Friday 22 September 2017
HOLD PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS AND DHARNAS.
Government decided to close down 12 out of 17 Government of India Presses.
Cabinet rejected recommendation of the Parliamentary standing committee consisting of 32 MPs not to close down any Government of India Presse and accepted the report of Group of Secretaries to close down
Confederation National Secretariat calls upon all C-O-Cs and Affiliates to conduct protest demonstrations at all Centers and Dharnas in front of all Government of India Presses and send resolutions to Prime Minister.
M. Krishnan
Secretary General
Confederation
Wednesday 20 September 2017
Tuesday 19 September 2017
Wednesday 13 September 2017
50TH YEAR OF 1968 SEPTEMBER
19TH STRIKE
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M. KRISHNAN
Secretary General, Confederation of
Central Govt. Employees & Workers.
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2018 September 19th (Next year) is the 50th Anniversary of 1968 September 19th one day strike. All leaders and workers who led and participated in that historic strike have either retired from service or are no more.
The indefinite strike of Central Govt. Employees in1960 was the first major strike of Central Govt. Employees after independence. The five days strike from 1960 July 11 midnight was brutally suppressed by the Central Government declaring it as “Civil Rebellion”. The main demand of the strike was improvement and modifications in the 2nd CPC recommendations. The Need Based Minimum Wage, though adopted by the 15th Indian Labour Conference in 1957, was rejected by the 2nd CPC.
The Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) was constituted in 1966 by then Home Minister Gulsarilal Nanda, as per the decision of the Government. The apprehension of the progressive leadership that this negotiating machinery may not settle any major demands of the Central Govt. employees and may become just a talking shop or a time killing business, ultimately resulting in abnormally delaying the genuine demands, came true within a year of its formation. In the very first meeting of the National Council JCM, the following three demands were notified by the staff side.
1. Grant of Need Based Minimum Wage as approved by the 1957 Tripartite Labour Conference.
2. Merger of DA with Pay
3. Revision of DA formula
After prolonged discussion for about one and a half year, disagreement was recorded. As per JCM Scheme once disagreement is recorded, the item should be referred to compulsory arbitration. But Govt. rejected the demand for arbitration. Protesting against this arbitrary stand of the Govt. the staff side leadership walked out of the JCM and decided to go for one day’s strike. A Joint Action Committee was formed and the date of the strike was decided as 19th September 1968. Eventhough, the INTUC affiliated organisations were initially a part of the strike decision, later on they decided not to join the strike due to the intervention of the then Congress Government headed by Smt. Indira Gandhi.
The following were the main demands of the strike charter of demands.
1. Need Based Minimum Wage.
2. Full neutralisation of rise in prices.
3. Merger of DA with Basic Pay
4. Withdrawl of proposal to retire employees with 50 years of age or on completion of 25 years of service.
5. Vacate victimisation and reinstate victimised workers.
6. No retrenchment without equivalent alternative jobs.
7. Abolition of Contract and Casual Labour System.
Strike notice was served and the Joint Action Council (JAC) decided to commence the strike at 0600 AM on 19th Septembe r 1968. Intensive campaign was conducted throughout the country. AIRF, AIDEF and Confederation was the major organisations in the JAC. Govt. invoked Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance (ESMO) to deal with the strike. Govt. also issued detailed instructions to impose heavy penalty including suspension, dismissal, termination, Break-in-service etc. on the striking employees. Para-military force (CRPF) and Police were deployed to deal with the strike. Central Govt. gave orders to all state Governments to suppress the strike at any cost. It was a war-like situation. Arrest of Leaders started on 18th September itself. About 3000 employees and leaders were arrested from Delhi alone. All over India about 12000 Central Government employees and leaders were arrested and jailed.
Inspite of all these brutal repressive measures the strike commenced on 18th after noon itself at many places and was a thundering success all over India and in all departments including Railway, Defence, P&T etc. About 64000 employees were served with termination notices, thousands removed from service and about 40000 employees suspended. Seventeen (17) striking employees had been brutally killed at Pathankot, Bikaner, Delhi Indraprastha Bhavan and at Upper Assam in lathi charge, firing by police and military and by running the train over the bodies of employees who picketed the trains.
Though the strike was only for one day on 19th September 1968, the victimisation and repression continued for days together. Struggle against victimisation also continued including work-to-rule agitation, hunger fast of leaders from 10th October 1968. There was unprecedented support to the strike and relief work and also to agitation for reinstatement of the victimised workers, from National Trade Unions, state employees and teachers Unions/Federations etc. A mass rally was organised before the residence of Prime Minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi on 17th October, 1968.
Kerala was ruled by the Communist Govt. during the strike. Chief Minister Com. E. M. S. Namboodiripad declared Kerala Govt’s full support to the strike of Central Government employees. The Central Govt. threatened dismissal of the Kerala Govt. for defying the Centre’s directive to suppress the strike.
1968 September 19th strike is written in red letters in the history of Indian Working Class. The demand raised by the Central Govt. employees - Need Based Minimum Wage - was the demand of entire working people of India. Even today, the Central Govt. employees and other section of the working class are on struggle path for realisation of the Need Based Minimum Wage. The demand of the Central Govt. employees to modify the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission to ensure Need Based Minimum Wage is not yet conceded by the BJP-led NDA Government. Even the assurance given by three Cabinet Ministers including Home Minister, Finance Minister and Railway Minister regarding increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment formula is not honoured by the Govt. even after a lapse of one year and entire Central Government employees feel cheated.
It is in this background, we are entering into the 50th year of 1968 September 19th strike. Let us pledge that we shall continue our struggle for realisation of the demands raised by the matryrs of the 1968 strike. Let us pay respectful homage to those valiant fighters who sacrified their life for the working class of India. Let us salute and honour all those who participated in the historic strike, especially those who had been victimised severaly for joining the strike. Let us organise various programmes throughout the country at all levels, to commemorate the inspiring memory of 1968 September 19th strike.
