PENDING DEMANDS AND NEW GOVERNMENT

              New Central Government under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi has taken charge with a clear majority in the Lok Sabha election.  People of the country and the Central Government employees who suffered a lot under the UPA Government, have voted for a change.  Now it is the turn of NDA Government.  Coming days will prove whether the selection made by the voters is correct or not.        

           Central Government employees have to take a cautious approach towards the new Government.  As the new Government has just taken over charge and expectations are very high, jumping into any sudden conclusion may not be correct on our part.  We have to give reasonable time to the new government to make its stand clear on the issues agitating the minds of the Central Government employees.  Let us hope that our past experience in the 2000 December 14 days Postal strike when the NDA Government was in power, the support extended by the party leading NDA to the UPA Government for introducing and passing the PFRDA Bill in Parliament, the infamous downsizing order of 2001 issued by the NDA Government which paved way for abolition of thousands of vacant posts in Central Government Departments and refusal to concede any of the main demands of Gramin Dak Sevaks will not be repeated by the new Government.

               The maiden budget of the new Government to be presented in Parliament in July 2014 may give us an idea on the thinking of the Government and also the attitude of the Government towards the problems faced by the common people and the Central Government employees.  Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers has placed our demands before the new Government.  JCM National Council staff side has also written to the Finance Minister and Cabinet Secretary.  Our demands are not new.  Demands raised before the UPA Government are again placed before the NDA Government.

               While constituting 7^th Central Pay Commission the UPA Government has refused to include the main demands of the Central Government employees in the terms of reference viz: (1) Grant of merger of DA (2) Grant of interim relief and (3) inclusion of Gramin Dak Sevaks under the purview of 7th CPC.  Confederation has conducted 48 hours strike in February 2014, just before the General Election is declared, demanding settlement of the 15 points charter of demands which includes the above three main demands also.  As General Election was declared we could not move further.  Central Government employees expect that the new Government will consider positively, the demands raised in the 48 hours strike.

               If the new Government also take the same stand as that of previous UPA Government and refuse to concede our genuine demands, the Central Government employees will be forced to tread the path of struggle again.  Before embarking upon such a struggle, our prime duty is to build up largest unity among all sections of the Central Government employees.  Confederation is making all out effort in this direction especially to build up total unity among JCM staff side organisations.  We are even ready to make certain compromises for the sake of unity.

               We have to give enough time to the new Government and we are ready to wait.  But we cannot wait indefinitely.  7^th CPC has already commenced its work and has fixed target dates for submission of memorandums by Federations and Unions/Associations.  Chairman, 7th CPC, has also made it clear that unless the Government refer the issues of DA merger, Interim relief and GDS issues to the Commission, it will not consider these issues.  Hence the ball is now in the Government’s court.  Let us see how the things move.  Let us also be ready to face any situation.

M. Krishnan

Secretary General