(contd from 20-02-2017)
WHY NJCA SHOULD REVIVE THE DEFERRED
INDEFINITE STRIKE ?
M.
Krishnan,
Secretary
General,
Confederation
15-02-2017
3.
ARREARS ON ALLOWANCES INCLUDING HRA AND TRANSPORT
ALLOWANCE IS GOING TO BE REJECTED:
Now it has become
clear that the Government has constituted the Allowance Committee headed by
Finance Secretary, mainly to delay the implementation of enhanced allowances
and finally deny the arrears by implementing the revised allowance either from
01-01-2017 or from 01-04-2017. The four months time fixed for the Allowance
Committee is already extended to six months upto 22-02-2017. Reserve Bank
Governor, Dr. Urjit Patel had hinted to the media that the burden of payment of
arrears during this financial year will not be there, meaning that Government
may not give retrospective effect to the revised allowances. The RBI
Governor, Dr. Urjit Patel made the following observations, which is
published in the RBI website.
“The extension of two
months given to the Ministry of Finance to receive the notification on higher
allowances under the Pay Commission’s award could push its fuller effect into
the next financial year rather than this financial year”.
Further, the
Allowance Committee has not held any negotiation with the JCM Staff Side. It
just heard the views of the staff side. The request of the JCM staff side to
hold one more meeting with staff side NJCM was not favourably considered by the
Finance Secretary, who is the Chairman of the Allowance Committee. No indication
is given as to whether the percentage of HRA recommended by 7th CPC will be
enhanced to 30%, 20% and 10%. The fate of other allowances are also the same.
Unless NJCA take a firm stand and negotiate with the Government by reviving the
indefinite strike, the employees will be placed in a desperate and helpless
situation, if Government is allowed to unilaterally declare the HRA and other
allowances, without retrospective effect from 01-01-2016, and also without much
modification, thereby denying crores of rupees as arrears.
4.
REVISION OF MINIMUM PAY, FITMENT FORMULA - HIGH LEVEL
COMMITTEE NOT YET CONSTITUTED:
While deferring the
indefinite strike from 11th July 2016, as per the assurance given by the Group
of Ministers, the NJCA in its statement dated 06-07-2016, stated as follows:
“The committee set up
to look into the matter of minimum wage and fitment formula is expected to
submit their report to the Government in the given time frame of not more than
four months”.
Finance Ministry’s press statement
issued on 06-07-2016 also stated as follows:
“The Ministers
assured the Union leaders that the issues raised by them would be considered by
a High Level Committee”.
After one month, the
NJCA wrote letters on 28-07-2016 to Hon’ble Home Minister, Finance Minister,
Railway Minister and Cabinet Secretary in which it conveyed the following:
“It is a matter of
concern that, despite elapsing of a pretty long time, nothing has been heard in
this regard from the Government of India, which is leading to serious
resentment amongst the Central Government employees.”
Again after two
months the JCM staff side, Secretary, wrote a letter on 12-08-2016, to Shri.
Arun Jaitely, Finance Minister -
“We are expecting a
quick action on the part of the Government to operationalise the assurance of
setting up a High Level Committee to go into the Minimum Wage, Multiplication
factor etc. However, we are disappointed that even after a lapse of more than a
month, no orders have been issued by the Government in this regard
.......... we
therefore appeal to you that the concerned authorities may be asked to expedite
the issuance of orders setting up the committee and finalisation of the report
within the available time of remaining three months.”
A group of Senior
Officers invited the JCM staff side on 30-08-2016 to discuss the grievances
arising out of the recommendations related to 7th CPC. No High Level Committee
was constituted and no terms of reference was notified. The second meeting with
Group of seniors was held on24-10-2016.
Eventhough the group
of senior officers held two round of discussion with JCM staff side,
surprisingly they had not come prepared to discuss increase in minimum wage and
fitment formula. They made a mockery of the meeting by disclosing in the first
meeting that they are not fully aware of the details of the issues to be
discussed and in the second meeting they told that they came for discussing
allowances (though another committee under the chairmanship of Finance
Secretary is constituted for allowances) and not minimum wage and
fitment formulas. The JCM staffside leaders felt humiliated.
After that meeting,
the JCM staffside wrote the following letter on 26-10-2016, to Hon’ble Finance
Minister.....
“We (staff side)
interacted with the said committee headed by Shri. P. K. Das, Addl. Secretary
(Expenditure) on 24-10-2016. It would be quite appropriate to bring to your
kind notice that, we have felt, during the course of meeting, that the
proceedings of the committee are extremely disappointing and are left with the
impression that committee is dilly-dallying the issue.................
we are, therefore,
left with no option, but to address this communication with the fervent hope
that, your goodself will direct the said committee to interact with the staff
side in a fruitful manner and arrive at a mutually agreeable proposal on the
issue of minimum pay and fitment formula.... We have full trust and believe
that, the Government would honour the decision taken in the meeting held on
30-06-2016 in your benign presence and suitable direction will be given to the
committee to complete the assigned task within the stipulated time frame in a
satisfactory manner.... It would be the most unfortunate development, we regret
to state, if we are constrained to tread the path of struggle once again in the
event of the committee not coming up with a satisfactory settlement.”
Inspite of all these,
after that (ie after 24-10-2016) no meeting of the group of senior officers was
held and no discussion on minimum wage and fitment formula took place. The four months time
fixed for the High Level Committee (which is yet to constituted) expired
on 30-10-2016. Government has gone back from the most important assurance given
to the NJCA leaders on 30-06-2016 by the Group of Cabinet Ministers. NJCA
decided to defer the strike mainly because of this assurance of the
Govt. that the Minimum pay and fitment formula will be enhanced. Now that Govt.
has gone back and betrayed the entire Central Govt. employees and pensioners.
NJCA has no other option but to revive the indefinite strike.
---contd........
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