19TH STRIKE
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M. KRISHNAN
Secretary General, Confederation of
Central Govt. Employees & Workers.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2018 September 19th (Next year) is the 50th Anniversary of 1968 September 19th one day strike. All leaders and workers who led and participated in that historic strike have either retired from service or are no more.
The indefinite strike of Central Govt. Employees in1960 was the first major strike of Central Govt. Employees after independence. The five days strike from 1960 July 11 midnight was brutally suppressed by the Central Government declaring it as “Civil Rebellion”. The main demand of the strike was improvement and modifications in the 2nd CPC recommendations. The Need Based Minimum Wage, though adopted by the 15th Indian Labour Conference in 1957, was rejected by the 2nd CPC.
The Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) was constituted in 1966 by then Home Minister Gulsarilal Nanda, as per the decision of the Government. The apprehension of the progressive leadership that this negotiating machinery may not settle any major demands of the Central Govt. employees and may become just a talking shop or a time killing business, ultimately resulting in abnormally delaying the genuine demands, came true within a year of its formation. In the very first meeting of the National Council JCM, the following three demands were notified by the staff side.
1. Grant of Need Based Minimum Wage as approved by the 1957 Tripartite Labour Conference.
2. Merger of DA with Pay
3. Revision of DA formula
After prolonged discussion for about one and a half year, disagreement was recorded. As per JCM Scheme once disagreement is recorded, the item should be referred to compulsory arbitration. But Govt. rejected the demand for arbitration. Protesting against this arbitrary stand of the Govt. the staff side leadership walked out of the JCM and decided to go for one day’s strike. A Joint Action Committee was formed and the date of the strike was decided as 19th September 1968. Eventhough, the INTUC affiliated organisations were initially a part of the strike decision, later on they decided not to join the strike due to the intervention of the then Congress Government headed by Smt. Indira Gandhi.
The following were the main demands of the strike charter of demands.
1. Need Based Minimum Wage.
2. Full neutralisation of rise in prices.
3. Merger of DA with Basic Pay
4. Withdrawl of proposal to retire employees with 50 years of age or on completion of 25 years of service.
5. Vacate victimisation and reinstate victimised workers.
6. No retrenchment without equivalent alternative jobs.
7. Abolition of Contract and Casual Labour System.
Strike notice was served and the Joint Action Council (JAC) decided to commence the strike at 0600 AM on 19th Septembe r 1968. Intensive campaign was conducted throughout the country. AIRF, AIDEF and Confederation was the major organisations in the JAC. Govt. invoked Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance (ESMO) to deal with the strike. Govt. also issued detailed instructions to impose heavy penalty including suspension, dismissal, termination, Break-in-service etc. on the striking employees. Para-military force (CRPF) and Police were deployed to deal with the strike. Central Govt. gave orders to all state Governments to suppress the strike at any cost. It was a war-like situation. Arrest of Leaders started on 18th September itself. About 3000 employees and leaders were arrested from Delhi alone. All over India about 12000 Central Government employees and leaders were arrested and jailed.
Inspite of all these brutal repressive measures the strike commenced on 18th after noon itself at many places and was a thundering success all over India and in all departments including Railway, Defence, P&T etc. About 64000 employees were served with termination notices, thousands removed from service and about 40000 employees suspended. Seventeen (17) striking employees had been brutally killed at Pathankot, Bikaner, Delhi Indraprastha Bhavan and at Upper Assam in lathi charge, firing by police and military and by running the train over the bodies of employees who picketed the trains.
Though the strike was only for one day on 19th September 1968, the victimisation and repression continued for days together. Struggle against victimisation also continued including work-to-rule agitation, hunger fast of leaders from 10th October 1968. There was unprecedented support to the strike and relief work and also to agitation for reinstatement of the victimised workers, from National Trade Unions, state employees and teachers Unions/Federations etc. A mass rally was organised before the residence of Prime Minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi on 17th October, 1968.
Kerala was ruled by the Communist Govt. during the strike. Chief Minister Com. E. M. S. Namboodiripad declared Kerala Govt’s full support to the strike of Central Government employees. The Central Govt. threatened dismissal of the Kerala Govt. for defying the Centre’s directive to suppress the strike.
1968 September 19th strike is written in red letters in the history of Indian Working Class. The demand raised by the Central Govt. employees - Need Based Minimum Wage - was the demand of entire working people of India. Even today, the Central Govt. employees and other section of the working class are on struggle path for realisation of the Need Based Minimum Wage. The demand of the Central Govt. employees to modify the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission to ensure Need Based Minimum Wage is not yet conceded by the BJP-led NDA Government. Even the assurance given by three Cabinet Ministers including Home Minister, Finance Minister and Railway Minister regarding increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment formula is not honoured by the Govt. even after a lapse of one year and entire Central Government employees feel cheated.
It is in this background, we are entering into the 50th year of 1968 September 19th strike. Let us pledge that we shall continue our struggle for realisation of the demands raised by the matryrs of the 1968 strike. Let us pay respectful homage to those valiant fighters who sacrified their life for the working class of India. Let us salute and honour all those who participated in the historic strike, especially those who had been victimised severaly for joining the strike. Let us organise various programmes throughout the country at all levels, to commemorate the inspiring memory of 1968 September 19th strike.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
National Call from Trade Unions :
Intensify the Surging Struggles
-A.K. Padmanabhan
Working people in India have sounded the bugle again for countrywide struggles including strike actions against the anti-people policies of the Modi Government. After this Govt took over in 2014, there have been two country wide strikes in 2015 and 2016. In additon to these, there have been strikes and struggles in various parts of the country involving almost all sectors. These strikes included many countrywide sectoral strikes.
Modi Government and the Prime Minister himself started his rhetorical campaign with “Shrameva Jayate”, trying to camouflage the Govt’s pro-corporate policies. This sloganeering has got exposed without much delay, with the Government unleashing a war against working people by amending Labour Laws and also other steps in the name of ease of doing business. The last 40 months have seen severe attacks on almost all the hardwon rights of the working people.
