7th CPC REPORT & NDA GOVERNMENT
M. Krishnan, Secretary General,
Confederation of C. G. Employees & Workers
Report of the 7th Central Pay
Commission (CPC) headed by Retired Supreme Court Justice, Ashok Kumar Mathur
was submitted to Government on 19th November 2015 after 21 months.
The Union Cabinet announced its decision to implement the recommendations on 29th
June 2016. Through the press release circulated to media and the statement of
Finance Minister, the Government made a calculated move to create an impression
among the public that the Modi Government is magnanimous enough to extend big
bonanza to the Central Government employees. Eventhough, immediately after
submission of the 7th CPC report, the Joint Council of Action of
Central Government Employees (NJCA) representing Railways, Defence and
Confederation including Postal had submitted a memorandum to Government
demanding modifications of the retrograde recommendations of the 7th
CPC, the Government while announcing its decision, rejected all the demands
raised by the staff side.
The 7th CPC recommended only Rs.18000/-
as minimum pay by arbitrarily modifying and manipulating Dr. Aykroyd’s Need
based minimum wage formula on untenable premises and incorrect data. The main
demand of the NJCA is to re-compute the minimum wage on the basis of actual
commodity prices as on 01.07.2015 and factor Dr. Aykroyd formula stipulated
percentage for housing, social obligations and children’s education etc. and to
revise the fitment formula and all pay scales on the basis of the so determined
minimum wage. The methodology adopted by 7th CPC is irrational,
imaginary and even absurd.
The Government’s claim that big increase is given
to the employees is totally false. In para 4.2.9 of the report, the 7th
CPC has given a table depicting the percentage of increase provided by the
successive pay commissions appointed after independence. According to the
table, the 2nd CPC has made a paltry increase of 14.2.% (1960), the
3rd CPC gave a rise of 20.6% (1973), the 4th CPC 27.6%
(1986), the 5th CPC 31% (1996) and 6th CPC 54% (2006)
whereas the average increase granted by 7th CPC is only 14.29%
(2016), while the percentage increase had been in ascending order all along,
the 7th CPC has sought to reverse that trend. The megre increase
recommended and accepted by the Government without any change is the worst ever
any pay commission has recommended since 1960. In 1960 five days historic
strike of entire Central Government employees took lace demanding modifications
of 2nd CPC recommendations.
Another claim of the Government is that it has
accepted the recommendations of the 7th CPC to increase the existing
salary by 2.57 times !!!. This is a totally misleading propaganda. The existing
basic pay of a lowest level employee of the Central Government called
Multi-Tasking staff (MTS) is 7000 plus 125% Dearness Allowance as on
01.01.2016. Thus the total salary as on 1st January 2016 is 7000 +
8750 DA = 15750. The Minimum pay recommended by 7th CPC is 18000
i.e; the actual increase in salary is Rs. 2250/- only at the lowest level. The
fitment factor of 2.57 is worked out excluding the 125% DA an employee is
getting at present. As the next wage revision takes place only after ten years
in 2026, the above increase of 2250/- in the salary is megre.
In the past, every time, either before or
immediately after the appointment of pay commissions, the employees are granted
DA merger, Last time, before appointment of 6th CPC, Government has
granted merger of 50% DA in 2004 and the merged DA is treated as Pay for all
purposes. This time no DA merger is granted. Suppose, as in the past, the
Government has accepted the demand for merger of 50% DA as on 01.01.2011 when
DA crossed 50%, the total salary of an employee at the lowest level as on
01.01.2016 will become Rs.18395/- (7000 + 50% DA 3500 = 10500 + remaining 75%
DA as on 01.01.2016 Rs.7875 = 18395). Thus it can be seen that even if no pay
commission is appointed by Government, simply by granting DA merger alone the
lowest level salary will become more than 18000/- which is recommended by 7th
CPC after 21 months study and spending crores of rupees for its functioning.
The Government’s press release further claim that
the ratio between lowest and highest salary (compression ratio) is 1:3.12. The
highest level employees are Cabinet Secretary and Secretaries of various
departments. The recommended salary of the Cabinet Secretary is 2,50000.
Government deliberately avoided comparison between salary of lowest employee
and highest level employee, instead compared with middle level Class-I officer
only. Actual ratio between the lowest and highest salary come to 1:14
(18000:2,50000). No other pay commission has recommended such a huge margin.
