12 Point Charter of Demands – General Strike 02/09/2016

12 Point Charter of Demands – General Strike 02/09/2016

2016 September 2nd General Strike 12 Point Charter of Demands of Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions submitted to government:

PART A

1. Urgent measures for containing price rise through universalization of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market.

2. Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.

3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.

4. Universal social security cover for all workers.

5. Minimum wage of not less than 18000/- per month with provisions of indexation (for unskilled worker).

6. Assured enhanced pension not less than 3000 p.m for the entire working population (including unorganized sector workers).

7. Stoppage of disinvestment in Central/state public sector undertakings.

8. Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent/perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as that of regular workers for the same and similar work.

9. Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund and increase in quantum of gratuity.

10.Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application and immediate ratification of ILO conventions C-87 and C-98.

11.No FDI in Railways, Defence and other strategic sectors.

12.No unilateral amendment to labour laws.

PART B

Demand of the Central Govt. Employees

1. Avoid delay in implementing the assurances given by Group of Ministers to NJCA on 30th June 2016, especially increase in minimum pay a fitment formula. Implement the assurance in a time bound manner.

2. Settle issues raised by the NJCA, regarding modifications of the 7th CPC recommendations, submitted to Cabinet Secretary on 10th December 2015.

3. Scrap PFRDA Act and New Pension System (NPS) and grant Pension/Family Pension to all Central Government employees under CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.

4. No privatization, outsourcing, contractorisation of Government functions.

5. (i) Treat Gramin Dak Sevaks as Civil Servants and extend all benefits on pay, pension and allowances of departmental employees.

(ii) Regularise casual, contract, contingent and daily rated workers and grant equal pay and other benefits.

6. Fill up all vacant posts by special recruitment. Lift ban on creation of new posts.

7. Remove ceiling on compassionate appointments.

8. Extend benefit of Bonus Act amendment 2015 on enhancement of payment ceiling to the Adhoc bonus/PLB of Central Govt. employees with effect from the financial years 2014-15. Ensure payment of revised bonus before Pooja holidays.

9. Revive JCM functioning at all levels.

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

Recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission – DOPT

Recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission – DOPT

DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING
MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
NORTH BLOCK NEW DELHI-110001

D.O.No.14021/1/2016-AIS.II

Dear Sir,
As you are aware, the Central Government has accepted the recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission. The Notification dated 25.7.2016 has since been issued by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance a copy of which is enclosed.

2. You are requested to furnish the comments of the State Government on the proposed recommendations immediately and positively by 3rd August, 2016 through Fax. If no reply is received by this time, it would be presumed that the State Government concurs with the said proposals relating to the revision of pay scales of AIS Officers.

Yours sincerely,

sd/-
(Jishnu Barua)

Source : DOPT

Casual labourers with temporary status — clarification regarding contribution of GPF and Pension under the Old Pension Scheme

Casual labourers with temporary status — clarification regarding contribution of GPF and Pension under the Old Pension Scheme

No .49014/2/2014 -Estt(C)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi,
Dated the 28th July, 2016

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Casual labourers with temporary status — clarification regarding contribution of GPF and Pension under the Old Pension Scheme.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department's OM of even number dated 26thFebruary, 2016 on the above subject and to say that some references have been received in this Department from various Ministries/Departments seeking a clarification with regard to the Para 7 of the referred OM.

2. The OM was issued in consultation with Department of Expenditure and the Department of Pension and PW. It was clarified vide that OM that this Department's 0.M dated 26thApril, 2004 had been quashed in a series of Orders/Judgements. The OM dated 26thFebruary, 2016 restores the provisions of the Scheme as it existed prior to the OM dated 26thApril, 2004. The benefit of GPF and Old Pension Scheme is applicable to all those casual labourers who are covered under the Scheme of the 10thSeptember, 1993 even if they have been regularized on or after 01/01/2004.

3. As the benefit of Old Pension Scheme and GPF is admissible only to those Casual workers who are covered under the Scheme of 1993, all Ministries/ Department may strictly ensure that it does not lead to demand by regularly recruited fresh employees appointed on or after 1.1.2004for similar benefit in place of NPS.

4. This issues with the concurrence of Department of Expenditure vide their I.D.No.1(15)/E-V/2015 dated 27.07.2016

(Mukesh Chaturvedi)
Director(E)

To
All Ministries/Departments.
DoPT Order

Cabinet clears GST Bill, all eyes on Rajya Sabha now

Cabinet clears GST Bill, all eyes on Rajya Sabha now

The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include in the Constitutional Amendment Bill that any dispute between states and the Centre will be adjudicated by the GST Council, which will have representation from both the Centre and states.

The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared changes in the GST Constitutional Amendment Bill, dropping 1 per cent manufacturing tax and providing guarantee to compensate states for any revenue loss in the first five years of rollout of the proposed indirect tax regime.