National Convention
It is in such a background, the Central Trade Unions and independent national federations, once again decided to call a national convention on 8th August. Of course, there was one exception in the list of Central TUs. That was of BMS, which has been staying away from the joint actions after BJP came to power.
The huge mobilisation of delegates from all the states, literally from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, covering all the sectors reflected the anger amongst the working people against the policies of the Government.
Actually many of them had converged in the huge talkatora stadium, in the midst of struggles they have been conducting.
The public sector workers fighting against privatisation, Central Government employees continuing their struggles on their demands of implementing Government’s assurances related to pay commission, State Government employees on sturggle for wage revison and also against National Pension Scheme, Defence Production workers struggling against privatisation, Bank Officers and employees preparing for another strike against destructive reforms, Telecom employees on struggles against privatisation and also against denial of wage revision, Insurance employees fighting against disinvestment, Medical and Sales representatives struggling for people oriented drug policy, Scheme workers on continuous struggle for getting the status of workers and related benefits, private sector workers in struggle in various parts of the country struggling against denial of Trade Union rights, Various sections of informal workers raising demands of minimum wages and social security and above all contract, casual and outsourced workers from various sectors including Central and State Government departments - All were there to raise their voice of protest.
It is this urge that prompted such a big number of delegates reaching Delhi, many of them not finding a place even to stand inside the stadium.
The speeches of the leaders of the Central Trade Unions reflected fully the aspirations and expectations among the participants.
The declaration adopted in the convention dealt with the situation among all sections of working people in the country.
Noting the unprecendented unity among the peasantry in the country and the militant struggles going on in various states, the convention extended ‘full solidarity to the fighting farmers’. The declaration noted that it is the same set of pro-corporate, pro landlord policies which have created a severe crisis in Agriculture, leading to continuing increase in spate of suicides.
The convention called upon all sections of working people to unitedly struggle against the anti-people policies of the Government. The declaration noted that ‘the task before the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and independent National Federations is to further intensify the surging struggles in various sectors through concerted united agitation and mobilisation at national level, to be followed by country wide general strike action a culmination and consolidation of all sectoral struggles.’
Charter of demands
The convention reiterated the 12 point charter of demands, whcih formed the basis of the previous countrywide strikes, especially after 2014. The convention noted that ‘the Government has been continuing arrogantly ignore the 12 point charter of demands on minimum wage, Social security, worker status, pay and facilities for the scheme workers, against privatisation and large scale contractorisation etc being jointly pursued by the entire trade union movement of the country’.
The background of the demands
It is of great importance to the trade union movement of the country to remind itself, the background of certain demands put forward by the joint platform.
One of the most important is the demand for Rs.18,000 per month with indexation. This demand itself is an interim one on the basic demand of fixing minimum wages as per the unanimous decisions of the 15th Indian Labour Conference and the Supreme Court directives.
Indian Labour Conference (ILC) the highest Tripartite forum related to labour had in its 15th session in 1957, adopted a scientific basis for fixing minimum wages. Later on, the supreme court in its judgement in a case related to Raptakoss and Brett added 25 percent in addition to the ILC recommendations. ILC decision on minimum wages is a scientific method, based on energy requirement to a worker and family.
The Trade Union movement in the country has been raising this issue of minimum wages all these years.
Historic Strike
It is to the credit of the Central Government Employees movement in the country, that they took up this issue and conducted strikes and struggles from 1959 onwards.
Most important of the struggle was the one day strike on 19th September 1968. Major demand of the strke was the acceptance of the 15th ILC decision on minimum wages. Even after 49 years of this historic strike, the demand is still not met. But, how the ruling class of India tried to drown a day’s strike by its own employees in cold blood, exposed once again their anti worker approach and their class biased policies.
Seventeen employees were killed on the strike day in police firing and lathi charges. Some were even thrown down from high rise office buildings. Hundreds were injured in lathi charges, tear gas etc.
Government had involved Essential Services Maintance Act (ESMA) days before the strike. After the strike 64,000 temporary workers were sacked. 40,000 regular workes were suspended. Many of these were punished in various ways, including termination.
Some of those who were terminated had to wait till 1978, when congress was defeated in 1977 elections, to get reinstatement.
Trade Union Movement in India, can never forget such large scale killings and victimisations just for a day’s strike. That too, when the one day strike was for a demand which the government had agreed to, in the highest tripartite body. The fact that the Government had not yet accepted this principle exposes governments at the centre, though led by various parties and fronts.
Central govt employees are even now on struggle on this demand of minimum wages and in March, 2017 had conducted a day’s countrywide strike.
Exploitation through contract, casual and out sourcing systems are continuing. Lakhs of workers in sections like Gramin Dak Sewa, Scheme workers like Anganwadi, Asha, Midday meal workers continue to suffer under govt. of india, without even getting the status of workers.
This experience shows that the struggle should be more inclusive of all those who are affected by the policies of the Government and the struggle has to be developed in to a struggle against the policies of the ruling classes.
Next Phase
It is with this in mind, the convention has called for campaigns and conventions from the local, regional and state level and for massive mobilisation at Central level.
Three days mass Dharna on 9th, 10th and 11th of November in New Delhi will witness massive mobilisation from all over the country.
The convention has also called upon the working people to prepare for indefinite, countrywide strike action against anti-people, anti national activities of the Government.
Against disruptive forces
Need of the hour is total unity of the working people. The convention has noted the danger of disruptive forces active in the country. The convention ‘recorded its strong denunciation against communal and divisive machinations on the society being carried on with the active patronage of the government machinery under the present polity and called upon the working class ‘to raise their strong voice of protest.’
While these campaigns will be jointly undertaken, various organisations will also concurrently conduct independent campaigns to prepare their own ranks and also others for the joint struggle.
All out efforts are required to reach out to all sections of working people. With the government and all their supporters including the corporate and government led media on their side, the efforts of the unions and its floor level cadres have to be strengthened in whatever ways possible to meet all the challenges.
The days ahead are those of massive, militant struggles, and every one has to be prepared to take up the tasks.
