DECEMBER 1st & 2nd , 2015 STRIKE DEFERRED
SECRETARY GENERAL AND ALL GENERAL SECRETARIES OF NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) WILL SIT ON TWO DAYS HUNGER FAST INFRONT OF DAK BHAWAN, NEW DELHI ON 1st & 2nd DECEMBER 2015.
ONE DAY MASS HUNGER FAST IN FRONT OF ALL CPMG / PMG & DIVISIONAL OFFICES ON 11th DECEMBER 2015.
TO EXPRESS OUR ANGER, RESENTMENT AND STRONG PROTEST AGAINST THE REJECTION OF THE LEGITIMATE DEMANDS OF THREE LAKHS GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS BY THE NDA GOVT.
The Federal Secretariat of NFPE held at NFPE Office, New Delhi on 26-11-2015, reviewed the whole situation prevailing among the postal employees in general and the Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) in particular after the submission of the 7th Central Pay Commission Report to the Govt and also after the appointment of a separate committee for GDS by the Govt, headed by a retired Postal Board Member as Chairman.
The Federal Secretariat further reviewed the proposed two days strike call given by NFPE and AIPEU GDS (NFPE) for realization of the legitimate demands of the Gramin Dak Sevaks, which include bringing the GDS also under the purview of 7th CPC treating them as Civil Servants.
The main demand of NFPE and AIPEU GDS (NFPE) in the charter of demands submitted to Govt and Postal Board is “inclusion of GDS under the purview of 7th CPC”. NFPE organized series of agitational programmes for the GDS demands including dharnas, hunger fast, GDS Parliament March, Parliament March under the banner of Postal JCA (NFPE & FNPO), one day strike on 12th December 2012 and 48 hours strike on 12th & 13th February 2014. Due to our agitational programmes the Postal Board was compelled to submit the proposal for inclusion of GDS under 7th CPC to Finance Ministry with favourable recommendations. But the Finance Ministry rejected the proposal three times and it is in this background NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) decided to go for two days strike on December 1st & 2nd demanding the Govt to include GDS under the 7th Pay Commission.
Even though the Govt refused to include the GDS under the 7th CPC, the 7th CPC has suo moto examined the main demand of the GDS ie., treating them as Civil Servants and extending them all the benefits of the departmental employees, ofcourse proportionately. It is most unfortunate that the Pay Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court Justice as Chairman, has considered our demand and categorically stated that Gramin Dak Sevaks are holders of Civil Posts but outside the regular civil service and hence can not be treated at par with other civilian employees. After this observation of the Seventh CPC even if the GDS are included in the 7th CPC they are not going to get a fair deal. This has compelled us to modify the demand placed by us before the Govt in the charter of demands.
NFPE, from the very beginning has opposed the appointment of an Officer Committee for GDS and NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) has tried their best to prevent appointment of an Officer Committee and compelled the department to make effort for inclusion of GDS under 7th CPC itself. But now NDA Govt rejected our demand and has unilaterally appointed GDS Committee with a retired Postal Board Member as Chairman and cheated three lakh GDS employees. From our past experiences we know that the retired officers of the Postal Department will never do justice to the Gramin Dak Sevaks.
In view of the fact that 7th CPC has rejected our demand for Civil Servant status and also the Govt has unilaterally imposed the officer committee on GDS, the Federal Secretariat felt that it is not appropriate to go for an immediate strike with the demands raised by us in the charter of demands, i.e., inclusion of GDS under 7th CPC. Now GDS can get justice only if NDA Govt take a policy decision to regularize the services of GDS treating them as Civil Servants. Federal Secretariat is fully aware that we can not expect such a decision without the change in the policy of the Government towards GDS. To make a change in the policy decision of the Govt., a bigger mobilization and strike of all postal employees including GDS with the active support and solidarity of other central Govt employees under the banner of Confederation of Central Govt Employees and workers and also the JCM National Council Staffside organizations is required.
The Federal Secretariat decided to explore all possibilities and wider consultations for such a united struggle. The Federal Secretariat felt that to pave way for wider consultations, the independent strike call of NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) need to be deferred and all likeminded organizations are to be brought under a common platform. Accordingly Federal Secretariat unanimously decided to defer the proposed two days strike scheduled to be held on 1st & 2nd December 2015.
