Nationwide General Strike on 8th & 9th January 2019 - Confederation

Press Release on Nationwide General Strike on 8th & 9th January 2019

Press Release

28/09/2018

Central Trade Unions call for
Nationwide General Strike on 8th and 9th January 2019

National Convention of Workers decides to go for Nationwide General Strike on 8-9 January 2019 against the anti-people, anti-worker, anti-national policies of the BJP-led NDA Government.

The National Convention of Workers held today, the 28th September 2018, in Mavlankar Hall, New Delhi, decided to go for two days’ Nationwide General Strike on 8-9 January 2019 against the anti-people, anti-worker, anti-national policies of the BJP-led NDA Government.

The convention was jointly called by the ten Central Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC,TUCC, AICCTU, SEWA, LPF, UTUC), in association with all independent National Federations of Workers and Employees, of both Industrial and Service sectors, Central Government and State Government employees, including Railways, Defense, Health, Education, Water, Post, Scheme Workers etc; in the public sector undertaking such as Banks, Insurance, Telecom, Oil, Coal, Public Transport etc, Factories, and from the unorganised sectors-Construction, Beedi, Street vendors, Domestic Workers, Migrant Workers, Scheme workers, Home based workers, rickshaw, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, agricultural workers etc., expresses serious concern over the deteriorating situation in the national economy due to the pro- corporate, anti-national and anti-people policies pursued by the Central Government and some of the States ruled by the BJP, grievously impacting the livelihood of the working people across the country.

The Presidium of the Convention consisted of Ashok Singh, Ramendra Kumar, S. N. Pathak, K. Hemlata, R. K. Sharma, Probir Banerjee, Lata, Santosh Rai and Shatrujeet Singh. Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy (INTUC), Amarjeet Kaur (AITUC), Harbhajan Singh Sidhu (HMS), Tapan Sen (CITU), Satyavan (AIUTUC), G.R.Shivshankar (TUCC), Manali Shah (SEWA), Rajeev Dimri (AICCTU), Sanmugham (LPF), Ashok Ghosh (UTUC) addressed the Convention. Shivgopal Mishra( AIFR) and Guman Singh (NFIR) also addressed the convention.

The Convention noted with utter dismay that the Government has been continuing to arrogantly ignore the 12 point Charter of Demands on minimum wage, universal social security, workers’ status and including pay and facilities for the scheme workers, against privatization of public and government sector including financial sectors and mass scale contractorisation, ratification of ILO Convention 87, 98 etc. being jointly pursued by the entire trade union movement of the country. The ILO Convention 177 on Home Work and 189 on Domestic Work are also yet not ratified.

The Convention expressed its grave concern on scraping of hard-won 44 Central Labour Laws and replacing them with 4 employer-friendly Labour Codes and introduction of Fixed Term Employment through executive order. The Convention also expressed its anguish over New Pension Scheme and demand restoration of the old Pension Scheme. The Convention expresses solidarity with the fighting farmers and the Transport Workers of Rajasthan who are on an indefinite strike since 16th September, 2018.

This National Convention of Workers recorded its strong denunciation against the communal and divisive machinations on the society being carried on with the active patronage of the Government machinery. The BJP Governments are using draconian UAPA, NSA as well as the agencies of CBI, NIA, IT to harass and suppress any dissenting opinions. The peace loving secular people in the country are facing a stark situation of terror and insecurity all around. Working Class will raise its strong voice of protest.

In order to serve the interests of the multinational companies with Indian corporate, the present Government is pursuing blatantly anti-people, anti-workers and anti-national policies at the cost of severely damaging the national economy and destroying its indigenous productive and manufacturing capabilities. Such a regime must be defeated squarely to force the pro-people changes in policies on all fronts. This united platform of the working class resolves to heighten its struggle to that end.