National Call from Trade Unions :
Intensify the Surging Struggles
-A.K. Padmanabhan
Working people in India have sounded the bugle again for countrywide struggles including strike actions against the anti-people policies of the Modi Government. After this Govt took over in 2014, there have been two country wide strikes in 2015 and 2016. In additon to these, there have been strikes and struggles in various parts of the country involving almost all sectors. These strikes included many countrywide sectoral strikes.
Modi Government and the Prime Minister himself started his rhetorical campaign with “Shrameva Jayate”, trying to camouflage the Govt’s pro-corporate policies. This sloganeering has got exposed without much delay, with the Government unleashing a war against working people by amending Labour Laws and also other steps in the name of ease of doing business. The last 40 months have seen severe attacks on almost all the hardwon rights of the working people.
National Convention
It is in such a background, the Central Trade Unions and independent national federations, once again decided to call a national convention on 8th August. Of course, there was one exception in the list of Central TUs. That was of BMS, which has been staying away from the joint actions after BJP came to power.
The huge mobilisation of delegates from all the states, literally from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, covering all the sectors reflected the anger amongst the working people against the policies of the Government.
Actually many of them had converged in the huge talkatora stadium, in the midst of struggles they have been conducting.
The public sector workers fighting against privatisation, Central Government employees continuing their struggles on their demands of implementing Government’s assurances related to pay commission, State Government employees on sturggle for wage revison and also against National Pension Scheme, Defence Production workers struggling against privatisation, Bank Officers and employees preparing for another strike against destructive reforms, Telecom employees on struggles against privatisation and also against denial of wage revision, Insurance employees fighting against disinvestment, Medical and Sales representatives struggling for people oriented drug policy, Scheme workers on continuous struggle for getting the status of workers and related benefits, private sector workers in struggle in various parts of the country struggling against denial of Trade Union rights, Various sections of informal workers raising demands of minimum wages and social security and above all contract, casual and outsourced workers from various sectors including Central and State Government departments - All were there to raise their voice of protest.
It is this urge that prompted such a big number of delegates reaching Delhi, many of them not finding a place even to stand inside the stadium.
The speeches of the leaders of the Central Trade Unions reflected fully the aspirations and expectations among the participants.
The declaration adopted in the convention dealt with the situation among all sections of working people in the country.
Noting the unprecendented unity among the peasantry in the country and the militant struggles going on in various states, the convention extended ‘full solidarity to the fighting farmers’. The declaration noted that it is the same set of pro-corporate, pro landlord policies which have created a severe crisis in Agriculture, leading to continuing increase in spate of suicides.
The convention called upon all sections of working people to unitedly struggle against the anti-people policies of the Government. The declaration noted that ‘the task before the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and independent National Federations is to further intensify the surging struggles in various sectors through concerted united agitation and mobilisation at national level, to be followed by country wide general strike action a culmination and consolidation of all sectoral struggles.’
Charter of demands
The convention reiterated the 12 point charter of demands, whcih formed the basis of the previous countrywide strikes, especially after 2014. The convention noted that ‘the Government has been continuing arrogantly ignore the 12 point charter of demands on minimum wage, Social security, worker status, pay and facilities for the scheme workers, against privatisation and large scale contractorisation etc being jointly pursued by the entire trade union movement of the country’.
The background of the demands
It is of great importance to the trade union movement of the country to remind itself, the background of certain demands put forward by the joint platform.
One of the most important is the demand for Rs.18,000 per month with indexation. This demand itself is an interim one on the basic demand of fixing minimum wages as per the unanimous decisions of the 15th Indian Labour Conference and the Supreme Court directives.
Indian Labour Conference (ILC) the highest Tripartite forum related to labour had in its 15th session in 1957, adopted a scientific basis for fixing minimum wages. Later on, the supreme court in its judgement in a case related to Raptakoss and Brett added 25 percent in addition to the ILC recommendations. ILC decision on minimum wages is a scientific method, based on energy requirement to a worker and family.
The Trade Union movement in the country has been raising this issue of minimum wages all these years.
Historic Strike
It is to the credit of the Central Government Employees movement in the country, that they took up this issue and conducted strikes and struggles from 1959 onwards.
Most important of the struggle was the one day strike on 19th September 1968. Major demand of the strke was the acceptance of the 15th ILC decision on minimum wages. Even after 49 years of this historic strike, the demand is still not met. But, how the ruling class of India tried to drown a day’s strike by its own employees in cold blood, exposed once again their anti worker approach and their class biased policies.
Seventeen employees were killed on the strike day in police firing and lathi charges. Some were even thrown down from high rise office buildings. Hundreds were injured in lathi charges, tear gas etc.
Government had involved Essential Services Maintance Act (ESMA) days before the strike. After the strike 64,000 temporary workers were sacked. 40,000 regular workes were suspended. Many of these were punished in various ways, including termination.
Some of those who were terminated had to wait till 1978, when congress was defeated in 1977 elections, to get reinstatement.
Trade Union Movement in India, can never forget such large scale killings and victimisations just for a day’s strike. That too, when the one day strike was for a demand which the government had agreed to, in the highest tripartite body. The fact that the Government had not yet accepted this principle exposes governments at the centre, though led by various parties and fronts.
Central govt employees are even now on struggle on this demand of minimum wages and in March, 2017 had conducted a day’s countrywide strike.
Exploitation through contract, casual and out sourcing systems are continuing. Lakhs of workers in sections like Gramin Dak Sewa, Scheme workers like Anganwadi, Asha, Midday meal workers continue to suffer under govt. of india, without even getting the status of workers.
This experience shows that the struggle should be more inclusive of all those who are affected by the policies of the Government and the struggle has to be developed in to a struggle against the policies of the ruling classes.
Next Phase
It is with this in mind, the convention has called for campaigns and conventions from the local, regional and state level and for massive mobilisation at Central level.
Three days mass Dharna on 9th, 10th and 11th of November in New Delhi will witness massive mobilisation from all over the country.
