Central secretariat staff up in arms against Pay Commission report
New Delhi: Three Weeks after the Seventh Central Pay Commission submitted its report, the central secretariat staff are readying to sound the bugle of protest. Unhappy with the recommendations, a meeting was held on Monday with them and Archana Varma, Joint secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to identify issues of immediate concern that the secretariat brass will take up with the government.
At the meeting in North Block, it was assured them for fair justice for their pay package.
A shortlist of key issues was agreed upon at the meeting, which would be presented from Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in the form of a written submission soon.
This includes concerns from the Seventh Pay Commission that central secretariat staff claims have been overlooked and the Seventh Pay Commission has lowered their status compared with the field staff in terms of basic pay. The growing sensitivity around the subject, the DoPT decided to send it to the the Expenditure department in Finance Ministry, who is screening the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations.
Sources, however, told The Sen Times that while officials in the central secretariat have several problems with the pay commission recommendations,there is a consensus on four broad issues:
1) Assistant Pay: The Pay Commission had suggested grade pay of the Assistants in central Secretariat Rs 4,200 (new level 6 in pay matrix), currently they get Rs 4,600 (new level 7 of pay matrix) while Grade Pay of Income Tax Inspector, Central Excise Inspector and Customs Inspector has been given replacement scale of grade pay of Rs.4600 (new level 7 in pay matrix) who are also recruited through the same Combined Graduate Level Examination, from which Assistants in central secretariat are appointed.
2) Stenographers: The pay commission’s report says,that The corresponding posts in the Stenographers cadre will also follow similar pay parity between field and central Secretariat staff. Now they enjoy one level high to field staff of same capacity.
3) Non-function scale of Section Officer: Section Officers now get pay grade Rs 4800 (new level 8 in pay matrix) in central Secretariat service. Non-functional pay scale of Rs 15600-39100 (PB-3)+Rs 5400 (Grade Pay) is admissible now to the Section Officers of the central Secretariat service on completion of 4 years service in that grade but the Pay Commission has given Non-function pay level replacement of Rs.5400 in PB-2 (new level 8 in pay matrix).
4) Non-functional selection grade (30 percent of UDCs): The Commission also recommends withdrawal of non-functional selection grade to Grade Pay 4200 (new level 6 of pay matrix)in respect of Upper Division Clerks in central Secretariat, which does not exist in field offices in current scenario.
Sources in the Finance ministry told the Sen Times “we have not read the report in full but the proposal will be placed before the Cabinet after giving the fair justice to the staff of the central secretariat.
“We don’t think anybody will be able to cut the scale of any grade employees, hence our staff not to afraid of lower salary.”
So the central government not in mood to change the status and salaries of thousands of central secretariat staff, who have been demanding not to accept the seventh pay commission report for lowering their pay. [Sen Times]
Another News article :-
SCPC: CSS protest hits Rail Bhawan
Central Secretariat Services (CSS) officers organized a massive protest in Railway Bhawan against the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission which they termed as “injustice to the CSS officers”.
The agitation, held on December 8, aimed at achieving better pay for CSS officers against the recommendations of the 7th CPC, their Cadre review, grant of NFU, amendment to CSS Rules and change in nomenclature.
A spokesperson of CSS forum tells Bureaucracy Today, “The ‘vested interests’ in the 7th CPC have attempted to put the institution of Central Secretariat down to occupy the positions of Assistant (Secretariat Officers), Section Officer (Assistant Secretary) for their ancillary services supporting them and Under Secretary (Deputy Director), Deputy Secretary (Joint Director) and Director for themselves as at the level of Deputy Secretary and Director are reserved for Central Secretariat Services and the rest are for Central Staffing Scheme.”
He further said that replacement pay level given to Assistants of CSS (Group-B) is Rs 4200 but the 7th CPC has “grossly erred” in recommending replacement of Inspectors of CBDT and CBEC (Group-C) Rs 4600 who are also recruited through the same Combined Graduate Level Exam.
The spokesperson further told Bureaucracy Today, “The DOPT had sent a recommendation to change nomenclature of Assistants of the CSS and LDC and UDC of the CSCS but the 7th CPC has not uttered a single word on that. The DOPT also gave two increments on promotion from US to DS grade and this dispensation was continued for a long time. However, the 7th CPC has recommended abolition of this provision. Also, surprisingly the gap of the pay between Deputy Secretary and Director has been maintained the same, that is, Director will draw almost 1.5 times of the pay of Deputy Secretary even though the duties and responsibilities of both are the same.” [Bureaucracytoday]
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Today, there has been a massive protest at Railway Bhawan by Central Secretariat Services against the ‘vested interests’ in the 7thCPC who have attempted to put the institution of Central Secretariat down to occupy the positions of Assistant (Secretariat Officers), Section Officer (Assistant Secretary) for their ancillary services supporting them and Under Secretary (Deputy Director), Deputy Secretary (Joint Director) and Director for themselves as at the level of Deputy Secretary and Director are reserved for Central Secretariat Services and the rest are for Central Staffing Scheme. This massive protest has sent sent shockwaves around the Parliament Street and brought a tremor in Railway Bhawan. The massive protest targeted against the following recommendations of the 7th CPC for vested interest:-
Replacement pay level given to Assistants of CSS (Group-‘B’) is Rs.4200 stating that maintaining parity with the field functionaries, but 7th CPC has grossly erred in recommending replacement of Inspectors of CBDT/CBEC (Group-‘C’) Rs.4600 who are also recruited through same Combined Graduate Level Exam. The pay parity of the Assistants of the CSS and Inspectors of CBDT/CBEC has been maintained vide DOPT’s OM No.2/1/90-CS.IV dated 31.07.1990 issued consequent upon CAT(PB)’s order dated 13.05.1989 in OA No.1538/87.