The National Convention of workers adopted the following programmes:

1. State level, district level and industry/sector level joint conventions to be held during October/November 2018
2. Joint Industry-level gate meetings, rallies etc. during November and December,2018
3. Submission of strike notice jointly with demonstrations during 17-22 December, 2018
4. Two days countrywide General Strike on 8th and 9th January 2019.

The National Convention called upon working people across the sectors and throughout the country irrespective of affiliations, independent unions, federations, associations to make the above programmes a total success.

(Declaration attached)

Source: http://confederationhq.blogspot.com/

Termination of LARSGESS Scheme - Railway Board Order

Termination of LARSGESS Scheme - Railway Board Order

Great Victory! - Com. Shiva Gopal Mishra made Railway Board to suspend draconian orders on LARSGESS - Railway Board has issued orders RBE 151/2018 in this regard!

Dear Comrades,

As a result of General Secretary AIRF's untiring efforts and his discussions today, i.e. 28.09.2018, with the Chairman and Member Staff, Railway Board, Railway Board vide their letter No.E(P&A)I-2015/RT-43 dated 28.09.2018 (RBE No.151/2018)(copy enclosed) have issued amended letter to the General Managers of All Indian Railways, superseding their earlier letter of even number dated 26.09.2018(RBE No.150/2018.

Source: AIRF

Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 - Entry pay for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006 and pay fixation in the case of persons other than such direct recruits

Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 - Entry pay for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006 and pay fixation in the case of persons other than such direct recruits

No. 8-23/2017 - E.IIIA
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
28th September, 2018

Office Memorandum

Subject: Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 - Section II of the Part 'A' of the First Schedule thereto - entry pay for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006 and pay fixation in the case of persons other than such direct recruits.

The undersigned is directed to invite the attention to the provisions contained in Section-2 of Part 'A' of the First Schedule of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 which provides for entry pay in the revised pay structure (pay structure effective from 1.1.2006 up to 31.12.2015) for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006 on a post and to say that pay in respect of persons appointed to the same posts before 1.1.2006 is required to be fixed as on 1.1.2006 under Rule 7 (1)(A)(i) and pay in respect persons appointed on the same post on promotion on or after 1.1.2006 is required to be fixed under Rule 13 thereof.

2. A number of references were received in Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, stating that the pay of seniors of a post was fixed at a stage lower than the entry pay applicable to the persons appointed on direct recruitment basis on that post on or after 1.1.2006. In such cases, stepping of pay was allowed to the senior employee at par with the entry pay of direct recruits of those posts, subject to the conditions, inter-alia, that stepping up of pay of seniors is applicable only in those cases which have an element of direct recruitment and where a directly recruited junior is actually drawing more basic pay than the seniors. Thus, the stepping up of pay of senior employees was admissible from the date a junior direct recruit joined on or after 1.1.2006.

3. The matter was also considered in the meeting of the National Anomaly Committee (NAC) held on 17.7.2012 based on a demand raised by the Staff Side under the JCM. NAC had recommended that in cases where Recruitment Rules provide for direct recruitment, then the stepping up of pay of senior may be considered, even if no actual direct recruitment takes place or no direct recruit has actually joined. However, it was decided that stepping up of the pay of seniors can be claimed only in the case of those cadres which have an element of direct recruitment and in cases where a directly recruited junior is actually drawing more basic pay than the seniors. Thus, stepping up of pay was dependent upon actual joining of a direct recruit.

4. Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) of the Government of National Capital Territories of Delhi (GNCTD) filed an OA No. 3217/2014 before the Hon'ble Principal Bench of CAT. The 13 petitioners of the post of Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) comprised those who were appointed as TGT before 1.1.2006 as also those who were promoted to the post of TGT on or after 1.1.2006. The pay of these 13 employees had been fixed as per the relevant provisions of the CCS(RP) Rules, 2008 and the same happened to be lower than the entry pay as applicable to direct recruits of the post of TGT appointed on or after 1.1.2006. These petitioners prayed for re-fixing their pay as applicable to direct recruits
appointed on or after 1.1.2006.

