Confederation News: RESOLUTION FOR THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & WORKERS

RESOLUTION ADOPTED AT THE
EXTENDED MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE OF CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & WORKERS
HELD AT NEW DELHI ON 10TH Jan. 2014

The extended meeting of the National Executive of Confederation of Central Government employees and workers held at New Delhi on 10th January, 2014 had deliberated upon the course of negotiation the Staff Side of the JCM National Council had with the Government on the terms of reference of the proposed 7th Central Pay Commission and noted that despite assurance, the Government had not convened the meeting to finalise the same. The meeting recalled the discussions at the 24th National Conference of the Confederation held at Kolkata in May 2013 and the consequent resolution on Policy and Programme adopted at the Conference.. Through the said resolution which was adopted after analysing and evaluating the political and economic situation in the country and various other factors, the Conference had directed the National Executive as under:-

The Indian ruling class continued with their obsession and pursuance of the neo-liberal policy of Globalisation, despite the crisis. We are presently confronted with a regime which is wholly subservient to the interest of the monopoly capital and the imperialist powers. Free from the dependence of the Left Parties, the UPA II intensified the reform agenda. It resulted in the abject surrender of all that this Nation achieved in the post independent era. The phasing out of all welfare measures, divestment of PSUs; the systematic withdrawal from large areas of governance, privatisation of Government organisations; closure of Industrial establishments; outsourcing; Contractorisation; curtailment of Trade Union rights, allowing unbridled entry of foreign capital; the ruination of indigenous industries, consolidation of land and wealth in a few people’s hand; privatisation of health care and education, unfettered permission to exploit the water sources of the country to the soft-drink giants; gifting away mines, mineral and metal deposits were a few of the things, the Government did during this period to pauperise the Indian people. While this being one side of the picture, we are witness to the surging protest actions by the common people against the capitalist exploitation and imperialism. The political upheaval in Latin America, in West European Nations, in the Middle East, North African countries provides us not only courage and enthusiasm but also a sense of confidence that we are not alone.

In this scenario, we must strive our best to forge unity with the broadest mass of the working people as we must know that we cannot fight against this menace single handedly. We must realise that unless we remain united and build joint struggles along with the suffering millions of our countrymen, the situation is bound to be worse.

We have taken the resolve that we shall stand firm against the Neo-liberal policies; against the divisive forces; against the forces of religious fundamentalism; against the caste and communal organizations and we have lived up to that solemn pledge. The 24th conference asserts that the Confederation and all its affiliates will be in the forefront of all struggles against the neo-liberal economic policies of Globalization.

We had been proud partners in the struggles of the working class against these policies. In all the Strike actions, rallies demonstrations and other trade union actions, the central Government employees have taken part and we are proud of our commitment and involvement. Along with the State Government employees, Defence workers, School and University Teachers, we fought
against the PFRDA Bill and pension fund privatisation.

We made independent initiative and organized series of agitational actions, including one day strike on 12th December 2012. The large scale participation of our members in these struggles must embolden us to pursue the 15 point charter of demands with much more intensity.

The 24th Conference calls upon the newly elected secretariat and the National Executive to Strive to forge Unity and bring into existence a wider platform for action with the Railway and Defence Workers and Chalk out programmes including Strike actions to pursue the 15 point charter of demands and generate requisite sanctions to compel the Govt. to negotiate and settle.

The meeting noted that despite the submission of the draft terms of reference by the Staff Side JCM National Council, the Government has been dilly dallying the finalisation thereof. The Government in its press statement issued in September, 2013, had indicated that the 7th CPC recommendations would be effective only from 1.1.2016, which had been in direct contravention of the demand for a five year wage revision in the Government sector, as is the case of Public Sector workers and the employees in Banking and Insurance Industry and in most of the private Sector firms. The Government has been silent on the demand of the employees for merger of Dearness allowance and interim relief, a practice normally follows the setting up of the Pay Commissions. No indication has been given by the official side during the first round of discussion as to its stand on the demand of the Staff Side to bring the Grammen Dak Sewaks of Postal Departments within the ambit of the 7th CPC treating them as Civil Servants as per the observation of the Supreme Court. The Government has also not responded so far to the demand for inclusion of a labour representative in the Commission, a practice followed upto the setting up of the 4th Central Pay Commission, but discarded from the 5th CPC onwards. The non-inclusion of a labour representative, the meeting noted, resulted in suppression of wages of the low paid employees whereas hefty pay packets were awarded to the personnel in Group A cadres both by the 5th and 6th CPCs. The meeting was of the firm view that the 7th CPC must have a member from the working class and there must not be any compromise in the matter.

