Implementation of 7th CPC : Finance Ministry prepared a Cabinet note based on ECoS report – AIDTOA
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 7th 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
19th 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 19th 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 1st 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 2nd 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 7th May 2008 and our rejoinder submitted to Govt. in the
matter of Report of 6th 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 11th
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 11th 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 7th 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.
