NATIONAL CONVENTION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
DECLARED FOUR MONTHS INTENSIVE CAMPAIGN AND
ONE DAY NATION WIDE STRIKE ON 15-11-2018
* SCRAP NEW CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SCHEME AND RESTORE OLD DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION SCHEME TO ALL EMPLOYEES.
* SETTLE 10 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDS OF CONFEDERATION.
STATE GOVT EMPLOYEES & TEACHERS ALSO DECLARED ONE DAY NATIONWIDE STRIKE ON 15-11-2018
" DEFEAT THE DISASTROUS NEO-LIBERAL POLICIES
DEFEAT THE ANTI-LABOUR, ANTI-PEOPLE RULING CLASS POLITICS.''
Dear Comrades,
Attacks on workers and peasants as a whole and Central Government Employees in particular are mounting day by day. Entire working class and peasantry are on struggle path. The successful famers struggle in Maharashtra and sixteen days indefinite strike of three lakhs Postal Gramin Dak Sevaks are the latest mass struggle.
None of the 7th CPC related demands of Central Government Employees are settled. The increase in pay of 14.28% was the lowest and worst in the history of pay revision of Central Government employees. The assurance given by the group of senior Cabinet Ministers of NDA Government in the wake of impending indefinite strike from 11th July 2016 regarding increase in minimum wage and fitment formula is in paper evenafter a lapse of 24 months. Now the Finance Minister had replied in the Parliament that - “no change in minimum pay and fitment formula is at present under consideration of the Government”.
Employees who joined service on or after 01-01-2004 are retiring with a mergre pension of Rs.1000/- to Rs.2000/-per month only under the NPS scheme. In effect "New pension system'' has become "No pension system''. As per RTI reply out of 32 lakhs Central Government employees, as on 30-04-2018, 17,58,144 employees are covered under NPS. Uncertainity is looming large over their retirement life. Everymonth 10 % of their salary (including DA) is deducted under NPS, but as per PFRDA Act - "there shall not be any implicit or explicit assurance of benefit, except market based guarantee mechanism to be purchased by the subscriber.” 7th CPC after hearing various stake holders of NPS has given the following directive to the Government - "almost a whole lot of Government employees appointed on or after 01-01-2004 are unhappy with the New Pension Scheme, Government should take a call to look into their complaint.'' Eventhough Government has appointed a committee for streamlining NPS, the committee was not mandated to examine and recommend ''scraping of NPS” or ''minimum guaranteed pension'' ie; 50% of the last pay drawn. Staffside has placed the above demands before the committee. Report of the committee, submitted one year back, is not yet published. In short the discontenment among the NPS employees is growing day by day and it may burst out at any time if the Government refuses to revert back to the old defined benefit pension system.
Six lakhs posts are lying vacant for the last many years and now Government has issued orders to abolish all posts lying vacant for more than five years. HRA arrears, MACP Bench mark, MACP promotional heirarchy and date of effect from 01-01-2006, option-I for pensioners - Govt is not ready to reconsider their stand. Three lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks are compelled to go on indefinite strike for 16 days foe getting their legitimate wage revision approved by the cabinet. Their demand for regularisation, Civil servant status and implementation of other positive recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee are still pending. Exploitation of casual and contract workers continue. Equal pay for equal work is denied.
Large scale outsourcing and privatisation has become the order of the day. Foreign Direct Investment and privatisation of Railways and Defence and large scale outsourcing of the work done by Defence Civilian employees are in full swing. Government declared about 200 defence products manufactued by Defence employees as ''non-core'' items and gave orders to private multinational companies for their supply, rendering thousands of Defence employees jobless in Govt owned 41ordnance factories. 12 out of 17 Government of India presses are ordered to be closed. Same is the fate with other departmental printing presses including Railway printing presses. Majority of the Autonomous body employees and pensioners are yet to get their rightful 7th CPC revised pay and pension due to stringent conditions imposed by Finance Ministry. Compassionate appointment has become a mirage.
Trade Union rights and facilities are curtailed and denied. Orders banning dharna and demonstrations are issued. The draconian FR 56 (j) and Pension Rules 48 are misused as a short-cut to punish and victimise employees. Government sponsored unions are given undue patronage. Recognition and trade union facilities of fighting organisations are withdrawn and their leaders are transferred to far-off places.
It is in this background, the National Convention of Central Government Employees held at Hyderabad on 10.06.2018 has decided to fight out these retrograde policies of the Central Government by mobilising entire Central Government employees. Four months intensive campaign throughout the country will be organised culminating in nation wide one day strike on 15-11-2018. National leaders of Central Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, CITU) has addressed the National Convention and assured their full support and solidarity to the struggle of Central Government employees.
All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF) has also decided to go on one day nation wide strike on 15-11-2018, raising the demands - Scrap NPS and stop outsourcing. Com.A.Sreekumar, General Secretary, AISGEF declared their decision while addressing the National Convention.
We are aware that the policies pursued by the NDA Government including non-settlement of genuine demands of Central Govt. employees, is directly linked to the politics of those who are in power at the Centre and hence if Government is not ready to change its retrograge policies we have no alternative but to vote out those who are at the helm of affairs. Those who betrayed 32 lakhs Central Government employees and 33 lakhs pensioners have to pay the price for it. 16 days historic indefinite strike of Gramin Dak Sevaks is an eye-opener to all. There is no short-cut for realising our justified demands from a totally negative and unwilling Government.
The Resolution and declaration adopted by the National Convention, Charter of Demands and Programme of action are enclosed herewith. All affiliated organisations and State/District level C-O-Cs are requested to
1) to issue separate Circulars along with the Resolution and declaration, charter of demands and programme of action to all their Units without fail.
2) to translate the above documents into local languages and issue printed notices pamphets and posters. (Hindi Version also published below).
3) Give wide publicity through print and electronic media, social media and also through Union websites.
4) to convene immediate meetings of the All India/State/District Managing bodies and chalk out programmes for effective implementation of the campaign programmes and one day strike on 15-11-2018.
5) Ensure maximum participation of rank and file membership in all the campaign programmes and also in the one day strike.
6) Mobilise and ensure participation of maximum employees as per quota fixed in the MASS RALLY at New Delhi on 5th September 2018. Instruct all those who are participating in the Delhi Rally to book their up and down travel tickets immediately.
7) Chalk out separate departmental wise campaign programmes of each affiliated organisations.
Fraternally yours,
M.Krishnan,
Secretary General
Confederation.
Mob & WhatsApp: 09447068125
Email: mkrishnan6854@gmail.com