The convention has also called upon the working people to prepare for indefinite, countrywide strike action against anti-people, anti national activities of the Government.
Against disruptive forces
Need of the hour is total unity of the working people. The convention has noted the danger of disruptive forces active in the country. The convention ‘recorded its strong denunciation against communal and divisive machinations on the society being carried on with the active patronage of the government machinery under the present polity and called upon the working class ‘to raise their strong voice of protest.’
While these campaigns will be jointly undertaken, various organisations will also concurrently conduct independent campaigns to prepare their own ranks and also others for the joint struggle.
All out efforts are required to reach out to all sections of working people. With the government and all their supporters including the corporate and government led media on their side, the efforts of the unions and its floor level cadres have to be strengthened in whatever ways possible to meet all the challenges.
The days ahead are those of massive, militant struggles, and every one has to be prepared to take up the tasks.
Tuesday 12 September 2017
Cabinet Approves Additional 1% Dearness Allowance / Dearness Relief due from 1st July, 2017
Cabinet Approves Additional 1% Dearness Allowance / Dearness Relief due from 1st July, 2017
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Cabinet
12-September-2017 16:58 IST
Cabinet approves release of additional 1% Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners w.e.f. 01.07.2017
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for release of additional 1% Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners. It will be applicable from 01.07.2017.
The release of the additional instalment of DA represents an increase of 1% over the existing rate of 4% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both DA and DR would be Rs.3068.26 crore per annum and Rs.2045.50 crore in the financial year 2017-18 (for a period of 8 months from July, 2017 to February, 2018). This will benefit about 49.26 lakh Central Government employees and 61.17 lakh pensioners.
Modi Government Gives Shock Treatment To Social Policy
The Modi government is finally getting some flak, as it should, for its confused economic policies, epitomised by the demonetisation blunder last year. Despite relatively favourable circumstances (including good monsoons and a decline in international fuel prices), the rate of economic growth is declining quarter after quarter. For manufacturing, it is even close to zero, according to the latest estimates. Statistics related to employment and wages are even more worrying. To illustrate, one of the most telling - and least noticed - macroeconomic indicators today is the stagnation of real wages: according to the Labour Bureau's Wage Rates in Rural India (WRRI) series, ably analysed by Yoshifumi Usami among others, the wages of agricultural labourers in rural areas have remained more or less constant in real terms during the last three years. So much for inclusive growth.
Having said this, it is in the field of social policy that the failures of the central government are most glaring. For instance, there have been no initiatives of any significance in the fields of education and health during the last three years. Health policy, in particular, has been a subject of deep confusion. Three years ago, the government was making grand promises about universal health care and even health becoming a fundamental right. Nothing has come of them.
When it comes to social security, there have been some initiatives, but mostly of a misguided sort. As things stand, social security for the informal sector in India builds on five critical programmes: the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA); the public distribution system (PDS); the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS); midday meals for school children; and pensions for widows, the elderly and disabled persons. All these programmes have suffered important setbacks during the last few years.
The NREGA came under attack as soon as the Modi government came to power. Initially, the government tried to restrict the programme to the country's poorest districts. When that turned out to be difficult to get away with, caps were imposed on NREGA expenditure, leading to an unprecedented crash (30 per cent or so) in NREGA employment in 2015-16, along with mounting arrears in wage payments. More recently, the central government seems to have accepted that NREGA is there to stay, and financial allocations have even picked up a little bit. Yet, attacks on the programme continue. The recent committee report on NREGA wages, for instance, argues not only against the payment of minimum wages, but also in favour of NREGA wages being held constant over time in real terms. If accepted, this recommendation is likely to lead to the entire programme being gradually phased out, as labourers themselves lose interest.
Turning to the PDS, the system did improve in many states (especially the poorest states) during the last few years as the National Food Security Act was rolled out. These gains, however, are in danger of being undone by the imposition of Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication (ABBA) on the PDS. There is growing evidence that ABBA has already done much damage in Rajasthan and Jharkhand. Official data for Ranchi district, where ABBA has been compulsory for more than a year, shows that about 20 per cent of cardholders have been excluded from the PDS month after month since January. The situation is likely to be worse in other districts, where there are serious connectivity problems. In spite of these and other indications that ABBA is inappropriate technology for much of rural India, the central government continues to promote it blindly.
As far as ICDS and midday meals are concerned, both schemes received shock treatment in the Union Budget 2015-16, in the form of severe budget cuts - 36 per cent for midday meals and more than 50 per cent for ICDS (partly reversed later on under public pressure). While the cuts were sought to be justified on the grounds that state governments were due to receive a higher share of the indivisible pool of taxes, it is a mystery why the axe fell so heavily on children. Both programmes are yet to recover from this setback. The allocation for midday meals in this year's Union Budget, Rs. 10,000 crores, is still 25 per cent lower in money terms than the corresponding allocation four years ago - in real terms, the decline would be even larger.
Last but not least, the central government is undermining social security pensions for widows, the elderly and disabled persons. The central contribution to old-age pensions has stagnated at an abysmal Rs. 200 per month since 2006, even as the salaries and pensions of government employees went up by leaps and bounds. Instead of expanding non-contributory pension programmes, which are of great value to some of India's most vulnerable groups, the central government is promoting contributory programmes such as the Atal Pension Yojana (APY). The modalities of this programme are of little use to destitute widows or elderly couples, who have shown little interest in it.
This brief overview would be incomplete without a few words about maternity entitlements. All Indian women (except those covered by maternity benefits in the formal sector) have been entitled to maternity benefits of Rs. 6,000 per child since 2013 under the National Food Security Act. This legal right has been brazenly violated by the central government for more than four years. This year, the Union Budget finally made a modest allocation of Rs.2,700 crores for maternity benefits. State governments were also told, at a consultation held on February 22, 2017, that arrangements would be made for maternity benefits to be paid with retrospective effect from January 1, 2017. But none of this has happened so far. In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on April 2, 2017, the Ministry of Women and Child Development made the lame statement that "the implementation guidelines are being drafted". More recently, the central government instructed the state governments to restrict maternity benefits to one child per woman, showing once again its disregard for the law.
