Based on the ECoS report, the Finance Ministry may be preparing a Cabinet note and the VII CPC issue may come up for approval by the Cabinet as early as June 29.

GOVT SHOULD NOT TAKE THE CENTRAL GOVT. EMPLOYEES & OFFICERS FOR A RIDE.

 CONFRONTATION WILL BECOME   INEVITABLE IF UNILATERAL ORDERS ARE ISSUED

             It seems that Govt. is not in favour of a negotiated settlement on the 7^th CPC related issues. Based on the ECoS report, the Finance Ministry may be preparing a Cabinet note and the issue may come up for approval by the Cabinet as early as June 29.

 The Seventh CPC report was submitted on 19^th November 2015 after a delay of about 3 months. The Government especially the Finance Minister had assured that the final decision over the report will be taken within 4 months. On 19^th June 2016, the delay has crossed seven months. Till date the Govt. has not come forward for a negotiated settlement. Instead, Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECoS) headed by Cabinet Secretary conducted a meeting with the staff side on 1^st March 2016. In the meeting Govt. did not disclose its mind on any of the demands raised by the staff Side in the charter of demands submitted to Govt. Staff Side explained the justification for each demand but official side didn’t make any comment, either positive or negative. The concluding paragraph of the minutes of the meeting reads as follows:

            “After hearing the participants, Cabinet Secretary observed that the deliberations have helped ECoS in understanding the major concerns of the staff side and said that all issues have been taken note of. He assured that fair consideration will be given to all points brought out by JCM before taking final views. He further stated that the ECoS needs to examine the Report of the Commission in entirety as well as the issues raised by JCM in consultation with all other stake holders. As such, it may take some time to take a final call on the recommendations of the Commission.”

            It may be seen that, neither did the Govt. side made any commitment on any demands, nor did they indicate in the minutes that further discussion will be held with the staff side to arrive at a negotiated settlement on each demands. It seems that the Govt. is moving ahead to issue unilateral orders taking the staff side for a ride.

            The JCM staff side Secretary, in his letter dated 2^nd May 2016, addressed to Cabinet Secretary, has made the stand of the staff side clear, without any ambiguity. The letter reads as follows:

            “I have been directed to draw your attention towards minutes of the Standing Committee of National Council JCM held on 7^th May 2008 and our rejoinder submitted to Govt. in the matter of Report of 6^th CPC.

            You will kindly find that it was not only a general discussion, but also official side explained their views on each and every issue.

            I would therefore request your good self to kindly arrange for similar type of meeting for bi-lateral settlement on each of the issues raised by the staff side, NC/JCM before the Empowered Committee of Secretaries.”

            Thus the picture is clear now. The Government, it seems, has a hidden agenda to take the staff side for granted without giving any further opportunity for a negotiated settlement. The staff side on the other hand has taken a position that if unilateral orders are issued, without taking the staff side into confidence, the NJCA shall go ahead with the indefinite strike from 11^th July 2016 as already informed to the Govt.

            The coming days are crucial. If the Govt. adopts delaying tactics or issue unilateral orders rejecting our demands, then confrontation shall become inevitable. The stand taken by the then Nehru Govt. that “Pay Commission report is an award and is not negotiable” has resulted in the historic indefinite strike of 1960, which commenced on July 11^th midnight.

Central Government Employees and Officers comprising Railways, Defence, Postal and other Central Government departments are demanding modification in the recommendations of 7th Central Pay Commissions including minimum wage and fitment formula. Other demands are scrapping of New Contributory Pension Scheme, No FDI in Railways and Defence, filling up of vacancies, No outsourcing, downsizing, contractorisation and corporatisation etc.

The NJCA & CCGGOO had already given strike notice to Government. As the Government is not ready for a negotiated settlement, the Central Government employees and Officers have to intensify the campaign and preparations and make the strike a total success.