The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include in the Constitutional Amendment Bill that any dispute between states and the Centre will be adjudicated by the GST Council, which will have representation from both the Centre and states.

With states on board and the Cabinet approving the amendments, the government is hopeful of passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which ends on August 12.

The GST Bill, with the changes approved by the Cabinet, could come up in the Rajya Sabha as early as this week, but certainly by next week.

The changes approved by the Cabinet are to the Constitutional Amendment Bill that was approved by the Lok Sabha in August last year. Once the Rajya Sabha approves the legislation, the amended Bill will have to go back to the Lok Sabha again for approval.

"The amendments to the GST Constitutional Amendment Bill have been cleared," a top official said after the meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Modi.

The amendments were taken up by the Cabinet after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's assurance to state finance ministers to include in the Bill the mechanism of compensating states for all the loss of revenue for five years.
The Bill, in its present form, provides that the Centre will give 100 per cent compensation to states for first three years, 75 per cent and 50 per cent for the next two years.

However, the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha had in its report recommended 100 per cent compensation for probable loss of revenue for five years.

As per the amendments, the Centre will now constitutionally guarantee states any loss of revenue from the GST subsuming all indirect taxes, including VAT, in the first five years of introduction.

By doing away with the 1 per cent inter-state tax over and above the GST rate, the government has met one of the three key demands over which Opposition Congress has been blocking the Bill in the Upper House.
The other demands of including GST rate in the statute and a Supreme Court judge-headed dispute resolution body has not been accepted. It remains to be seen if meeting of its demands halfway will persuade the Congress to support the legislation.

There is a talk of mentioning the GST rate in one of the two supporting legislations that need to be passed after the Constitution is amended, a move that may pacify the Congress.

2ND SEPTEMBER 2016 — ALL INDIA GENERAL STRIKE

2ND SEPTEMBER 2016 — ALL INDIA GENERAL STRIKE:

The Joint platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) of the Country along with Independent National Federations of employees of different industries and services including Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers, have decided to organize All India General Strike on 2nd September 2016, against the anti-people, anti-workers policies and authoritarian attitude of the NDA Government. Intensive campaign and preparation to make the general strike a resounding historical success is going on in full swing throughout the country. The attitude of the NDA Government is profoundly negative and hugely challenging to the working class including Central Govt. employees. The issues in the Charter of demands submitted by the Trade Unions to the Govt. relate to basic interest of the country’s economy and also issues concerning the livelihood of the working people of both organized and unorganized sectors.

Govt. has not taken any meaningful step to curb price rise of essential commodities and to generate employment except making tall baseless claims. Govt. is mysteriously silent on the question of retrieving the black money stashed abroad and recovering lakhs of crores of rupees of bad debts of public sector banks. Whole range of social security measures are under severe attacks including the pension of post — 2004 entrants in Central Govt. Services. Govt. has launched atrocious attack of drastic cut in interest on small savings deposits. Totally ignoring the united opposition of the working class, the Govt. has been moving fast to demolish existing labour laws thereby empowering the employers with unfettered rights to “hire and fire” and stripping the workers and trade union of all their rights and protection provided in laws. Along With the peasantry and agri- labourers are also under severe attack. Attack on public sector has been pushed to unprecedented height with Govt. announcing mega strategic sale and also allowing unlimited FDI in strategic sectors like Railways, Defence and financial Sector as complimentary to the move of privatization and Public Private partnership etc. The anti-worker and authoritarian attitude of the Government is also nakedely reflected in their refusal to implement the consensus recommendations of 43rd, 44th and 45th Indian Labour Conference for formulations of minimum wages, equal wage and benefits of regular workers to the Contract workers.

The neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the Govt. has landed the entire national economy in distress and decline affecting the working people the most.

Central Govt. Employees worst affected:

The policy offensives of the Govt. like downsizing, outsourcing, contractorisation, corporatization and privatization has affected the Central Govt. departments and employees in a worst manner. Ban on creation of new posts and non-filling up of about six lakhs vacant posts had increased the work load of the existing employees and adversely affected the efficiency of the services. The New Pension Scheme (NPS) implemented with affect from 01.01.2004, is nothing but a “No Pension Scheme”, as it is fully dependent on the vagaries of share market forces. The Govt. is not ready to grant civil servant status to Gramin Dak Sevaks and to regularize the services of causal, contingent and contract workers. The 5% ceiling on compassionate appointment is not yet removed. The bonus ceiling enhancement from Rs.3500/- to Rs. 7000/- is not made applicable to Central Govt. Employees. Govt. is not ready to modify the 7th CPC recommendations, which is worst ever made by any pay commissions. The assurance given to the staff side regarding enhancement minimum pay and fitment formula is yet to be implemented. All other retrograde recommendations like reduction in the percentage of HRA, abolition of 52 allowances etc. are yet to be modified. Overall the attitude of the Modi Govt. is totally negative towards the Central Govt. employees and pensioners. The National Secretariat is of the firm opinion that unless the policy of the Govt. is changed, more attacks are likely to come on the Central Govt. employees and working class. To change the policy the united struggle of entire working class is required. It is in this background the Confederation of Central Govt. employees and workers has decided to join the General Strike along with other sections of the working class of our country.