5. The Hon'ble Principal Bench of CAT in their order dated 4.4.2016 in OA No.3217/2014 allowed the application and directed the Government to ensure that none of the applicant's pay is fixed at a stage lower than the pay which could be drawn by a direct recruit appointed on or after 1.1.2006. The order of Hon'ble CAT dated 4.4.2016 was upheld by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in terms of their order dated 23.3.2017 in WP(C ) No.2634/2017. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court in its order dated 23.3.2017 observed, inter-alia, that the plea of stepping up of pay, as mentioned in para 2 above, means that the direct recruits should have actually joined before any stepping up of pay can be granted and the date of joining would be different as filling up of direct recruit vacancies in the cadre would depend upon vacancy position, selection etc. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court held that this was unacceptable.

6. The matter arising out of the aforesaid order of Hon'ble Delhi High Court dated 23.3.2017 was heard by the Hon'ble Supreme Court as part of the SLP and in its order dated 01.09.2017 (Dy. No. 23663/2017), the Hon'ble Supreme Court has observed that once the question, in principle, has been settled, it is only appropriate on the part of the Government to issue a Circular. The Hon'ble Supreme Court further observed that the present situation is that the stepping up is available only to those who have approached the Court, but since the issue otherwise became final, the Hon'ble Supreme Court directed Government to immediately look into the matter and issue appropriate orders.

7. Accordingly, the matter has been considered in the light of the above background and in the context of the specific orders of Hon'ble Supreme Court dated 01.09.2017 as arising out of the original issue raised by the Trained Graduated Teachers of GNCTD in terms of their OA No. 3217/2014. As mentioned above, the petitioners in that case were those who were appointed as TGT before 1.1.2006 and also promoted as TGT on or after 1.1.2006, and had occasion for grievance because their pay in the pay structure in vogue from 1.1.2006 had been fixed lower than the entry pay as prescribed for direct recruits appointed as TGT on or after 1.1.2006. Therefore, the principle of the benefit of pay fixation, as flowing from the aforesaid orders of Hon'ble CAT, Hon'ble Delhi High Court and the Hon'ble Supreme Court, is that the pay of those who were appointed to the post prior to 1.1.2006 and those who were appointed to the post on promotion in the pay structure effective from 1.1.2006 onwards, and where in respect of such posts entry pay for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006 has been prescribed giving rise to differential pay, may not be lower than the said entry pay. It is the case of differential pay in respect of employees of a post, as caused by the existence of entry pay applicable for direct recruits on that post appointed on or after 1.1.2006, that has been addressed in the aforesaid case of the post of TGTs. In case entry pay as per Section II of Part A of the First Schedule of the CCS(RP) Rules, 2008 is not applicable in case of a post, the same will not give rise to differential pay for holders of the post and, hence, not covered under the ratio of the case of TGT.

8. Accordingly, the President is pleased to decide that in respect of those posts where entry pay for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006, as per Section II of Part A of the First Schedule of CCS(RP) Rules, 2008, becomes applicable by virtue of the provision of the element of direct recruitment in the relevant recruitment rules, the pay of Central government employees who were appointed to such posts prior to 1.1.2006 and whose pay, as fixed in the revised pay structure under Rule 7 thereof as on 1.1.2006 turns out to be lower than the prescribed entry pay for direct recruits of that post, shall not be less than such entry pay w.e.f. 1.1.2006. Likewise, the pay of Central Government employees who were appointed to such posts by way of promotion on or after 1.1.2006 and whose pay, as fixed under Rule 13 of CCS(RP) Rules, 2008, happens to be lower than the said entry pay, shall also not be less than such entry pay from the date of their promotion taking place on or after 1.1.2006.

9. In their application to the employees of office of Indian Audits and Accounts Department, these orders issue after consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
10. Hindi version of these orders is attached.