About 33 lakhs Central Government Employees and Officers will participate in the strike. 40 lakhs Central Government Pensioners have declared their solidarity with the strike. Central Trade Unions had also extended their full support. State Government Employees Federations have cautioned the Central Government that they will also be compelled to join the strike if Government refuses to settle the demands relating to 7th CPC recommendations as majority of the state Governments are implementing the Central pay parity to their employees also.

On the one hand NJCA & CCGGOO are fighting for the cause of Central Government Employees and Officers and on the other hand rumour mongers are spreading false news through social media. Rumour mongers are coming out daily with different kind of news and pay scales about 7th Pay Commission. Please don’t believe rumour mongers on WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media sources.

There had been no meaningful discussions with the NJCA & CCGGOO so far. The computation of Minimum wage by the 7^th CPC deserves to be rejected as the commission has, in a bid to suppress the entitlement doctored the formula itself. The wages of an MTS in civil service, who is a group C employee cannot be less than Rs 26000 on the basis of the formula evolved in 1957 to which the Government is a party. There cannot therefore be any question of reduction in the quantum of minimum wage.

 The NPS, which the Government introduced for those joined after 1.1.2004 in Government service has to be construed as a fraud perpetuated and deserves to be abandoned. There cannot be two classes of civil servants in the country; one making contribution but still not getting any assured pension and the other entitled for a statutory defined pension without any contribution. Those who are covered by the NPS in Central Civil Service are now more than 40% of the total personnel. The Government must be bold enough to address this issue.

 It is high time, that the Government comes forward, hold meaningful and fruitful discussion with NJCA & CCGGOO and settle the Charter of demands. The continued procrastination is a sure step to confrontation and the Central government employees in the Country will certainly commence the strike action from 11.7.2016.

The entire civil services, which include the Railways, Postal, Defence and all other services of the Government of India, will come to a grinding halt on 11.7.2016.

MASSIVE PARLIAMENT MARCH & RALLY OF ABOUT 20000 CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & OFFICERS

INDEFINITE STRIKE FROM 11^TH JULY 2016

33 LAKHS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & OFFICERS

WILL PARTICIPATE

A massive parliament march and rally of about 20000 Central Government Employees was held at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 24^th June 2016. The rally was attended by Central Government Employees and Officers comprising Railways, Defence, Postal and other Central Government departments demanding modification in the recommendations of 7^th Central Pay Commissions including minimum wage and fitment formula. Other demands are scrapping of New Contributory Pension Scheme, No FDI in Railways and Defence, filling up of vacancies, No outsourcing, downsizing, contractorisation and corporatisation etc.

The NJCA & CCGGOO had already given strike notice to Government. The Government is not ready for a negotiated settlement with the staff side. The rally called upon the entirety of Central Government employees and Officers to intensify the campaign and preparations and make the strike a total success.

About 33 lakhs Central Government Employees and Officers will participate in the strike. 40 lakhs Central Government Pensioners have declared their solidarity with the strike. Central Trade Unions had also extended their full support. State Government Employees Federations have cautioned the Central Government that they will also be compelled to join the strike if Government refuses to settle the demands relating to 7^th CPC recommendations as majority of the state Governments are implementing the Central pay parity to their employees also.

On the one hand NJCA & CCGGOO are fighting for the cause of Central Government Employees and Officers and on the other hand rumour mongers are spreading false news through social media. Rumour mongers are coming out daily with different kind of news and pay scales about 7th Pay Commission. Please don’t believe rumour mongers on What’sAPP, Facebook and other social media sources.

Improve VII CPC recommendations. Revise Central Govt. employees wages immediately.

In the face of the unprecedented rise in the inflation of the Indian Economy during 2006-16, the Central Govt. employees demanded the Government to affect wage rise, for the emoluments fixed on the basis of the 6th CPC was incapable of meeting the both ends of an employee. Though under threat the then Government conceded the demand for setting up of the 7^th CPC, they  refused to grant any interim relief or DA merger, which alone would have mitigated the difficulties of the low paid employees.

