Circular published from Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers…

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The National Council meeting of the Confederation was held at DGFASLI Central Labour Institute Chunabatti Road, Sion, Mumbai 400 022 on Ist December, 2010 as per the notice issued on 11th November, 2010. Detailed minutes of the meeting indicating the names of participants and the submissions made by the comrades who participated in the discussions will be issued separately later. We convey the decision taken on each item of agenda subjected to deliberation at the meeting.

The meeting was presided over by Com.S.K.Vyas, President, Confederation.

Com.K.K.N. Kutty, Secretary General informed the house before the agenda was taken up for discussion that the BSNL employees are on strike and the strike is slated to continue for three days against the attitude of the Government and its concerted efforts to make BSNLt a sick unit to pave way for the private telecom providers to push BSNL out of business so that they can amass profit at the cost of Indian people. He explained various steps taken by the Government in this regard and how the BSNL was not permitted to even purchase technology and material so that they would be able to compete effectively with other private players in the field. He also informed the house that the Government has again taken up the issue of disinvestment of 30% of BSNL shares. The house adopted a resolution expressing its solidarity with the striking workers of BSNL and the Secretary General was asked to convey the same to the leaders of the BSNL.Employees Union and place the same on Confederation website. ( Kindly see the resolution placed on the website)

The meeting approved the agenda for discussion and accepted the proposal of Com. President to club item No.1 and 7 together as also Item No. 2 and 6. Item No. 1 and 5

The review discussion on the extent of participation of CGEs in the general strike of Working class on 7th September, 2010 was extensive and the comrades who took part in the discussion did give wide ranging details of the efforts, undertaken, the success and failure, strength and weakness. The consensus was that the participation despite the positive feature of the INTUC unions joining the strike could have been better. It noted that some of the State Committees and affiliates had not c concentrated on the campaign, to elicit the conscious and active participation of the grass root level members. The feeling of the employees especially in the Northern States that the issues specific to central government employees had not been addressed could not be effectively eradicated. Besides, the importance of the struggle against the present economic policies, its cataclysmic effect on the conditions of living of the working people, the impetus it provides to the organizational efficacy and capacity could not be effectively brought home in these States. Wherever such efforts had been undertaken the response has been, the meeting noted, very good. The meeting noted the efforts of the Chennai COC in reaching out to the members by organizing campaign meetings and distribution of pamphlets etc. in residential colonies. The vehicle Jathas and district conventions organized by the Kerala State Committee and its efforts in reaching out to the grass root level workers came in for appreciation. The West Bengal Comrades explained in detail of the steps taken by the State COC in calling the meeting of all Secretaries of the units of the affiliates, distribution of centrally prepared pamphlets, organizing gate meetings prior to the strike and deploying active workers on the day of strike in front of all offices etc. to make the strike participation total in the State.

The meeting noted that the large scale victimization in the offices of the Accountant General and in certain offices of the Postal Department had an adverse impact in mobilizing the employees especially in these organizations. In the light of the deliberations, the meeting decided:

i. To formulate a charter of demands on CGE specific issues

ii. To continue the campaign to stress the necessity of the participation in the general trade union action against the neo liberal economic policies, which are the root causes in non settlement of the demands

iii. To take steps to revamp the functioning of the State Committees and for that objective in view convene (a) meeting of all State Committees to ensure that the annual conference and election of the State Committees are held within the specified time (b)to chalk out ways and means to help the State Committees to bring about regular democratic functioning and interaction with the affiliated unions (c) to ensure that the communication between the CHQ and State Units is strengthened (d) the circulars are translated into vernacular and distributed. The said meeting will be convened on 24th Feb. 2010 at New Delhi in which the Chq. Sectt. Members will take part.

iv. To have larger participation of CGEs in the 23rd Feb. March to Parliament by

a.Requesting all State Committees to immediately organize state convention of all affiliated units and enlisting the comrades who are to be deployed for participating in the march to parliament on 23rd Feb. 2010.
b. The CHQ in consultation with the State Committees will determine the number of participants from each State
c. Larger mobilization will be ensured from the States of Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, U.P. H.P. and Madhya Pradesh.
d. The CHQ will discuss with the States Committee of the above States of the finances required for arranging buses etc.