The silver lining is that there is no sign of a similar abdication at the state level - at least not yet. In fact, the slow but steady trend towards more active social policies has continued in many states during the last three years. However, there is a danger that the centre's indifference (if not hostility) towards social policy will soon percolate to some state governments as well. This prospect is no less worrying than the slowing down of economic growth, considering the vital role that social support plays in the lives of the poor.
Source : http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/modi-government-gives-shock-treatmen
QUANTIFICATION OF NEED-BASED
MINIMUM WAGE AND NEED FOR REVISION OF MINIMUM WAGE OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES.
The concept of the Need-Based Minimum Wage has evolved in India after Independence
NEED-BASED MINIMUM WAGE FORMULA:
Minimum wages for the average family will have to be based on
requirements of food, clothing, housing and so on. Additional components of
expenditure to cover for children’s education, medical treatment, recreation,
festivals and ceremonies.
In a vast country such as ours, there are bound to be
regional variations in these requirements owing to climatic conditions, food
habits, etc. At the same time in order to ensure a degree of uniformity the
Conference have adopted a certain norms. The food component carries the
largest- proportion of the total cost of living in a working class family. The
component’s significance is not only economic but human also. On food depends
the health and efficiency of the worker, which is vital to the industrial
production. After a protracted discussion the Conference adopted Dr. Aykroyd’s
second dietary prescription of the adequate diet level, the other one being the
optimum diet level. An optimum diet according to him, is one which ensures the
functioning of the various life processes at their very best; whereas an
adequate diet maintains these processes but not at their peak levels. The
optimum diet would include more of vitamins and less of proteins in its caloric
content, while the adequate diet would include more of proteins and less of
vitamins.
The Committee on Fair Wages laid down that the standard
working class family should be reckoned as one consisting of three consumption
units, supported by a single male earner and including his wife and two
children below the of age 14 The 15th Session of Indian Labour Conference
approved that the wage should cover four categories of needs considered
essential for the worker's well being, viz. food, clothing, housing and
miscellaneous. In calculating the minimum wage, the norms for the food category
should be based on Dr. W.B. Aykroyd’s formula for an adequate and balanced
diet. It thus came about that a wage linked to the needs was suggested as a
desirable minimum.
Subsequently, when attempting to implement the
recommendations of the conference, almost all the wage fixing authorities
including the committees appointed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 have
invariably faced difficulty in determining: (i) the calorific norm which should
form the basis of the diet content (ii) the exact composition of the diet (iii)
the qualities of the various items of diet and (iv) availabilities of food
commodities consumed by the worker and his pattern of consumption. In this
regard the first assault was launched by the II Central Pay Commission (1959),
pertaining to the calorific norm as laid down by the 15th Indian Labour
Conference. The Indian Labour Conference worked out the three-unit
formula, the minimum wage is worked out taking into consideration the calorific
value requirements of 2,700 each, certain length of cloth requirement, housing
rental value, education and medical expenses etc.
CONCEPT OF LIVING WAGES:
Concept of Living Wages It represents a standard of living which
provides not merely for bare physical subsistence but for maintenance of health
and decency, a measure of frugal comfort, including education of children,
requirement of essential social needs and a measure of insurance against eh
more important misfortunes including old age. This is the ideal wages and
envisaged in Article 43 of Directive Principles in Part IV of the Constitution.
I. L. O. Conventions also provide for living wages.
Living wages is the ideal wages and on the line as stipulated in
Article 43 of our Constitution. Wage differentials are necessary part of wage
structure if skill formation is to be motivated and productivity is to be
achieved but at the same time it should be reasonable.
Hence it is relevant to quote the following observation made by the
Kerala High Court in Association of Planters of Kerala v State of Kerala in
this regard: “ A failure to fix or revise minimum wages was not only a
statutory violation but is a breach of fundamental right enshrined in Art. 23
of the Constitution. A duty is cast upon the State by provisions of the Act and
Article 23 to fix and revise the minimum rates of wages.
7th CPC REPORT PARA
NO 4 HAS ALSO DEALT THE ISSUE OF A NEED-BASED MINIMUM WAGE TAKING INTO THE
CONCEPT OF THE FOLLOWING.
a). normative family is taken to consist of a spouse and two
children below the age of 14. With the husband assigned 1 unit, wife, 0.8 unit
and two children, 0.6 units each, the minimum wage needs to address 3
consumption units;
b) . The food requirement per consumption unit is shown in the
Annexure to this chapter. The specifications were derived from the recommendations
of Dr. Wallace Aykroyd, the noted nutritionist, which stated that an average
Indian adult engaged in moderate activity should, on a daily basis,
consume 2,700 calories comprising 65 grams of protein and around 45-60
grams of fat. Dr Aykroyd had further pointed out that animal proteins, such as
milk, eggs, fish, liver and meat, are biologically more efficient than
vegetable proteins and suggested that they should form at least one-fifth of
the total protein intake
c) The clothing requirements should be based on per capita
consumption of 18 yards per annum, which gives 72 yards per annum (5.5 meters
per month) for the average worker’s family. The 15th ILC also specified the
associated consumption of detergents
d) The prescribed provision of Report of the Seventh
CPC 63Index 25 percent to cover education, recreation,
ceremonies, festivals and medical expenses has been reduced to 15 percent.
THE THREE-UNIT BASED FORMULA ADOPTED BY
THE PAY COMMISSIONS NEEDS A CHANGE TO SIX UNITS DUE TO FOLLOWING FACTORS :
The three-unit based formula to fix minimum wages presently
counts only four members of a family ie husband, wife and two children.
It has no provision to count dependent parents, if any, or even if there are
more than two children.
The three-unit formula gives the husband a full unit, wife
0.8 unit, and 0.6 units for each of the two children.
