Government Refused to accept the main demands: Confederation Circular No. 13

Dated 2.3.2014

The Union Cabinet approved the Finance Ministry’s proposal on terms of reference of the 7th CPC. We have placed the full text of the same on our website. None of the suggestions made by the Staff Side was accepted by the Government. 

However, our concern over the date of effect seems to have been taken note of. The terms of reference has left the effective date of its recommendations to be decided by the Commission itself. A united stand backed up by struggles will enable us to clinch this demand in our favour. Undoubtedly it has been our endeavours and the two days strike action that has compelled the Government to have a rethinking on their earlier stand of Decennial (Ten years} wage revision for Central Government employees and the date of effect as 1/1/2016

Unlike on the earlier occasion, the Government has not decided to grant Interim Relief and merger of Dearness allowance. Nor has it asked the Commission to consider and make appropriate recommendation in this regard specifically. As pointed out in our earlier communication, inclusion of a labour representative in the Commission being not an idea the UPA Government cherishes, for it is diametrically opposite to its economic policies and ideology, they have stuck to the position of sandwiching the Honourable Judge with bureaucrats. In the light of the agreement penned by Com. Mahadeviah, the General Secretary of the recognised GDS union with the Postal Board to the effect that a separate one man committee will look into the service conditions of the Grameen Dak Sewaks, it is not surprising that the Government chose to ignore our demand to cover them within the ambit of the 7th CPC. Our demands for parity between the past and present pensioners and scrapping of the new pension scheme also stand rejected. 

As you are aware, the 6th CPC (and the earlier Commissions also) had refused to entertain the demand for removal of anomalies despite Government referring the same to the Commission specifically. Therefore, the omnibus clause in the terms of reference requiring the Commission to submit interim reports may not be of any help to us to raise the anomalies before the 7th CPC.

At the conclusion of the meeting held on 24/10/2013 by Secretary, DoPT, with the staff side on terms of reference of the 7th CPC, it was agreed that the Government will consider our suggestion in the matter and will convene another meeting with the presence of Secretary (Expenditure) to iron out the differences, if any, and explore the possibilities of an agreement in the matter. But no such meeting was convened and no attempt was made by the official side to arrive at an agreed Terms of Reference.

We must now react to the arbitrary and unilateral decision of the Government. We appeal all the State Secretaries, District Secretaries and Branch Secretaries of the affiliated organisations and the State/District COCs to immediately send the following Savingram to the Prime Minister.

THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WORKING IN THE ……. (NAME OF THE STATION)/ OFFICE OF………………………CONDEMN THE ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN NOT HONOURING ITS COMMITMENT OF HOLDING DISUCSSION WITH THE STAFF SIDE JCM NATIONAL COUNCIL BEFORE FINALISING THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE 7TH CPC AND DEMAND IMMEIDATE ACCEPTANCE OF :

(i) Interim Relief

(ii) Merger of DA

(iii) Bringing the Grameen Dak Sewaks within the ambit of the 7th CPC

(iv) Date of effect from 1/1/2014

(v) Parity in pension entitlement between the past and present pensioners

(vi) Coverage of the existing defined benefit pension scheme to employees recruited on or after 1.1.2004.

(vii) Include a representative of the Labour in the 7th Central Pay Commission.

(viii) Settle the anomalies raised in the National Anomaly Committee

While the National Convention scheduled to be held at Nagpur will chalk out detailed and phased programmes of action, we call upon our State Committees and Affiliated Unions to organise massive demonstration in front of all offices and important centres on 7th March, 2014 (Friday) or any other immediate convenient date. Kindly instruct all the Branches to mobilise their members so that the demonstration has the participation of cent per cent of the membership of the concerned branch. The State Units and affiliated Unions may issue pamphlets and posters and ensure its wide circulation throughout the country.

As already declared by the National Secretariat of the Confederation, we shall have to go for an indefinite strike action immediately after the General Election if our demands are to be settled.

With Greetings,

Yours fraternally,

M. KRISHNAN.

Secretary General.