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

Conference on Implementation of National Pension System (NPS) in Central Autonomous Bodies (CABs)

Conference on Implementation of National Pension System (NPS) in Central Autonomous Bodies (CABs)

A conference on implementation of National Pension System (NPS) in Central Autonomous Bodies (CABs) was organized by PFRDA on 27th July 2016 at New Delhi. The prime objective of the conference was to understand and address the concerns of the Central Autonomous Bodies who have not yet registered for NPS.

Shri Hemant Contractor, Chairman, PFRDA in his key note address stressed on the need for a regular and steady source of income for old age income security. He informed the participants that it was mandatory for all CABs which had offered CPF to its employees earlier to switch to NPS, but some CABs had not done so, and he urged them to adopt NPS without further delay, in view of the benefits of doing so, apart from the mandatory requirement. He gave the example of State Governments which had voluntarily adopted NPS in view of its merits. He further mentioned that it was important for CABs to offer a pension benefit to their employees in view of the many advantages, which could never be matched by lump sum payments such as CPF payment. He urged the CABs to comply with the Government directives and join NPS at the earliest so that the employees could get the benefit of pension under NPS for their old age income security.

Dr. B. S. Bhandari, Whole Time Member (Economics), PFRDA, while speaking on the occasion highlighted on the introduction of NPS for all Central Government Employees (except armed forces) joining services on or after 01st January 2004 and also informed the participants about the various notifications issued by Government for implementation of NPS in the Central Autonomous Bodies. He also briefed about the basic operational aspects of the NPS, investment pattern & NPS architecture. He also illustrated the benefit of higher return under NPS and power of compounding on this higher return resulting to better yield in comparison to other superannuation benefits.

Shri R V Verma, Whole Time Member (Finance) PFRDA, also urged to all the CABs present in the conference to be part of NPS and said that there is no reason why CABs have not implemented despite all the benefits in NPS. He informed that though the scheme is mandatory for all Central Autonomous Bodies having contributory Provident fund, many of the CABs are yet to join NPS. He expressed PFRDA is confident that this conference will help the participating CABs to understand NPS in a better way and will help them to join NPS at the earliest without further delay.

Currently, NPS has more than 1.30 crore subscribers with total Asset Under Management (AUM) of more than Rs.1.37 lakh crores.

PIB

Payment of Salary to Central Government Employees on 28th July, 2016 instead of 29th July, 2016 due to bank strike called by UFBU

Payment of Salary to Central Government Employees on 28th July, 2016 instead of 29th July, 2016 due to bank strike called by UFBU.

The Controller General of Defence Accounts
Ulan Batar Road, Delhi Cant-10

No.A/II/11101/Misc. Corrs./Vol-III

Dated : 27/07/2016

To,
All PCsDA/PCA(FYS)/CsDA
AO(DAD)
AN-IV (Local)
(Through CGDA website)

Subject : Payment of Salary to Central Government Employees on 28th July, 2016 instead of 29th July, 2016 due to bank strike called by UFBU.

Reference : CGA Office Memorandum No.S-11012/2/3(17)/RBI/2015/RBD/1144-1227 dated 26.07.2016

A copy of CGA 0M bearing No.S-11012/2/3(17)/RBI/2015/RBD/1144-1227 dated 26.07.2016 regarding payment of Salary to Central Government Employees on 28th July, 2016 instead of 29th July, 2016 due to bank strike called by UFBU is forwarded herewith for immediate compliance.

All concerned Officers are requested to make arrangements for payment of salary on 28.072016
This has approval of Jt. CGDA (A&B)

MOST IMMEDIATE
BY FAX/E.MAIL

S-11012/2/3(17)/RBI/2015/RBD/1144-1227
Government of India
Department of Expenditure
Controller General of Accounts
Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market,
New Delhi-110511, Telefax : 011- 24649365
Email : sao-rbd@nic.in

Dated : 26-07-2016

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject : Payment of Salary to Central Government Employees on 28th July, 2016 instead of 29th July 2016 due to bank strike called by UFBU.

It has come to notice of this office that United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called for a nation wide bank strike on 29,07,2016. This day being the last working day of the month for payment of salary ti all central government employees, it has been decided that Salary for the month of July 2016, be paid to the Central Government employees on 28.07.2016

All Ministries/Departments are requested to payment of salary to their employees on. 28th July 2016.

sd/-
(Sandeep Pai)
Sr. Accounts Officer (RBD)

Authority: http://cgda.nic.in/