WHY NJCA SHOULD REVIVE THE DEFERRED
INDEFINITE STRIKE ?
M.
Krishnan,
Secretary
General,
Confederation
15-02-2017
........... (contd. from 17-02-17)
1.GOVT. MADE IT CLEAR
THAT WITHDRAWL OF NPS IS NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF NPS COMMITTEE. YOUNGER
GENERATION EMPLOYEES CHEATED:
Withdrawal of NPS or
exemption from NPS was one of the most important demand of the NJCA in the 11th
July 2016 deferred indefinite strike. In the statement issued
by NJCA on 06-07-2016 after deferring the indefinite strike, it stated as
follows:
“The NJCA
particularly notes that the Government has set up a separate committee for
reviewing the New Pension Scheme, which has been a matter of concern to all
employees and workers who are recruited to Government service on or after
01-01-2004”.
It is true that
Government has constituted an NPS Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary
(Pension). This created a lot of hope among the younger generation
employees as they have been made to believe that the committee will consider
the demand of NJCA to scrap the NPS or at least exempt Central Government
employees from NPS. But to the dismay of all, in the agenda notified
by NPS Committee for discussion with staff side (JCM) on 10-02-2017, the main
issues such as (1) Scrapping of NPS (2) Guaranteed minimum pension to NPS
subscribers ie; 50% of the last pay drawn should be guaranteed by Government as
minimum pension, even if the returns from the annuity insurance scheme is less
than 50% and (3) exemption of Central Government employees from the purview of
NPS, are not included as agenda for discussion in the meeting. During the
discussion with staff side on 10-02-2017, Additional Secretary (Pension)
informed the following:
(1)
Withdrawal of NPS is not within the purview of NPS
Committee.
(2) There are three sub committees constituted on
NPS (i) Committee chaired by Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services
to look into investment, benefit and taxation, (ii) Committee chaired by Joint
Secretary (Expenditure), Finance Ministry, with regard to finalising the
accounting, implementation procedure and grievance redressal. (iii) Committee
chaired by Additional Secretary (Pension) to formulate Rules and Regulations
with regard to various benefits from NPS.
Thus it is made clear
without any ambiguity that NPS Committee is constituted by the Government for
further strengthening NPS and not for scrapping NPS or exempting from NPS as
demanded by NJCA. Everybody
knows that whether it is pay commission or NPS Committee, it cannot and
will not make recommedations on any issue which are not included in the terms
of reference of the Commission/Committee, specifically by the Government. Submitting
memorandum to the NPS committee demanding scrapping ofNPS or
exemption from NPS may not serve any purpose, unless Government give clear
mandate to the Committee to examine such a demand also. Thus, NDA Government
has rejected the demand of NJCA either to scrap NPS or exempt from NPS. This is
the real fact and there need not be any confusion in the mind of the employees.
In order to compel the Government to accept the demand, there is no short-cut,
other than reviving the indefinite strike.
Railway Federations
demand also rejected:
Railway Federations
have demanded exemption of Railway employees from the purview of NPS. Railway
Ministers of UPA and NDA Government had forwarded the demand to the Government
with their recommendations stating that Railways is second line of defence and
as Military Personnel are already exempted from NPS, Railway employees should
also be exempted from NPS. Earlier in a letter dated 15th May 2015
addressed to Railway Board, the Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial
Services has informed as follows:-
“It may kindly be noted that, earlier
a proposal to exempt paramilitary forces (ie. CRPF, BSF etc.) from the ambit of
NPS was referred to a Group of Ministers (GoM) and was finally not approved by
the Government............
You will agree that
moving away from the earlier defined benefit based pension system was a
concious decision of the Government taken in view of the unsustainable pension
liability of the Central Government....... In view of the above, request of the
recognised Federations (AIRF & NFIR) for seeking exemption of the Railway
Servants appointed on or after 01-01-2004 from the application of the NPS does
not seem to be a feasible proposition.”
From the above reply,
it is clear that Government is not going to exempt Railway employees or other
Central Government employees from the purview of NPS, unless NJCA revive the
indefinite strike and compell the Government to negotiate and settle the
demand.
2. OPTION - I FOR PRE-2016 PENSIONERS REJECTED:
In the meeting held
on 30-06-2016, with Group of Ministers by JCM staff side, the Finance Minister
had also clarified that Government has taken the decision to implement the
recommendation of 7th CPC to bring about parity between past and present
pensioners. (Vide NJCA Statement issued on 06-07-2016). Finance Minister categorically
assured the NJCA leaders on 30-06-2016 that the Government has accepted the
recommendation in toto and Pension department has only been asked to sort out the
difficulties in implementation of Option-I, if any.
NJCA wrote to Finance
Minister on 16-07-2016, as follows:
“The issue of
acceptance of Option-I and II was discussed with your goodself at the residence
of Hon’ble Home Minister (Govt. of India) wherein Hon’ble Minister for Railways
and Hon’ble MoS Railways were present. You had categorically agreed our demand
that no dilution would be made in the options given to the Pensioners by the
7th CPC. It is unfortunate that a rider “subject to feasibility” has been
imposed on Option-I. Sir, this is very unfair and we will appreciate, if you
kindly get the sentence “subject to feasibility” removed from that order, to
keep your promise also”.
But, Finance Minister
had gone back from his assurance to JCM Staff side leaders and he refused to
withdraw the condition “subject to feasibility”. In the letter dated
17-10-2016, addressed to Chairman of the “Pension Option-I Committee”, the
Secretary, JCM staff side requested as
follows:
“The attempt
therefore must be to explore the ways and means of implementing the said
recommendation which is beneficial to a large number of pensioners, especially
those retired prior to 1996. In view of this, the staff side is of the firm
view that the Government issue orders for implementation of Option-I as there
is no room for stating that the recommendation is impossible to be implemented
for those who are benefitted by the said option”.
Finally NJCA wrote a
letter to Hon’ble Home Minister Shri. Rajnath Singh on 17-01-2017, requesting
intervention. The letter reads as follows:
“The Central
Government Pensioners numbering presently more than the working employees are
aggrieved of the fact that the one and the only recommendation of the 7th CPC
which was in their favour ie; Option-I have been recommended to be rejected by
the Pension Department to the Government”.
Inspite of all these,
the proposal is submitted to cabinet to reject Option-I. This underlines the
fact that unless NJCA revive its deferred indefinite strike, the Government
will not allow Option-I to pensioners, as assured by Finance Minister.
(contd.........)