2019 JANUARY 8th & 9th HISTORIC
TWO DAYS NATIONWIDE STRIKE AND OUR FUTURE TASK
M.Krishnan
Secretary General
Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & workers
WE SHALL NOT STOP, TILL OUR GOAL
IS ACHIEVED
WE SHALL MARCH TOWARS BIGGER
STRUGGLE IN THE COMING DAYS
TO SCRAP NPS & TO RESTORE OPS
TO DEFEAT THE PERPETRATORS OF DISASTROUS NEO-LIBERAL
POLICIES.
Congratulations and big salute to all those leaders
and workers who worked tirelessly and organised the most wide-spread and
largely participated two days nationwide strike under the banner of
Confederation, which is the vanguard of the Central Government employees
movement.
Central
Government employees had created history again. The two days
nationwide strike on 2019 January 8th & 9th was not only widespread but a
thundering and magnificent success in all respect, surpassing all the recent
past strikes in percentage of participation. Of course, there was
weakness in some sections and in some areas, but that didn’t affect the overall
success and impact of the strike.
When the
dominant leadership of the JCM National Council staffside and National Joint
Council of Action (NJCA) ie., Railway Federations, are reluctant to go on
strike against the betrayal of the BJP-led NDA Government on Minimum Pay &
Fitment formula, NPS, Option-I of Pensioners, HRA arrears etc, inspite of the
fact that Confederation and Defence Federation has authorised the Railway
Federations leadership to serve strike notice reviving the deferred indefinite
strike of 2016 July 11th, it is Confederation, Confederation alone, has shown
its commitment to the cause of the 32 lakhs Central Government employees and 33
lakhs Central Govt. Civilian Pensioners, by organising two days historic strike
along with the 20 crores workers of Indian working Class.
Confederation organised one day strike on 12-12-2012 and two days strike on
2014 February 13th & 14th demanding appointment of 7th Central Pay
Commission, One day strike on 16-03-2017 demanding scrapping of NPS and
honouring of assurance given by Group of Ministers and one day strikes on 2nd
September 2015 and 2016 along with the mainstream of the working class against
the neo-liberal economic policies. We decided to go on strike, demanding
10 points charter of demands of which the first and the main demand is “Scrap
NPS & Restore OPS” in the mass convention of Central Government employees
held at Hyderabad on 10th June 2018. Intensive campaign for the strike
started from July 2018 onwards. The message of the two days strike went
to every nook and corner of the country and reached almost all central Govt.
Offices and employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks, Casual/Contract Workers and
Autonomous body employees and Pensioners. We are proud that we have stood
with the workers and peasants of our country as a class-oriented militant trade
union and Confederation represents the hope and aspirations of lakhs and lakhs
of Central Government Employees and Central Govt. Civilian Pensioners.
NDA GOVERNMENT AND CENTRAL
GOVT. EMPLOYEES - OUR EXPERIENCE:
(1) NEW CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SCHEME
(NPS):
Everyone of us is aware that it
is the previous BJP-led NDA Government which introduced the NPS in 2003 through
a Gazette Notification dated 22nd December 2003, to all new entrants recruited
on or after 01-01-2004. We are also aware that the Congress-led
UPA-II Government passed the PFRDA Bill in Parliament to legalise NPS, with the
full support of opposition BJP MPs in 2013 and thereafter PFRDA Act came into
effect from 18th September 2013. Only 43 MPs of Left Parties, TMC,
JDU, BSP, SP & RJD opposed the bill in Lok Sabha against 125 votes of
Congress & BJP. In Rajya Sabha 25 MPs opposed while 115
supported. Confederation along with All India State Govt. Employees
Federation (AISGEF) conducted series of agitational programmes against NPS from
2003 onwards including National Convention, Parliament March, signature
campaign and strikes.
7th Central Pay Commission headed
by Shri. Ashok Kumar Mathur, Retired Justice of Supreme Court of India, in Para
1.24 of its Report made the following observations:
“Almost a whole lot of Central Government
employees appointed on or after 01-01-2004 were unhappy with the New Pension
Scheme. While National Pension System (NPS) did not form a part of our
Terms of Reference; we have recorded the sentiments of the affected
employees. The Government should take a call and step into to look into
their demands”.
In Para 10.03.11, the 7th CPC
again made the following comments:
“The larger Federations and Staff
Associations advocated scrapping of the NPS on the ground that it discriminate
between two sets of Government employees. Individuals covered under NPS
have pleaded for reverting to Old Pension Scheme (OPS) on the grounds of
uncertainty regarding the actual value of their future pension, on the face of
market related risks.”