S/d,
(Amar Nath Singh)
Director

Entry Pay to DR Appointed on or after 1.1.2006 and pay fixation in the case of persons other than such direct recruits

Entry Pay to DR Appointed on or after 1.1.2006 and pay fixation in the case of persons other than such direct recruits

CCS (RP) Rules, 2008 - Section II of the Part 'A' of the First Schedule - entry pay to DR appointed on or after 1.1.2006 and pay fixation in the case of persons other than such direct recruits

No.8-23/2017-E.IIIA
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department Of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
28th September, 2018

Office Memorandum

Subject: CCS (RP) Rules, 2008 - Section II of the Part 'A' of the First Schedule - entry pay to DR appointed on or after 1.1.2006 and pay fixation in the case of persons other than such direct recruits.

The undersigned is directed to invite the attention to the provisions contained in Section-2 of Part 'A' of the First Schedule Of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 which provides for entry pay in the revised pay Structure (pay structure effective from 1.1.2006 up to 31.122015) for direct recruits appointed On or after 1.1.2006 on a post and to say that pay in respect Of persons appointed to the same posts before 1.1.2006 is required to be fixed as on 1.1.2006 under Rule 7 and pay in respect persons appointed on the Same post on promotion on or after 1.1.2006 is required to be fixed under Rule 13 thereof

2. A number of references were received in Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure. Stating that the pay of seniors of a post was fixed at a stage lower than the entry pay applicable to the persons appointed on direct recruitment basis on that post on or after 1.1.2006. In such cases, steppiry of pay was allowed to the senior employee at par with the entry pay of direct recruits of those posts, subject to the conditions. inter-alia. that stepping up of pay of Seniors is applicable only in those cases which have an element Of direct recruitment and where a directly recruited junior is actually drawing more basic pay than the seniors. Thus, the stepping up of pay of Senior employees was admissible from the date a junior direct recruit joined on or after 1.1.2006

3. The matter was also considered in the meeting of the National Anomaly Committee (NAC) held on 177.2012 based on a demand raised by the Staff Side under the JCM NAC had recommended that in cases where Recruitment Rules provide for direct recruitment, then the Stepping up of pay of senior may be considered, even if no actual direct recruitment takes place or no direct recruit has actually joined. However. it was decided that stepping up of the pay of seniors can be claimed only in the case of those cadres which have an element of direct recruitment and in cases where a directly recruited junior is actually drawing more basic pay than the Seniors. Thus, stepping up of pay was dependent upon actual joiniry of a direct recruit.

4. Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) of the Government of National Capital Territories of Delhi (GFETD) filed OA No. 3217/2014 before the Honble Bench of CAT. The 13 petitioners of the post Of Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) those who were appointed as TGT before 1.1.2006 as also those who were promoted to the post of TGT on or after 1.1.2006. The pay Of these 13 employees had been fixed as per the relevant provisions Of the CCS(RP) Rules. 2008 and the happened to be lower than the entry pay as applicable to direct recruits Of the post of TGT appointed on or after 1.1.2006. These petitioners prayed for re-fixing their pay as applicable to direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006

5. The Hon'ble Principal Bench of CAT in their order dated 4.4.2016 in OA allowed the application and directed the Government to ensure that Of the applicant'S pay is fixed at a Stee lower than the which could be drawn by a direct recruit appointed an after 1.1_2006. The order of Hon ble CAT dated 4.4.2016 was upheld by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in terms Of their order dated 2332017 in WP(C ) No.2634/2017. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court in its order dated 23.32017 observed. that the plea of stepping up of pay, as mentioned in para 2 above. means the direct recruits should actually joined before any stepping up Of pay be granted and the date of joining would be different as filling up of direct recruit vacancies in the cadre would vacancy position. Selection etc. The Hon'ble Delhi High held that this Was unacceptable.

