Top 2 developments before Budget 2017 raise hopes for Central government employees

7th Pay Commission: Top 2 developments before Budget 2017 raise hopes for Central government employees

The finance ministry seems better placed now after demonetisation to decide on raising allowances as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

With the dust at least partly settled over demonetisation and the subsequent disruption at the finance ministry, there seems to be renewed cheer among Central government employees of a decision on allowances as recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC). Two developments in this regard are worth taking note of, even as Budget 2017 is about a month away.

As has been reportedly earlier, the second amnesty scheme for tax defaulters - Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016 - estimated to net the Modi government a substantial amount, the financial outgo of Rs 1,02,100 crore no longer seems to be a hurdle.

However, the note ban decision and the spate of activities that followed the decision about raising allowances to the back burner made employees restive.

Now they hope the government will quickly move on the issue that involves about 47 lakh Central government employees and 53 lakh pensioners, of which 14 lakh employees and 18 lakh pensioners are from the defence forces.

While a website claiming to represent bureaucrats said that the finance ministry is likely to pay the enhanced allowances (possibly along with arrears) after Budget 2017 in February, another said that employees have sought a meeting with the ministry to resolve the issue at the earliest.

"Government is very pleased to pay the higher allowances to its employees after Budget. The acute cash crunch in banks and ATMs that prevailed for a month following the demonetization move of the government has eased from January 1, as the daily withdrawal limit from ATMs has been increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,500. Hence, the Finance Ministry felt it would be wiser to announce of higher allowances after Budget," the Sen Times quoted a senior finance ministry official as saying.
Another significant development is a communication by the staff side National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) seeking an early redressal of the issue.

"Almost four months have passed (since September 1, 2016 meeting) without any outcome. All the Central Government Employees are quite agitated as well as are having mental agony because allowances of the VII CPC, have not been implemented. You are therefore, requested to fix-up a meeting of the Committee on Allowances, at an earliest to resolve the issues placed in the memorandum of the Staff Side(JCM) on various allowances," the letter read.

The CPC examined 196 allowances and gave its recommendations on abolishing or raising some of them while recommending others to be subsumed with other perks. It had proposed 138.71 percent hike in HRA and 49.79 percent for other allowances, while submitting its voluminous report in November 2015.

The Budget for the financial year 2017-18 is likely to be presented on February 1 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Source: ibtimes.co.in

7th Pay Commission – Non-settlement of demands – 11th July Indefinite Strike – NJCA writes to PM for intervention

7th Pay Commission – Non-settlement of demands – 11th July Indefinite Strike – NJCA writes to PM for intervention

Ph.: 23382286
National Council (Staff Side)
Joint Consultative Machinery
for Central Government Employees
13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi – 110001
EMail: nc.jcm.np@gmail.com

NO.NC/JCM/2016/CS/PM

Dated: 14.06.2016

Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,
152, South Block,
Raisina Hill,
New Delhi-110011
Respected Sir,

Sub: Non-settlement of our demands – Decision to go on “Indefinite Strike” commencing from 11.07.2016 – Request for your intervention and support.

I write this on behalf of the apex level body of all the Central Government Employees Organizations who are participating in the Negotiating Forum; called the Joint Consultative Machinery. The JCM as a Negotiating Forum was conceived and implemented in 1966 after the prolonged discussions with the Staff Associations and the Federations in the Central Services in the wake of first industrial action in 1960. The idea of setting up the JCM was in realization of the absence of a platform to discuss, deliberate and settle the demands/issues/grievances/problems of the Civil Servants. Up to 1995-96 the JCM, which has a three level negotiating platform was functioning well, meetings were regular. However, after the promulgation of the new recognition Rules in 1993, the meetings at the Ministry level became few and far between and at the national level, the deterioration stepped in a little latter. The National Council, which was to meet thrice in a year did not meet even once in a year. The last meeting of the National Council was held on 15.05.2010 The organizations participating in the JCM were demanding the meeting to be held, but the pleas were ignored by the successive Cabinet Secretaries. The Charter of Demands (copy enclosed), in pursuance of which the strike is decided to be organized, has arisen due to long neglect of the grievances of the employees/workers.

When the 7th CPC was set up in February, 2014, no announcement for Interim Relief or DA Merger was made by the then government, which had all along been the practice whenever the government had set-up the Pay Commissions earlier. We fully co-operated with the Commission, submitted a memorandum detailing the issues and explained the reasoning behind each demand. The 7th CPC submitted report on 19.11.2015 to the government. In our communication dated 10.12.2015 (copy enclosed), we sought
improvement/amendment over the recommendations of the 7th CPC and explained our demands both in writing and orally before the Empowering Committee. Most of the meetings were monologues except perhaps the last one. What we have understood, is that, the Empowering Committee might not come forward to make any major changes. A fruitful meeting is supposed to be a dialogue where both parties at the negotiating table exchange their understanding, views and difficulties and reach a mutually acceptable position. In 1998, when the then Cabinet Secretary decided not to have such a dialogue with the Staff Side and unalterably issued the Government Notification on the 5th CPC recommendations, the then government did set up a committee of Group of Ministers. The GoM held discussions on all issues and averted the strike action. The 1998 situation establishes, without an iota of doubt, that, the Staff Side has always taken reasonable stand on all the issues and paved way for settlement.

The one and only recommendation made by the 7th CPC was to provide some relief to the past old 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.

These developments have caused anguish, anxiety and anger amongst the workers. It is now more than six months that the Commission submitted its report. If the government comes forward to hold a meaningful discussion with the leaders of the NJCA, a mutually acceptable settlement can be brought about and the impending strike, slated to commence from 11.07.2016, can ultimately be avoided.

We seek your co-operation, supports and intervention in the matter

Yours faithfully,

sd/-
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
Secretary(Staff Side),
NC/JCM

Source : National Council (Staff Side)