The Secretary General and all General Secretaries of NFPE shall sit on two days hunger fast in front of Dak Bhawan, New Delhi on 1st & 2nd December 2015 expressing our strong protest to the Govt and also demanding regularization of Gramin Dak Sevaks by granting them civil servant status with all consequential benefits of regular employees.
The Federal Secretariat, while saluting the grass root level workers for their intensive campaign and preparation for the strike, calls upon them to organize one day hunger fast infront of all CPMG / PMG and Divisional Offices throughout the country on 11thDecember 2015 to ventilate our anger, resentment and strong protest against the callous and inhuman attitude of the NDA Govt towards three lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks who are the backbone of the Postal Department catering to the needs of the rural population of this country in postal sector.
Federal Executive of NFPE will meet shortly to review the situation and shall decide future course of action.
SECRETARY GENERAL
NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS
New Delhi.
Website address:nccpahq.blogspot.in.
E mail address:nccpahq@gmail.com.
Dated: 21st November, 2015
Dear Comrades
We hope you must have gone through the gist of the 7th CPC recommendations, which we have placed on our website on 20th. We reproduce hereunder a copy of the Press Statement issued by the Convenor, National JCA, Com. Shiv Gopal Misra immediately after the submission of the report by the commission to the government. We are in full agreement with the views expressed therein and endorse the same. In fact from every facet, this report must be characterized as the worst attempt of wage revision for Central Government employees. The increase in the wages after 10 years is just 14.28%, whereas it was much more in the case of Bank and Insurance Employees whose wage revision takes place every five years. We have every reason to believe that the present Government has exerted pressure on the Commission to suppress the wage package of the Central Government employees. It had been our repeated plea that the Commission should not be loaded with bureaucrats drawn from the Government for it is our experience right from the 5th CPC onwards that their presence has influenced the Commission’s recommendations. No different is the story of the 7th CPC. The bureaucrats in the Group ‘A’ cadres have immensely benefited from this Commission’s report. The ratio between the minimum and maximum, as per the 7th CPC recommendation is 1:14, even beyond what the 6th CPC recommended. It could be seen that none of the demands which the Central Government employees jointly placed before the Commission has been accepted. There is no reasoning advanced by them to substantiate the rejection. Most of the issues have been dealt with in a manner of an arbitrator. In order to suppress the wages, the doctrine and formula of minimum wage has been distorted by the Commission. They have taken the average of 12 months ( July, 2014 to June, 2015) prices of the commodities, which the formula does not stipulate at all. The minimum wage has to be on the basis of the retail prices of the commodities on a particular date. The rates are sourced from the Labour Institute, Simla, whose credentials of adoption of the actual rates had been dubious all along. The Ministry of Agriculture in their website publishes the monthly rates of commodities. We have worked out the minimum wage taking the average rate of 8 cities as on 1.11.2015. Even according to those rates, which the Government cannot dispute, the minimum wage comes to Rs. 26000 +. Fitment formula and every other allowances depend upon the minimum wage. The pay scales are constructed on the premise of the minimum wage. The issue has to be fought out. We hope the meeting of the leaders of the organizations participating in the JCM scheduled to be held on 8th December, 2015 will take the decision to go ahead with the strike preparation. That alone will make the negotiation, if at all it takes place, meaningful and fruitful.
Coming to the issues concerning the Pensioners, you must have seen that except in the case of parity, there is no positive recommendation emanated from this Commission. Every pensioner had expected a rise in the FMA as it is presently pegged down to a meagre amount of Rs. 500. The Government had agreed to revise the additional pension for those beyond the age of 75. The 7th CPC has even rejected it on the advice of the Defense Ministry. We are at a loss to understand that what authority the Defense Ministry has got in this matter.
We shall have to prepare a charter of demands to be presented to the Government through the Staff Side JCM as also directly. We, therefore, request all our comrades, to go through the recommendations and make suggestions for improvement so as to help the Sectt. to formulate the demands. Kindly bear in mind that the demands which we propose to include in the charter must be such which has universal coverage.
We must join the Protest Day on 27th November, 2015, being organized by the working employees. Every State Committee and affiliate may decide upon a particular venue in each State Capital and join the demonstration by wearing the black badges.