Now the trade unions and the employees associations are of
the opinion that the three-unit system are not sufficient to decide
minimum wages because the children continue to stay with the family for longer
periods. The two children and wife should be accorded one single unit instead
of 0.6 units,” also, marriageable age of a child has also increased and they
should also be given full units, the gender equality should also be observed
instead of 0.8 units it should be full unit for the spouse.
Hence should be revised to the four unit formula gives the
husband a full unit, wife full unit, and full units for each of the two
children.
After the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that dependent parents
are to be taken care of by children, two more units should be added and the
formula be based on six-unit formulae than three.
“The CrPC section 125 and Maintenance of Parents and Senior
Citizens Act make it mandatory for an earning member to maintain his parents,
failing which he/she may have to face penal consequences. Today, the average
life span of a person has increased to 68.3 years compared to that of 41 years
in 1957. Hence two additional units have to be added,”
So there is a need to hike number of units from three
to six to calculate minimum wages.
OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING OUR WAGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1) The 7th CPC has
taken into consideration the 15% to cover education, recreation,
ceremonies, festivals and medical expenses against 25% prescribed by the
Supreme Court . Additional components of expenditure to cover for
children’s education, medical treatment, recreation, festivals and ceremonies.
This followed from the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Raptakos Brett Vs
Workmencase of 1991 for determination of minimum wage of an industrial
worker. The Supreme Court had prescribed this amount at 25 percent of the total
minimum wage calculated from the first five components.
2) Secondly the
prices of essential commodities for calculation of the minimum wage is always a
debate , the price essential commodities by the
using Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers maintained by Labour
Bureau, Shimla and the retail prices are showing different rates , the retail
prices of essential commodities are at higher end including that of
state Government run co-operative society’s compared to the
retail prices maintained by Labour Bureau, Shimla by more than 15%,
that is the prices maintained by Labour Bureau, Shimla are lower by
more than 15% compared to market prices , the CG employees are deprived of
proper minimum wage by an extent of 25% . If proper retail prices
are taken into account the minimum wage shall be more than Rs 26,000/- as on 1st Jan
2016.
THE PAYMENT OF WAGES ACT, 1936:
The revision of payment of wages act, 1936 , the
Government has raised the monetary limit of wages to Rs. 24000/- per month for
the applicability of the Act by issuing the notification .This calculation of
Rs 24,000/ is based on Dr. W.B. Aykroyd’s formula. This is done
on the basis of figures of the Consumer Expenditure Survey published by the
National Sample Survey Organization.
The payment of wages
act, 1936 monetary limit of wages
to Rs. 24000/- per month is for unskilled worker , if we add Rs 25% for skilled
worker , it work out at Rs 30000/- for skilled worker which includes wages and
allowances, at present the Central Government employees at the initial
stage are paid Rs 23,000/- (Rs 18,000/ as minimum wage and Rs
5,000/ as allowances ), still there is gap of Rs 7,000/ , if the minimum wage
of Central Government employees is re fixed at Rs 22,000/ then this gap shall
be reduced.
The breakup of the Central Government employee’s salary is as
follows.
Non Metro
City
Minimum wage Rs 18,000/-
HRA Rs 1800/-
Transport allowances Rs 900/-
Children education allowances Rs 2250/-
Total Salary : Rs 22950/-
The Central Government employees are
deprived of the actual minimum wage of Rs 26,000/-. Hence there is a need
of revision of minimum wage from Rs 18,000/ as Central Government is a
model employer.
Issued by COC Karnataka
PAYMENT OF PRODUCTIVITY LINKED BONUS (PLB).
National Federation of Postal Employees
1st Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi-110 001
Phone: 011.23092771 e-mail: nfpehq@gmail.com
No. PF-16(g)/2017 Dated: 12th September, 2017
To
The Secretary,
Department of Posts,
Dak Bhawan,
New Delhi-110 001
Sub. PAYMENT OF PRODUCTIVITY LINKED BONUS (PLB).
Sir,
It is to bring to your kind notice that Productivity linked bonus is required to be paid before Durga Puja. It is therefore requested to kindly cause action for making payment of bonus before Durga Puja.
It is also worth mentioning that an arbitrary cap of 60 days has been fixed for payment of PLB.
It is also worth mentioning that an arbitrary cap of 60 days has been fixed for payment of PLB.
Now the business and revenue of Department is increasing every year.
Therefore kindly take necessary action to remove this cap and arrange to make payment of bonus which comes out real.
With regards.
Yours faithfully,
(R N Parashar)
Secretary General
GDS COMMITTEE REPORT STATUS
Today on date 11.09.2017 in the forenoon I met the higher officers of the Department and enquired about the status of GDS committee. They told that some queries were raised by the Finance Ministry. Reply on those queries have been sent and it is in final stage and may be received in Directorate very soon.
After receipt from Finance Ministry implementation process will be started. The officers of Department have told that they will not make any delay in implementation of GDS Committee Report after receiving approval from Finance Ministry.
(R. N. Parashar)
Secretary General
NFPE
NFPE CIRCULAR
National Federation of Postal Employees
1st Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi-110 001
Phone: 011.23092771 e-mail: nfpehq@gmail.com
Mob: 9868819295/9810853981 website: http://www.nfpe.blogspot.com
No.PF-01(a)/2017 Dated: 11th September,2017
CIRCULAR
To
All General Secretaries / NFPE Office Bearers
All Circle Secretaries of NFPE Unions
Dear Comrades,
First of all on behalf of NFPEHQ.I would like to extend my revolutionary greetings to all those comrades who contributeda lot for making the one day strike on 23rdAugust 2017 a grand success. Our soldiers of NFPE have shown that being the major organization we can bear major responsibility . After a long gap and only for Postal sectional demands this strike was conducted by NFPE alone and it was a grand success in majority of the areas. It was not up to the mark in some areas for which we would review and make efforts to make those areas stronger.