Section Officers (SOs) of the CSS has been given pay level replacement of Rs.5400 in PB-2 (at present it is Rs.5400 in PB-3) by the 7th CPC. SOs of the CSS were given Rs.5400 in PB-3 as cadre restructuring package. It is beyond comprehension how 7th CPC will follow the line of 6th CPC when their recommendations were not accepted in this matter.
DOPT sent a recommendation to change nomenclature of Assistants of the CSS and LDC & UDC of the CSCS but 7th CPC has not uttered a single word on that.
DOPT gave two increments on promotion from US to DS grade and this dispensation was continued for a long time and 7th CPC has recommended abolition of this provision.
It is utter surprise that Rs.4200 (upto 30% of the UDCs) given by DOPT has been withdrawn by 7th CPC.
It is also a big surprise that the gap of the pay between Dy. Secretary to Director has been maintained the same by 7th CPC i.e. Director will draw almost 1.5 times of the pay of Dy. Secretary. It is fact that duties and responsibilities of the Dy. Secretary and Director are same.
The massive protest apart from above objectives also target to achieve, better pay against the recommendations of 7thCPC, Cadre Review of the CSS, Grant of NFU to the CSS, Amendment to CSS Rules, Change in Nomenclature etc.
Now, please refer to your article published on the site (http://www.tkbsen.in/) “Govt Calls Meeting Of Central Secretariat Staff Today To Resolve Issues Pay Commission Report” and on (https://bureaucracytoday.com/) regarding “SCPC: Govt to meet agitating CSS officers” and on another site Grievances against 7th Pay commission for biased against Central Secretariat Services. . Let me tell you what was discussed in the Meeting with CSS officers which was held on 07.12.2015 in DoP&T:-
All the above from (i) to (vi) have been very raised very and strongly along with our targets below it.
A protest has been lodged against Shri- UTKAARSH R TIWAARI
Director looking after the CS – I Division (Cadre Controlling Authority of Central Secretariat Services) for being negative against the CSS for vested interests so as to occupy the position of Deputy Secretary and Director for his service-IRS-IT as he is from Indian Revenue Services.
A protest has also been lodged against Meena Agarwal An Indian Railway Accounts Service officer of 1981 batch, Yashashri Shukla She is an officer from the Indian P and T Accounts and Finance Service and served in 7th CPC as a director, Mudit Mittal a director ranked officer from Indian Railway Accounts Service from being biased against the CSS to promote their own services for the sake of CSS by downgrading them.
The deep anguish, anger and agony being felt by the Officers from Assistants (Secretariat Officer) to Joint Secretary of CSS were told to them in clear words. It was also said if the above valid demands are accepted the CSS would have to perform the last rites of CSS. Archana Varma, Joint secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) assured them all that their grievances and all the demands as above would be raised very forcefully by the DoP&T in a next few days and she would personally pursue the developments of the case. However, informally, she advised the CSS fraternity that you would have to remain united to force Ministry of Finance to accede to your demands soon. She also said all the CSS officers are free to meet her whenever they wish to raise their grievances.
A few cabinet Ministry as Smt. Smriti Irani already supported the above cause apart from assuring the CSS officers to arrange their meeting with PM soon so they directly raise their grievances and and after today’s, massive shockwaves, the more Cabinet Ministers may start supporting this movements daily.
If you would like to publish an article on the above, you may please do it accordingly.
Regards,
Rakesh Kumar | [email protected]
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COMMENTS
GOI,MOD must consider upgrading Sepoy from 2000 to 2400 and JCO from 4200 to 4800 GP.
What about the defence personal who cannot make a threatening agitation like the civilians? I am confident our politicians will consider their pay and pension considering their devotion to duty, duty timings and hardship.
Have you ever wondered how civilian staff working shoulder to shoulder with service officers in organisations like DGQA, Naval Armament Inspection organisation, MES etc. are left to fate and suffering a raw deal, when it comes to promotions and pay disparities? The service fraternity enjoy all the benefits and growth, while the civilians slog it out actually. And who said, the services are highly disciplined. Even civilians seem to be pedalling the agitation of bicycle low, when ex-servicemen have become unruly in returning medals of honour despite the fact that the government is pouring in a plethora of benefits on the services. Do you know that Naval officers in non-combat functions boycotted by refusing to accept salaries, when the government fixed a slightly lesser pay packet when compared to the combatant personnel who actually deserve it? There are elements in services who do agitate and not all is sanguine in services.