Please print the following on the badges:
Protest Day 27.11.2015
We protest against the most retrograde recommendations
Of the 7th CPC.
Demand the Government to negotiate and revise the minimum wage and settle the issues.
With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General.
NJCA
National Joint Council of Action
4, State Entry Road, New Delhi - 110055
No.NC-JCm-2015/NJCA
November 20 , 2015
PRESS STATEMENT FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION
Central Government Employees are totally disappointed
with the adverse recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission.
Seventh Central Pay Commission while giving a bonanza
to the higher level officers has completely ignored the low paid employees.
Central Government Employees to observe "BLACK DAY"
by holding massive demonstration wearing black badges
all over the country on 27 th November 2015.
to protest against the retrograde recommendations of the 7th CPC.
NJCA appeals to the Central Government Employees
to be prepared for more serious action programmes
The National Joint Council of Action of Central Government Employees in its meeting held on 20th November 2015 has unanimously resolved to fight back against the adverse and retrograde recommendation of the 7th CPC. The Central Government Employees are totally disappointed and dissatisfied with the recommendations of the 7th CPC submitted to the Government on 1 9th November 2015. While the wage revision for the employees of PSUs and Banks etc takes place once in five years the Central Government Employees have to wait for a long period of 10 years for wage revision.
The demand of the Staff Side of the National Council JCM to fix the minimum pay to that of Rs. 26,000/- has been completely rejected by the 7th CPC and has arbitrarily fixed the minimum pay as Rs. 18000/-. The 7th CPC has mutilated the formula for fixing the minimum wage. The minimum wage recommended amounts to a meagre increase of Rs. 2250 from the existing minimum pay of Rs. 7000 + 8750 (125 % DA as on 1.1.2016). From this minimum pay of Rs, 18000/-, as per the recommendation of the 7th CPC itself Rs- 1500/- will be recovered for CGEIGS and 10 % i. e Rs.180Q/- will be recovered towards New Pension Scheme from the employees recruited after I. 1.2004 and 6% towards GPF contribution from the employees recruited prior to 1.1.2004 resulting in minus benefit for the low paid employees.
The public at large is misled by the statement that a hike of Rs 23.5% is granted to Central Government employees where as the actual increase is only 14.29%. While the minimum wage is fixed as Rs. 18000/- the Secretary level officers are given a huge hike of Rs. 2,25,000 and the Cabinet Secretary’s salary is fixed as Rs. 2,50,000. Whereas the demand of the National Council — JCM (Staff Side) that the ratio between minimum pay and the maximum pay should be not more than 1: 8, the 7th CPC has kept the ratio as I:13.8; While the National Council — JCM has demanded for reducing and rationalizing the number of pay scales, the 7th CPC rejected the same and retained all the 18 pay scales.
The House Rent Allowance has been reduced from the existing 30% to 24%, 20% to 16% and 10% to 8%.
More over the 7th CPC has recommended for abolition of various allowances like small family allowance and advances like festival advance etc. Instead of removing the existing anomalies in the MACP Scheme, the 7th CPC has introduced examination for granting MACP. The 7th CPC has refused to make any recommendations against the New Pension Scheme. For the 2nd spell of 365 days child care leave for women employees the leave wages will be reduced to 80%.
In a nutshell the Central Government Employees are totally upset, dissatisfied and disappointed over the major recommendations of the 7th CPC. Therefore the NJCA has decided to observe a massive demonstration on 27th November 2015 against the adverse recommendation of the 7th CPC. All the constituent organizations are requested to advise their affiliates to observe in an effective manner and also to issue similar press statements in their respective states / centres. The NJCA will meet on 8th December 2015 to finalise the views on the various recommendation of the 7th CPC and to forward the same to the Government for a negotiated settlement.
The NJCA further appeals to the Central Government employees to be prepared to carry forward the struggle till a negotiated settlement is reached.
Yours Sincerely
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
Convener
Revision of Foreign Postage Rates of Letter mail w.e.f 01-12-2015
Click here to view the revised Foreign Postage rates of letter post items effective from 01.12.2015 communicated vide Postal Directorate memo no No. 1-20/2014-15/T&C dated 24.11.2015.