 When the NDA Government came to power, the NJCA & CCGGOO approached them also with a request that the difficulties of the low paid employees in Central Government must be appreciated and the demand for Interim Relief or DA merger be conceded. The NDA Government too did not respond to the plea made by the NJCA & CCGGOO.

The 7th CPC was to submit its report in August, 2016. However, at the intervention of the Government, the report was further delayed and it ultimately reached the Government only in November, 2015.

The report of the 7^th Central pay commission was totally disappointing as it did not address any of the issues projected before them in a proper manner and most of the demands were rejected sans reasoning and logic. The increase they recommended was a paltry 14%, the lowest any Pay Commission had ever suggested. 

Except setting up an Empowered Committee of Secretaries, the Government did not do anything so far on the report. It is now more than six months the report is with the Government. Normally the revised allowances which form part and parcel of the salary of the employees are granted with prospective effect i.e. from the date of the issue of the orders. The delay in taking decision on the 7^th pay commission report will rob the employees of the increased allowances for ever.

The Staff side had been pursuing to have a meaningful negotiation and settlement of the issues. Except hearing the leaders of NJCA & CCGGOO, the empowered Committee did not go further. It acted as if it was powerless and the final decision will have to be taken by the Government. At the request of the Cabinet Secretary on 1^st March, 2016 the strike action which was to commence in April, 2016 was deferred.

The determination of the Minimum wage on the basis of Dr. Aykhroyd formula enunciated in 1957 to which the Government of India was a party is the most significant issue. A right settlement thereon will have far reaching impact in the wage determination of the entire working class in the country. The confrontation is between the forces who wanted India to be the destination for cheap labour and others who fight against the exploitation.

 The new Contributory Pension scheme introduced by the Government in 2004 has made one third of the Civil servants unsure of their entitlement at the evening of their life even though they were to contribute huge sums from their wages every month compulsorily. The PFRDA bill became an Act in the country as the members of Parliament both belonging to NDA and UPA voted in favour of the loot of the employees. Even the recommendation made by the Standing Committee of the Parliament to provide for a minimum guaranteed annuity pension was rejected when the Bill was passed. The other issue which must have a satisfactory settlement is about the contributory pension scheme.

The new pension scheme is a curse on the employees. As far as employees are concerned, they are worried that in future they may be deprived of their pension in total. They are also worried that there is no guarantee of either family pension or gratuity as per 7th pay commission recommendations. Scrap the PFRDA Act and NPS and grant Pension/family Pension to all CG employees under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 & Railways Pension Rules, 1993.

The one and only positive recommendation made by the 7th CPC was to provide some relief to the in the pension entitlement of the past pensioners. The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare has unfortunately recommended to the Cabinet Secretary that, even that recommendation must be rejected on the specious plea that the requisite relevant records might not be available.

The central government employees are very much annoyed and anxious with the 7th pay commission recommendations. As there had been no fruitful negotiations or discussions and having realized that the Government has no intention to settle the Charter of demands, the NJCA & CCGGOO have served strike notices. The indefinite strike will commence on 11^th July, 2016, if no satisfactory settlement is brought about on the charter of demands. Prime Minister should intervene immediately for improvement of VII CPC recommendations and revision of Central Govt. employees wages.

Central Govt. employees on Struggle Path.

NJCA resolves to launch Indefinite Strike from 11.07.2016.
Strike Notice on 9th June
SG Confederation message:
National Joint Council of Action (Railways, Defence & Confederation) meeting held today (3rd June) evening at New Delhi decided to serve indefinite strike notice to Govt. on 9th June 2016. INDEFINITE STRIKE WILL COMMENCE FROM 11th July 2016 as decided earlier.
 NJCA Circular will be exhibited in the website tomorrow morning.
 KKN Kutty, R.N.Parashar & Giriraj Singh attended the meeting on behalf of Confederation & NFPE 
- M.Krishnan Secretary General CCGE&W.