6. The arising Out Of the order Of Hon'ble Delhi High Court dated 23.32017 was heard by the Hon'ble Supreme Court as part of the SLP md in its order dated 01.09.2017 (by. No. 23663/2017). the Hon'ble Supreme Court has observed that once the question, in principle. has been settled. it is only appropriate on the part Of the Government to issue a Circular. The Hon'ble Supreme Court further observed that the present Situation is that the stepping up is available only to those who have approached the Court, but since the issue other-wise became final, the Honble Supreme Court directed Government to immediately look into the and issue appropriate orders.

7. Accordingly, the nutter has been considered in the light of the above background and in the context of the specific orders of Hon'ble Supreme Court dated 0109.2017 as arising out Of the origiml issue raised by the Trained Graduated Teachers Of Gt•ETD in terms Of their OA No. 3217/2014. AS mentioned above. the petitioners in that case were those who were appointed as TGT before 1.1.2006 Md also promoted as TGT on after 1.1.2006. and had occasion for grievance because their in the pay Structure in vogue from 1.12006 had been fixed lower than the entry pay as prescribed for direct recruits appointed as TGT on or after 1.1.2006. Therefore. the principle of the benefit of py fixation, as flowing from the aforesaid orders Of Hon'ble CAT, Hon'ble Delhi High Court and the Hon'ble Supreme Court, is that the pay of those who were appointed to the post prior to 1.1.2006 and those who were appointed to the post on promotion in the pay structure effective from 1.1.2006 onwards, and where in respect of Such posts entry pay for direct recruits appointed on or after l. 1.2006 has been prescribed giving rise to differential pay, may not be lower than the said entry pay. It is the case of differential pay in respect of employees Of a post, as caused by the existence of entry pay applicable for direct recruits on that post appointed on or after 1.12006, that has been addressed in the aforesaid case Of the post of TGTs. In case entry pay as per Section 11 of Part A of the First Schedule of the CCS(RP) Rules, 2008 is not applicable in case of a post, the Same will not give rise to differential pay for holders of the post and, hence, not covered under the ratio of the case of TGT.

8. Accordingly, the President is pleased to decide that in respect of those posts where entry pay for direct recruits appointed on or after 1.1.2006, as per Section 11 of Part A Of the First Schedule of CCS(RP) Rules, 2008, becomes applicable by virtue Of the provision of the element of direct recruitment in the relevant recruitment rules, the pay of Central government employees who were appointed to such posts prior to 1.1.2006 and whose pay, as fixed in the revised pay Structure under Rule 7 thereof as on 1.1.2006 turns out to be lower than the prescribed entry pay for direct recruits of that post, shall not be less than such entry pay w.e.f. 1.1.2006. Likewise. the pay of Central Government employees who were appointed to such posts by way of promotion on or after 1.1.2006 and whose pay. as fixed under Rule 13 of CCS(RP) Rules, 2008, happens to be lower than the said entry pay, Shall also not be less than such entry pay from the date of their promotion taking place on or after 1.1.2006.

9.In their application to the employees of office of Indian Audits and Accounts Department. these orders issue after consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General Of India.
10.Hindi version of these orders is attached

sd/-
(Amar Nath Singh)
Director

Source: https://www.doe.gov.in/

Payment of Dearness Allowance to Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) effective from 01.07.2018 onwards

Payment of Dearness Allowance to Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) effective from 01.07.2018 onwards

No. 14-3/2016-PAP
Government of India
Ministry of Communication
Department of Posts
(Establishment Division)/P.A.P. Section

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg,
New Delhi - 110 001.
Dated 28 September, 2018

To,
All Chief Postmasters General
All G.Ms. (PAF)/Directors of Accounts (Postal).

Subject: Payment of Dearness Allowance to Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) effective from 01.07.2018 onwards - reg.

Consequent upon grant of another installment of Dearness Allowance with effect from 1st July, 2018 to the Central Government Employees vide Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure's 0.M. No. 1/2/2018-E-II(B) dated 07.09.2018, duly endorsed vide this Department's letters No. 8-1/2016-PAP dated 12.09.2018, the Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) have also become entitled to the payment of Dearness Allowances on basic TRCA Matrix at the same rates as applicable to Central Government Employees with effect from 01.07.2018. It has, therefore, been decided that the Dearness Allowance payable to the Gramin Dak Sevaks shall be the same rates as payable to Central Government Employees i.e. @ 9% (percent) with effect from the 1st July, 2018.