Naturally, in tune with the
recommendations of 7th CPC, when the NDA Govt. decided to appoint a High Level
Committee called “NPS Committee”, the Central Government employees, especially
the younger generation, expected that their anxiety and concerns will be taken
into account by the Central Government and NPS will be scraped and OPS will be
restored. But the final decision of the Government not to scrap NPS
but only to increase the percentage of contribution by the Government from 10%
to 14% was a great blow to the NPS employees. Their hopes are
shattered, “their legitimate aspirations are guillotined” and a situation is
created where their “hopes ended in despair”.
Their hope faded further when
Shri. Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister, in his letter dated 3rd January 2019
addressed to Shri. Nitin Gadkari, another Cabinet Minister in the NDA
Government, justified the continuation of NPS as follows:
“NPS is expected to provide old
age income security to subscribers besides providing capital for the social and
economic development of the economy”.
The final blow came when the NDA Government made its stand clear
without any ambiguity in a reply dated 25-12-2018 given in Parliament stating
that - “Representations have been received which inter-alia also include
the demand that Government may revert to Old defined benefit pension
system. However, due to the rising and unsustainable pension bill and
competing claims on the fiscal, there is no proposal to replace the National
Pension System (NPS) with Old Pension System (OPS) in respect of Central Govt.
employees recruited on or after 01-01-2004”.
During the past 2-3 years many
NPS employees, mainly Gramin Dak Sevaks and Casual Labourers promoted to
departmental posts after 01-01-2004 (as their previous service is not treated
as regular service) and also aged dependents of deceased employees who got
compassionate appointment after 01-01-2004 etc, retired from service after
completing 10 to 13 years service. Their Annuity Pension under NPS is
Rs.700/- to Rs.2700/- maximum per month, thus confirming our apprehension that
“NPS is nothing but No Pension System”.
Unlike the BJP led NDA Government
at the Centre, certain State Governments understood the seriousness of the
situation and they have declared that they want to scrap NPS. (Delhi,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu during Jayaalitha’s time, Karnataka and Kerala
Governments). Some of them appointed expert Review Committees to work out
modalities for coming out of NPS. From the stand taken by the above State
Governments it can be seen that it is the political stand of the ruling party
that matter. At the centre, it is the political stand of the Political
Party ruling the country which is crucial.
2. Minimum
Pay and Fitment Formula:
After the continuous struggle by
Confederation including strikes from 2011 onwards, the then UPA Government was
compelled to announce appointment of 7th Central Pay Commission. Gujarat State
Government objected the decision of the UPA Government to appoint 7th
CPC. Shri. Narendra Modiji was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that
time. After coming to power at the Centre in 2014, the BJP led NDA
Govt. made deliberate attempt and intervention to delay and deny the legitimate
demands of the Central Govt. employees and Pensioners including the demands
relating to Minimum Pay, Fitment Formula, HRA from 01-01-2016, Option-I for
pensioners etc.
When the entire Central
Government employees ,under the banner of National Joint Council of Action
(NJCA) decided to go on indefinite strike from 11th July, 2016 a Group of
Cabinet Ministers including Shri. Rajnath Singh, Home Minister, Shri. Arun
Jaitley, Finance Minister and the then Railway Minister Shri. Suresh Prabhu,
gave categorical assurance on 30-06-2016 that Minimum Pay and Fitment formula
will be increased and for that purpose a High Level Committee will be
constituted. Even after a lapse of 2½ years neither High Level Committee
was constituted nor Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula is increased.
The Finance Ministry in its Lok
Sabha reply dated 11-12-2018, categorically stated as follows:
“The fitment factor for the purpose of
fixation of pay in the revised pay structure, based on the recommendations of
the 7th Central Pay Commission is 2.57 which is uniformly applicable to
all categories of employees. As the same is based on the specific and
considered recommendations of the 7th CPC, no change, thereon is envisaged”.
Thus the BJP led NDA Government
has betrayed 32 lakhs Central Govt. employees and 33 lakhs Central Govt.
Civilian Pensioners.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the
case of Bhupendra Nath Hazarika and Another Vs. State of Assam and others
(reported in 2013(2)Sec.516) observed as follows, which is quoted by 7th CPC in
its preface -
“It should always be borne in mind that
legitimate aspirations of the employees are not guillotined and a situation is
not created where hopes end in despair. Hope for everyone is gloriously
precious and that a model employer should not convert it to be deceitful and
treacherous...... A sense of calm sensibility and concerned sincerity
should be reflected in every step. An atmosphere of trust has to prevail
and when the employees are absolutely sure that their trust shall not be betrayed
and they shall be treated with dignified fairness, then only the concept of
good governance can be concretized. We say no more”.
