On 30th January 2011, a meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the All India Central Ground Water Board Employees Association (AICGWBEA) was scheduled at Bhujal Bhawan, Faridabad. Affiliates of the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers (COCGE&W) & Co-ordination Committee of Central Government Employees, Faridabad were also invited as Comrade S. K. Vyas, President, Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers has given his kind consent to be present in the meeting. Comrade Parasher of Department of Post & Comrade N. Somaiah, Leader Staff Side, Departmental Council (JCM), MOWR & Vice President of Confederation, Central Government Employees & Workers also participated in the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Sri R. N. Chaudhury, President, AICGWBEA.
After introduction of the participants proceeding of the meeting was started. Comrade N. Somaiah welcomed the participants. He told that Comrade S. K. Vyas does not require any introduction as he is a well known figure for the government employees. We used to hear his name since we entered in Government service. Comrade Parashar expressed his views on the occasion. He asked the gathering to unite in strength and participate in the March to the Parliament in big numbers on 23rd February 2011. Comrade Vyas elaborated the circumstances for setting up of 6th CPC. He also expressed that the benefit given to the salaried class by the Government through 6th CPC has already been minimized due to the steep price rise.
Comrade Vyas explained following points in detail-
Achievement of Bonus & Pay Commissions
Comrade Vyas told that every time we had to fight for pay commission. This time also the Government was not agreed. But when the Railways joined us and the notice of strike was given, the Government was forced to declare the Pay Commission. For bonus also we had been forced to observe the strike.
Pay Band Structure.
He told that the Pay Band Structure is not advantageous to the employees. There is an anomaly between the new entrant & the promotee. In most of the cases pay of the promotee is less than the new entrant after 1-01-2006.
Increment on 1st February to 1st June 2006.
The 6th CPC has shifted the date of next increment to 1st July of every year. The employees whose increment falls between 1st February 2006 to 1st June 2006 are at disadvantageous stage because they had been awarded their next increment after more than 12 month which is in violation of fundamental rules.
Setting up of Wage Board instead of Pay Commission.
Likewise Autonomous Bodies and Banks, setting up of Wage Board is required instead of Pay Commission, which should revise the pay after every five years on the basis of price index.
Merger of DA with Pay when the DA rates cross the 50% mark.
Fifth Pay Commission has recommended that DA should be merged with pay whenever the DA rates cross the 50% mark and the same was implemented by the Government. But this condition has been dispensed with by the 6th CPC.
Arbitration Awards.
16 Arbitration Awards were finalised in favour of the employees. But none of them has been implemented.
Anomalies of 5th CPC.
None of the anomaly of the 5th CPC has been resolved.
Outsourcing of Government work.
Government is outsourcing the work to private agencies which is not in the interest of the working class.
Compassionate Appointment.
There is no ceiling for Compassionate Appointment in Railways. But the Government has kept 5% ceiling for other Departments. Families of the deceased employees are suffering badly.
Interest on GPF.
Interest on GPF has not been increased inspite of steep price rise & increase in rates of bank and PPF interest.
The Charter of the demands of the Confederation is given below-
Charter of demands:
1. Stop price rise; strengthen the PDS.
2. Stop downsizing, outsourcing, contractorisation, and privatization of Governmental functions.
3. Fill up all vacant posts and create posts on functional requirements
4. Revise wages of CGEs with effect from 1.1.2011 and every five years thereafter.
5. Scrap the New Pension Scheme and extend the statutory defined benefited pension to all Central Govt. employees irrespective of the date of recruitment.
6. Regularize the GDS, daily rated workers, contingent and casual workers by brining about a definite scheme of regularization.
7. Remove restriction imposed on compassionate appointment (end the discrimination on compassionate appointment between the Railway workers and other CGEs).
8. Stop the move to introduce the productivity linked wage system; Performance related pay; introduce PLB to in all Departments; remove the ceiling of emoluments for bonus computation.
9. Settle all items of anomalies (including the MACP related anomalies) raised in the National and Departmental Anomaly committees within a fixed time frame of two months; set up the anomaly committees in those Departments where it has not been set up till date with the Standing Committee members of the National Council; convene the meeting of the Departmental Council in all Ministries/Department once in three month as envisaged in the JCM Scheme.
10. Make the right to strike a legal right and stop curtailment of T.U. rights.
11. Implement all arbitration awards.
12. Raise the interest rate for GPF. Revise the OTA and Night duty allowance and stitching and clothing rates of uniforms.
13. Merge DA with Pay for all purposes including pension as and when the DA rates crosses the 50% mark.
14. Vacate all Trade Union victimizations.
Many of the participants were apprehensive about the MACP and enquired about the proceedings and present position of the case. Comrade S. K. Vyas explained in detail the deliberation at the National Anomaly Committee meeting and the subcommittee meeting in which the MACP items were separately discussed. He explained the offer of the DOP&T to give the option to Department to choose between ACP & MACP. He told that the offer of the DOP&T is not accepted by the Staff Side. After considering the various aspects of ACP & MACP awarded till now in the various departments, it has been decided finally to place the demand in the ensuing meeting of the National Anomaly Committee as below-
“First two financial upgradations in the promotional hierarchy of the cadre and third financial upgradation in the next grade pay of grade pay hierarchy and it should be made effective from 01-01-2006 i.e. from the date of implementation of 6th Central Pay Commission”.
If the demand is accepted it will solve the anomaly faced by the employees due to introduction of MACP w.e.f. 1-09-2008.
Comrade N. Somaiah told that demands of the Confederation are common in nature and relates to all the employees & departments. No one should think that as the name of their department has not been mentioned in the agenda items their demands are not considered & if conquered, the benefit will not be conferred to them.
At the end of the meeting Vote of thanks was given by the President, AICGWBEA.