Confederation Programmes
Phased Programmes
1. Mass Dharna at all District Head Quarter on 19thSept 2017
2. Mass Dharna at all State Capitals on 17th October 2017
3. MahaDharna at New Delhi with Central Trade Unions other independent federation on 9th, 10th& 11th Nov 2017
Quota to NFPE forMahaDharna at New Delhi on 9th, 10th& 11th Nov 2017
Confederation has allotted quota to NFPE as 600 participants on each day of MahaDharna
Therefore we allot the quota region wise and date wise as mentioned below.
On dated 9/11/2017:- Participants: 600
Circle :- Kerala - 150
Tamilnadu - 150
Karnataka - 100
Andhra - 100
Telangana - 100
|
NFPE Co- ordination committees of thesestates should allot of quota to each affiliate.
|
On date 10/11/2017 – Participants – 600
Circle :- Maharashtra - 150
Gujrat - 100
M.P - 150
Chhattisgarh - 100
Rajasthan - 100
| |
On Date 11/11/2017
U.P - 150
West Bengal - 150
Odisha - 50
Assam - 25
N.E - 25
Haryana - 100
H.P - 25
Punjab - 100
J & K - 10
Delhi - 100
|
12 points charter of Demands of all workers
1. Urgent measures for containing price rise through universalization of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market.
2. Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.
3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of Labour laws.
4. Universal social security cover for all workers.
5. Minimum wages of not less than 18000/- per month with provisions of indexation.
6. Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs.3000/- per month for the entire working population.
7. Stoppage of disinvestment and strategic sale in Central/State Public Sector Undertakings.
8. Stoppage of Contractorisation in permanent periennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work.
9. Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum of gratuity.
10. Compulsory registration of Trade Unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions C-87 and C-98.
11. Against Labour law amendments.
12. Against FDI in Railways, Insurance and Defence.
21 points charter of Demands of confederation
1. Honour the assurance given by the Group of Ministers to NJCA on 30th June 2016 and 6th July 2016, especially increase in minimum wage and fitment factor. Grant revised HRA at the rate of 30%, 20% and 10% with effect from 01-01-2016. Settle all anomalies arising out of implementation of 7th CPC recommendations, in a time bound manner.
2. Implement option-I recommended by 7th CPC regarding parity in pension of pre-2016 pensioners.
3. Scrap PFRDA Act and Contributory Pension Scheme and grant pension and Family Pension to all Central Government employees recruited after 01.01.2004, under CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.
4. Treat GraminDakSewaks of Postal department as Civil Servants, and extend all benefits like pay, pension, allowances etc. of departmental employees to GDS.
5. Regularise all casual, contract, part-time, contingent and Daily rated mazdoors and grant equal pay and other benefits.
6. No Downsizing, Privatisation, outsourcing and contractorisation of Government functions.
7. Withdraw the arbitrary decision of the Government to enhance the bench mark for performance appraisal for promotion and financial upgradations under MACP from “GOOD” to VERY GOOD” and also decision to withhold annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the bench march either for MACP or for regular promotion within the first 20 years of service. Grant MACP pay fixation benefits on promotional hierarchy and not on pay-level hierarchy. Personnel promoted on the basis of examination should be treated as fresh entrants to the cadre for grant of MACP.
8. Withdraw the draconian FR 56 (J) and Rule 48 of CCs (Pension) Rules 1972 which is being misused as a short cut as purity measure to punish and victimize the employees.
9. Fill up all vacant posts including promotional posts in a time bound manner. Lift ban on creation of posts. Undertake cadre Review to assess the requirement of employees and their cadre prospects. Modify recruitment rules of Group-‘C’ cadre and make recruitment on Reginal basis.
10. Remove 5% ceiling on compassionate appointments and grant appointment in all deserving cases.
11. Grant five promotions in the service carreer to all Central Govt. employees.
12. Abolish and upgrade all Lower Division Clerks to Upper Division Clerks.
13. Ensure parity in pay for all stenographers, Assistants, Ministerial Staff in subordinate offices and in all organized Accounts cadres with Central Secretariat staff by upgrading their pay scales. Grant pay scale of Drivers in LokSabha Secretariat to Drivers working in all other Central Government Departments.
14. Reject the stipulation of 7th CPC to reduce the salary to 80% for the second year of Child Care leave and retain the existing provision.
15. Introduce Productivity Linked bonus in all department and continue the existing bi-lateral agreement on PLB wherever it exists.
16. Ensure cashless, hassle free medical treatment to all Central Government employees & Pensioners in all recognized Government and Private hospitals.
17. Revision of Overtime Allowance (OTA) and Night Duty Allowance (NDA) w.e.f 01.01.2016 based on 7th CPC pay scale.
18. Revision of wages of Central Government employees in every five years.
19. Revive JCM functioning at all levels. Grant recognition to the unions/Associations under CCS (RSA) Rules 1993 within a time frame to facilitate effective JCM functioning.
20. Implementation of the Revised Pay structure in respect of employees and pensioners of autonomous bodies consequent on implementation of CCS (Revised Pay) Rules 2016 and Revised Pension Rules in respect of Central Government employees and pensioners.
21. Implementation of the “equal pay for equal work” judgment of the Supreme Court in all departments of the Central Government.
ALL INDIA WOMEN’S TRADE UNION WORKSHOP
The All India Women’s Trade union workshop will be held at Mumbai on 11thand 12th January 2018 (The venue will be intimated later) Delegates fee – Rs 1000/- (One thousand only)
Quota to NFPE has been allotted as 80 women delegates which allotted union wise as below:
P-III-20, P-IV – 20, R-III-10, R-IV,10 Postal Accounts-5, SBCO-5, GDS-10.
NPS & Out sourcing- JointProgramme of All India State Govt Employees Federation and Confederation of Central Govt Employee and workers.
The following have been decided by both organizations.
1. State level joint conventions.
2. Distt/Taluk – level joint conventions.
3. Mass Dharnas at all important centres including state capitals on 21-11-2017
4. Dates of Raj Bhawan March, All IndiaJathas Parliament March etc. will be decided later.
All are requested to make all the programmes a grand success
Yours Comradely
(R N Parashar)
Secretary General
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