The NDA Government has
“guillotined” our aspirations. NDA Govt. has betrayed the employees and
Pensioners and created an atmosphere where “Hopes ended in despair”. NDA
Govt. converted our hope to be “deceitful and treacherous”, “Dignified
Fairness”, “Calm sensibility” and “Concerned Sincerity” in treating our case is
lacking on the part of NDA Government. Hence we have no alternative but
to defeat the betrayers in the coming biggest battle of democracy.
The fate of the following other
demands raised by the Confederation are also met with the same fate from the
NDA Government:
* Regularisation of Gramin Dak Sevaks and Casual/Contract
Workers. Implementation of the remaining favourable recommendations
of Kamalesh Chandra Committee on GDS.
* Grant of HRA arrears from
01-01-2016, removal of bench mark for MACP and grant of promotional hierarchy
and date of effect of MACP from 01-01-2006.
* Fill up of all vacant
posts. Reintroduce Regional Recruitment for Group B and C Posts.
* Implement Option-I
formulation of 7th CPC for Pensioners.
* Settle anomalies arising out
of 7th CPC.
* Parity in Pay scales between Central
Secretariat Staff and similarly placed staff working in field units of various
departments.
* Withdraw closure orders of
Govt. of India Printing Presses. Stop closure of Govt.
establishments and outsourcing of Govt. functions. Stop proposed
move to close down salt department.
* Implement 7th CPC Wage Revision and Pension
revision in remaining Autonomous bodies. Grant Bonus to
Autonomous body employees pending from 2016-17 onwards.
* Remove 5% ceiling on compassionate
appointment and grant appointments in all deserving cases.
* Grant five Assured Career Progression to all Group B and
Group C employees.
* Stop attack on Trade Union rights.
Ensure prompt functioning of all JCM forums. Withdraw the draconian FR
56(j) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.
ELECTION AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES:
In a democratic country like in India,
elections to the Legislative bodies are also part of the struggle against the
anti-worker and anti-people policies of the ruling class. Com. K. G. Bose,
the legendary leader of the Central Govt. Employees movement has observed as
follows:
“It is a common say, particularly among the Government
employees that the Unions should remain aloof from the politics. All the
confusion has arisen because of the fact that the correct definition of the
“Politics and Trade Union” has not been understood by most of us. Those
two things are not separate from each other rather they are inseparable.
Politics do not mean the policies of a particular political party. Each
and every demand of the Govt. employees is linked with the politics of the
country. It is high time that the age old confusions be removed from the
minds of the Govt. employees and their unions. Collective thinking on the
problems of life in the context of a nation is a fundamental right of every
section of the people and therefore, the Central Govt. employees cannot be
deprived of their birth right on the plea of “Political influence”.
It is in the above background, we have to take position in
the coming General Elections. Our experience during the last five years
have proved that BJP-led NDA Government is the most anti-worker and anti-people
Government the country had since independence. This Govt. is by the
corporates, of the corporates and for the corporates. The working class,
including Central Govt. employees, should be made aware of this challenge and
prepared to defeat it. It should be kept in mind that defeat of this
Government is not the end, but our struggle for reversal of the neo-liberal
policies has to continue with increased vigour even after ensuring defeat of
the anti-worker government. In any case, continuation of this Government
is against the interest of the working class, especially the Central Govt.
employees. Change is the need of the hour.
As
a class-oriented militant trade union, it is our responsibility to channelize
the discontentment and anger of the employees on proper direction with the
objective of strengthening united struggles to defeat the neo-liberal policies
and ultimately pave the way for taking the struggle towards an exploitation
free society. Let us make 2019 that started with the two days
historic strike, a year of heightened struggles leading to decisive struggles
against the neo-liberal policies. Let us be prepared for a bigger
struggle in coming days to “SCRAP NPS & RESTORE OPS” and also for
the realisation of our long pending demands.
Let
us not forget that the ruling class may use all tricks at their command, all
weapons in their armoury to divert the attention of the people and workers,
away from their burning day to day livelihood issues, to divide and disrupt
their unity to engineer polarisation of the society on caste and communal lines
for their electoral gains. We should be prepared to defeat all such
machinations and should preserve our unity.
Let
us remember the following lines from the famous speech of Late Martin Luther
King, Jr –
“Change does not roll in the wheels of
inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle, and so, we must
straighten our backs and work for our goal.”