2. The Dearness Allowance payable under this order shall be paid in cash to all Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).

3. The expenditure on this account shall be debited to the Head "Salaries" under the relevant head of account and should be met from the sanctioned grant.

4. This issues with the concurrence of Integrated Finance Wing vide their Diary No 4057 Dated 25.09.2018.

S/d,
(D. K. Tripathi)
Assistant Director General (Estt./PAP)

AICPIN for the month of August 2018

AICPIN for the month of August 2018

No. 5/1/2018-CPI
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT
LABOUR BUREAU

'CLEREMONT', SHIMLA-171004
DATED: 28th September, 2018

Press Release

Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) - August, 2018

The All-India CPI-IW for August, 2018 remained stationary at 301 (three hundred and one). On 1-month percentage change, it remained static between July, 2018 and August, 2018 and it was also static between the corresponding months of previous year.

The maximum upward pressure to the change in current index came from Miscellaneous and Food groups contributing (+) 0.25 and (+) 0.07 percentage points respectively to the total change. At item level, Rice, Wheat, Wheat Atta, Groundnut Oil, Brinjal, Cabbage, Carrot, Parval, Mango (Ripe), Sugar, Cooking Gas, Petrol, Ornaments Glass, etc. are responsible for the increase in index. However, this increase was checked by Fish Fresh, Poultry (Chicken), Eggs (Hen), Onion, French Beans, Methi, Peas, Radish, Tomato, Apple, Guava, etc., putting downward pressure on the index.

The year-an-year inflation based on CPI-IW remained stationary at 5.61 per cent for August, 2018 as compared to the previous month and 2.52 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year. Similarly, the Food inflation also remained stationary at (-) 0.32 per cent during August as compared to 1.61 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

At centre level Ranchi-Hatia and Bhavnagar reported the maximum increase of 5 points each followed by Kodarma (4 points). Among others, 3 points increase was observed d in 9 centres, 2 points in 7 centres and 1 point in 13 centres. On the contrary, Pune and Tripura recorded a maximum decrease of 3 points each. Among others, 2 points decrease was observed in 6 centres and 1 point in 15 centres. Rest of the 23 centres indices remained stationary.

The indices of 37 centres are above All-India Index and 41 centres' indices are below national average.

The next issue of CPI-IW for the month of September, 2018 will be released on Wednesday, 31st October, 2018. The same will also be available on the office website www.labourbureaunew.gov.in.

S/d,
(AMRIT LAL JANGID)
DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Closing of domain name .nic.in for India Post ePost application and shifting to new URL i.e. http://www.epost-indiapost.gov.in

Closing of domain name .nic.in for India Post ePost application and shifting to new URL i.e. http://www.epost-indiapost.gov.in

India Post

No.52-01/2006 BD&MD
Government of India
Ministry of Communications
Department of Posts
Business Development & Marketing

Directorate 5th Floor, Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg
New Delhi - 110001

Dated : 26.09.2018

Office Memorandum

Subject: Closing of domain name .nic.in for India Post ePost application and shifting to new URL i.e. http://www.epost-indiapost.gov.in

As per policy decision of NIC, all web sites using ".nic.in" are to be stopped. Accordingly, India Post ePost application URL "http://www.indiapost.nic.in" has been shifted to "http://www.epost-indiapost.gov.in".

2. Both, old "http://www.indiapost.nic.in" and new "http://www.epost-indiapost.gov.in" URLs are working at present but old URL i.e. http://www.indiapost.nic.in will be stopped on 30th September-2018.

3. This may be brought to the notice of all concerned.

S/d,

(Brajesh Kumar)

General Manager (BD)