The meeting noted that the earlier Pay Commissions had recommended for the grant of Interim Relief at the rate of 20% of the pay and the Government must either suo motu decide upon this demand or refer the same to the proposed Pay Commission to decide the same within a specified time schedule.
The meeting noted that the very announcement of the intention of the Government to effect
wage revision of Central Government employees was to obtain political mileage in the scenario of
the five States going for election in November/December, 2013 The Central Government
employees and their suffering family members have however emphatically registered their anger and protest over the gimmicks as was evidenced from the election results, especially of Delhi where large number of Central Government employees are located.

The meeting took note of the fact that the Indian Parliament has passed the PFRDA Bill, which the ruling class could not do for the past ten years due to the stiff opposition of the Left Parties
inside the Parliament and the workers outside. The UPA II Government could get it passed in the
Parliament by soliciting the support of the main opposition party in the country, the BJP. The PFRDA Act now contains the provision empowering the Government/Authority to extend the ambit of the contributory pension scheme to those who are presently stand exempted i.e. the Government employees recruited prior to 1.1.2004 and the defence personnel. In spite of the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Parliament, the Government has refused to guarantee a minimum pensionary benefit to the contributors. This apart, the Government has gone ahead and allowed 49% FDI in Pension fund permitting not only the Indian business men but also the foreign monopoly companies to access the huge pension fund created through the savings of Indian working Class.

The unbridled inflationary pressure on the economy and the consequent steep rise in the
prices of essential commodities jacked up by the forward trading in food grains and other neo liberal policies have made the life of common people of our country miserable. It has eroded the value of wage beyond tolerable limit. The UPA II and many other State Governments in the country have sided with the entrepreneurs when the workers were on agitation demanding wage rise. It was noted that the erosion of the value of wages of Central Government employees during the period had been of the order of 175% despite the grant of DA compensation.

It was pointed out by most of the speakers at the meeting that the JCM conceived as an
instrument for negotiation and ongoing consultation with the employees have been made totally non functional by the official side. The National Council has not met for several years. No different is the situation at the Departmental level. The 6th CPC anomalies despite several rounds of discussions spanning a period of more than 5 years have remained unsettled. No demand of the employees, be it the compassionate appointment, regularisation of GDS/daily rated workers or even trivial issues like fixation of pay etc. was addressed by the Government during the 9 years it was in office, whereas various functions of the Government were outsourced, contract labour system was introduced to replace the jobs carried out by the lower strata of employees, pruned the size of the Government machinery by resorting to abolition of posts, ban on recruitment, winding up, privatisation etc. The meeting also noted that no intervention was made by the political authority despite repeated pleadings in the matter of unprecedented vindictive measures and actions initiated by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India against the employees and leaders of the Association for legitimate trade union actions.

The meeting recorded its appreciation and gratitude to lakhs of Central Government
employees who took part in the various struggles organised by the Confederation during the period, especially on 12th December, 2012 one day strike which alone was instrumental in compelling the Government to announce the 7th CPC. It also took note of the yeomen efforts on the part of the State Committees and affiliates in educating and mobilising the rank and file of the membership to tread the path of struggle.

The meeting after listening to the leaders of the efforts undertaken by them to forge unity of
all Central Government employees and taking into account the futility in waiting indefinitely for the unity to emerge decided that the ongoing phase of struggle must be intensified. The meeting
decided to caution the Central Government employees that both the UPA with Indian National
Congress as the leading partner and the NDA which is led by the BJP, if voted to power will certainly pursue the neo-liberal policies, which will further pauperise the working people in the country .

The meeting taking into account the above stated facts and with a clear understanding that
incessant struggles alone can bring a revolutionary change calls upon the Central Government
employees to organise 48 hour strike (two days) on 12th and 13th February, 2014, when the present Parliament is expected to be in its last session.

Source: http://confederationhq.blogspot.in/
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