Other retrograde recommendations of the 7th
CPC are as follows:
1. House Rent Allowance (HRA)
rate reduced from 30%, 20% and 10% to 24%, 16% and 8%
2. 52 existing allowances are
to be abolished.
3. All interest-free advances
including Festival advance, are to be abolished. Only interest bearing advances
to be retained.
4. Salary for the second year
of Child care leave granted to women employees should be reduced to 80%.
5. For Three Time bound
promotions (Assured Carreer Progression) passing examination and other
conditions made mandatory.
6. New Pension Scheme (NPS)
shall continue, recommended only some cosmetic changes.
7. Contractorisation and
casual labour System shall be continued.
8. Outsourcing of Government
functions to continue.
9. Employment of retired
personnel to be legalized and panel of experienced retired personnel should be
kept ready.
10. Filling up of vacancies –
commission pointed out that there are six lakhs unfilled vacancies in Central
Government services, but no recommendations for filling up the vacancies in a
time bound manner by special recruitment.
11. Regularisation of Gramin
Dak Sevaks of Postal department – rejected.
12. Increase in minimum
pension percentage, Fixed medical Allowance to Pensioners and increment rate –
rejected.
Inspite of several round of country wide
agitational programmes conducted by NJCA including massive Parliament March,
the NDA Government refused to negotiate the demands with the staff side, but
declared unilateral implementation of the recommendations without any
modifications. The resentment, anger and protest of the entire Central
Government employees increased day-by-day and the NJCA decided to go ahead with
indefinite strike from 11th July 2016 and preperations and
campaigning for making the strike a thundering success went on in full swing.
Modi Government understood that if it still refuse to discuss with the NJCA then
from 11th July 6 AM onwards the entire Central Government establishments
including Railways, Defence, Postal and other departments. will come to
standstill marking the commencement of the biggest strike action of the Central
Government employees.
It is in this background the Hon’ble Prime
Minister directed three Cabinet Ministers including Home Minister Shri Rajnath
Singh, Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitly and Railway Minister Shri. Suresh
Prabhu to hold discussion with the NJCA leaders on 30th January
2016. Major demands in the Charter of demands were discussed with particular
reference to Improvement in Minimum wage and fitment formula. Issues relating
to parity in pension was also discussed. Finally the Ministers assured that a
high level committee will be appointed to consider the issues raised by the
NJCA.
As no written minutes or communications is
forthcoming from the Government regarding the 30th June discussion
and assurances, the NJCA decided to go ahead with the strike. Country wide
demonstrations were held daily in front of all offices and at all important
centres. On 6th July 2016 when the NJCA meeting was in progress,
Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh again invited the NCA Leaers for discussion.
The Minister reiterated the earlier assurances and told that Finance Minister
will issue a press statement making the Government stand clear on the demands.
Accordingly, the Government issued a press
statement on 6th July 2016 in which it is stated that – “The
Ministers assured the Union leaders that the issues raised by them would be
considered by a High Level Committee.”
Thus, the unite struggle of the entire Central
Government Employees compelled the unwilling NDA Government to accept the
reality that modification in the 7th CPC recommendations is a must
and before arriving at a final conclusion the staff side should be given a fair
chance to present and discuss the case with the Government. It was assured that
the proposed High Level Committee to be appointed by the Government shall
complete its task within a time frame.
Advancement in the wages and service conditions of
Central Government Employees can be achieved only through the united struggle
of all Central Government employees for which the unity built up under the
banner of NJCA is to be maintained and strengthened. Further the neo-liberal
policy offensives of the NDA Government in the Central Government Employees
Sector including privatisation, outsourcing, downsizing, contractorisation,
corporatization, winding up of departments, New Pension Scheme etc. can only be
resisted and reverted by building up united movement of the entire employees. Eventhough
the strike is deferred, the Central Government employees shall continue its united
struggle against the anti-people and anti-labour policies of the NDA
Government. We should self-critically analyze the strength and weakness of the
NJCA and shall arrive at proper conclusion for taking corrective measures, if
necessary, and also for further unity and advancement. The final outcome of the
united struggle is, no doubt, one step forward.
No comments:
Post a Comment