Agenda Item No. 2 and 6.

i.The meeting noted that the real wages of Central Government employees have eroded significantly in as much as the inflation had raised the prices of essential commodities especially of food items beyond 175% whereas the DA compensation had been only to the extent of 45%. The way in which the Govt. had been dilly dallying the anomaly issues of the 6th CPC has indicated unambiguously that it will have the same fate of the 5th CPC anomalies. By January, 1st, 2011. the DA component in the emoluments of CGEs will cross over 50%. The JCM functioning both at the National and Departmental level has deteriorated and meetings have become extremely irregular whereas at the Departmental level it has become almost defunct. Many affiliates of the Confederation have complained of the non- functioning of the JCM forum for one reason or the other. The meeting also noted that there had been no recommendation of the 6th CPC on the periodicity of wage revision and in the case of PSU the Government had to concede their demand for wage agreements in every five year. In view of these factors, the meeting adopted a resolution to demand wage revision on the expiry of the five year period i.e. with effect from 1.1.2011. The meeting decided to undertake intensive campaign on this issue throughout the country.

ii.This apart the meeting also discussed various pressing issues of the Central Govt. employees and decided to take the important issues in the charter of demand and organize trade union action in pursuance thereon. The charter of demands adopted after discussion and the phased programme of action decided upon is annexed to this circular letter. The CHQ Sectt. will circulate a brief explanatory Note on each demand to indicate the issues covered.

iii.The meeting also discussed over the confusion created by the DOPT order on the composition of the JCM whereby almost all the employees in most of the Departments would be out of the ambit of the JCM. The meeting after detailed discussions on the pros and cons of the issue adopted a resolution to demand:

That the Councils of the JCM at all levels should have the cadres and categories of employees who were participants in the Negotiating body at its inception through the Joint Intent irrespective of the change of classification and pay scales or pay bands brought about later. It was also decided that it should be brought to the notice of the Government that no unilateral decision in the matter by the DOPT can be taken as it would amount to violation of an agreement reached between the employees and the Government.

v.The meeting also adopted a resolution to the effect that the various entitlement like LTC facilities and air travel concession to NE regions, Daily allowance, entitled for the Governmental Accommodation etc. must be passed on Pay in the Pay Band plus the Grade Pay of an employee and not on any other criterion like Grade Pay or classification of Posts etc.

vi.The meeting noted with dissatisfaction that the recognition of hospital under the CGHS for inpatient treatment of late has become a nagging problem with the Health Ministry changing the procedure every now and then and put the beneficiaries to extreme hardship in many cities. The Government’s approach in the matter has, the meeting noted, only helped the Private entrepreneurs in the Health industry to amass wealth and the recognition on the basis of the lowest tender had been at a perilous cost of the CGHS beneficiaries. The meeting decided to place before the Government the following suggestion for the recognition of hospitals in each city.

i.Identify the reputed hospitals in each city by a committee with the members of beneficiaries in each town/city covered by the CGHS Scheme

ii.The Health Ministry must negotiate with these hospitals the rate at which they will provide the treatment to the Government officials taking into accounts various facilities extended to these institutions by the Govt.

iii.If the reputed hospitals are run by charitable trusts enjoying the tax benefits, they should be asked to treat the CGEs on normal market rate as reduced by atleast 30%.

vii.To raise before the Government the anomaly that has arisen especially in the Postal Department on the introduction of MACP in replacement of the time bound promotion scheme and seek amendment to the existing clarification whereby the three proimotion scheme would not be less beneficial than the existing scheme of time bound promotion in any department. To bring to the notice of the Government the injustice meted out to the cadres of LDC and UDCs by the 6th CPC whereby they become entitled to even lesser pay than the erstwhile Group D employees. While the Notice Servers in the Incometax Department and the Postmen in Postal Department are given higher Pay and Grade Pay the LDCs are assigned with lesser Grade Pay even though the minimum educational qualification for recruitment in their case has been stipulated to be 10+2 whereas those are assigned with higher grade Pay has to have only Matriculation for the initial recruitment. It was decided that the Government must be asked to upgrade all existing Lower Division and Upper Division or equivalent cadres in all Government Department either as Executive Assistants with Grade Pay of Rs. 4200 as recommended by the 6th CPC or assign them with the Grade pay of atleast Rs. 2800/- if such whole scale up-gradation in any department is considered infeasible.

viii.To demand the setting up of anomaly committees in all Departments/Ministries and immediate convening of the Departmental Councils as per the directive of the Department of Personnel and Training. If for any reason the Anomaly committees are unable to be set up in any department/Ministry, the concerned Ministry/Department should be asked to set up the Anomaly committees with the nominated members of the Standing Committee of the National Council as has been done in the case of many Ministries to resolve the anomalies arising from the 5th CPC recommendations.

