9418706438
41 V. Sreekumar 9447254666
42 P.M.Worlikar 9930187121
43 Yaswant Purohit 9406717191
44 Debnath Assam C-O-C 9435043502
45 Ramani Bhattacharjee 9862205298
46 Balwinder Singh 9868853970
47 Jayakumar 9381759648
48 J. Ramamurthy 9843370580
49 Durai Pandian 9789833552
50 S.B Yadav 7752829874
51 P.U. Khadse 9421779684
52 UK Tiwari 9431646096
53 Sreenivasan 9481231131
54 Venkata Subbu 9849758674
55 Balakrishna Chalke 8082171265
56 Janakiraman 9448087188
M.Krishnan
Secretary General
Confederation
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