Agenda Item No.3. National Anomaly Committee issues.

Com. S.K. Vyas, President explained in detail the deliberation at the National Anomaly Committee meeting and the sub committee meeting in which the MACP items were separately discussed. The clarification sought by various members on these issues were provided. It was decided that in the case of MACP some more issues must be raised by the Confederation before the next anomaly committee meeting as was pointed out by Com. K.V. Sridharan, General Secretary, All India Postal Employees Union, Class III and many other. The meeting asked the Secretary General to finalize the issue in discussion with the comrades of NFPE.

Agenda Item No.4. Issues raised before the National Council JCM.

The Secretary General was asked to place on the website the issues already taken up by the Staff Side with the Government in brief and seek further items from all affiliates and COCs . This was agreed to.

Agenda Item No.7 Organisational review:

The meeting decided that:

(i)the CHQ Sectt. should meet on 24th Feb. 2010 along with the Secretaries of all State Committees with a view that concrete steps are taken to ensure that the State Committees are constituted with the representatives of the Districts; the new office bearers are elected if the two year term has been expired and to ensure that the communication between the State Committees and the CHQ on the one hand and the State Committees and the District Committees on the other is properly established and the State Committees are helped to function as vehicles for implementation of the programmes chalked out by the Confederation in future.

(ii)The National Women Convention will be held at Kolkata on 7th and 8th February, 2010 and the Affiliates and State Committees will be entitled to depute the following number of delegates to participate in the said convention.

a.All India Audit and Accounts Association. 15

b.Income tax Employees Federation 20

c.National Federation of Postal Employees 30

(f) Federation of Atomic Energy Employees 10

(g) All India Civial Accounts Employees Assn. 10

(h) Confederation of Pondichery State Employees 05

(i) ISRO Employees Association 03

(j) Ground Water Board 02

(k) All other affiliates 02 each

(l) All State Committees will nominate two delegates (selected from their specific affiliates – i.e. Other than the All India organizations which are affiliated with the Confederation at the National Level)

The affiliated will report to the CHQ the names of the delegates who will be attending the convention by 10th January, 2011 latest. The affiliated will take care that they do no nominate any lady comrade from the State of West Bengal as the State Committee of West Bengal who has taken the responsibility of making arrangements for the convention would be nominating large number of lady comrades from that state to participate.

(iii)The meeting also discussed the remittances of the subscription due to the CHQ by the affiliates and the State Committee. The representatives of the affiliates and the State Committee who participated in the discussions on the subject agreed to clear the dues by 31st March, 2011 latest. The Secretary General was asked to intimate the dues to each affiliate separately by letters.

(iv) The house on the basis of the discussion earlier held decided that the Confederation should ensure participation of sizeable number of Central Government employees in the ensuing programme of “March to Parliament” on 23rd February, 2010 for which the call has been given by the Central Trade Unions. The CHQ sectt. was urged that a campaign programme is chalked out by which a member of the Sectt. attends the State Conventions/meetings convened for this purpose and the Delhi State Committee and the neighbouing State Committee are specially mobilized for this purpose.

Agenda Item No. 8.

Com. President permitted only a few comrades to raise certain important issues under the agenda for paucity of time. The Secretary General, All India Canteen Employees Association raised the issue of the order of the Government in not filling up the vacancies in the Canteen as a permanent measure. Many comrades raised the issue of non representation of many affiliates in the meetings as also of the State Committees. It was suggested that after the proposed meeting of the State Committees on 24th Feb. 2010, the Sectt. must convene a meeting of the Chief Executives of all affiliates separately to revamp the organizational functioning of the Confederation.

Com. President in his concluding remarks appreciated the lively discussion in the meeting and thanked the Mumbai State Committee for the excellent arrangements made by them for the conduct of the meeting, on behalf of the CHQ Sectt as also on behalf of the affiliates and State Committees. The meeting was concluded at 9.00 PM.

With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General

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