15th FEBRUARY 2017 –
ONE DAY STRIKE
Towards
the inevitable end - Victory.
K.K.N. Kutty
President,
Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and workers.
December-January is fog days
in Northern India, especially Delhi.
Because of the high level pollution, it is not fog that engulfs Delhi
but smog. Temperature dips and rises
quite often. Air and Rail traffics are
frequently disturbed and sometimes go out of gear. It was not unknown to the National Sectt.of
the Confederation when they decided to organize the rally at the Parliament
street on 15th December, 2016. There was no alternative as on
November, 6th, the stipulated four months period was over. The
National Sectt. of the Confederation came to the conclusion that the Government
of India is run by people who indulges in double speak. They have no shame even in indulging in
betrayal.
Confederation has a noble
history and fine tradition. It does not indulge in the nasty habit of mincing
words. It exhibits the courage of
calling a spade a spade. It always has
stood for the interest of the employees and workers, whom it represents. It was built up over the years in the high
values and traditions of a fine trade union.
While it believes that despite the differences in ideology, perception, and
approach to the issues and problems, methods of negotiation, unity of the
employees and workers are paramount in winning demands. It was
to uphold that tradition, on innumerable occasions, it agreed to defer the
strike action, and ultimately even on 11th July, 2016. It had perceived correctly the weak
pretensions of the Government, demonstrated before the leaders of the NJCA both
on 30th june, 2016 and 6th July, 2016. Therefore, its leadership could appreciate the criticism that emanated from the right
thinking persons in its stride. Many of those who chose to criticize the
decision were concerned of the dent the
decision to defer the strike action had
created to the image of the Confederation.
An explanatory campaign was the need of the hour. For sheer paucity of time, it could not be
undertaken. It would have allayed the
apprehensions. When it was done, though
a little belatedly, it had its salutary impact.
And naturally, the National Sectt. could not have indulged in the luxury
of revisiting the issue with independent action programme when the climate in Delhi could become
tolerable. As is the case with every
vibrant organization, there are persons who take advantage of the situation,
criticize and create cacophony with the intent of destroying the very
organization itself. The mammoth rally at Delhi in front of the Parliament house on 15th
December, 2016 was the vindication of the understanding the Confederation
National Sectt. had on the issues and a magnificent reply to all those whose
intent was to destroy the organization.
It is quite heartening that
our Comrades, who felt betrayed by the chicanery of the Present Government,
weathered the inclement weather conditions, the disruption of rail and air
traffic movements, the difficulties in
reaching the venue by road, the chilly atmosphere at Delhi and above all the
persisting engineered criticism of certain vested interest, exhibited the anger and discontent in the most
exemplary manner on 15th December, 2016. They deserve our felicitation, congratulation
and grateful salute in creating yet another historic and successful
programme. They have through their loud
and emphatic slogans raised and followed by thousands provided the required
impetus to the National Sect. and confidence to go ahead with the forward steps
of the battle. The decision that was
announced by the Secretary General to organize a one day token strike in
protest against the attitude of the BJP Government was greeted therefore, with
great enthusiasm by the rallyists
The demonetization and the
consequent debilitating impact over the availability of currency has indeed made
insurmountable impediments. The whole
country has been taken for a ride in the name of the noble cause of cleaning
the economy of the black income. Neither
the generation of the black income s
tapped nor its proliferation has been targeted.
About one fifth of the National income of the country is stated to be in
black. That hurts and hurts the common people.
While the successive Governments that came to power in the country since
1991, including the present in office had been extending concessions and
exemptions for the corporate giants in crores, the common people were finding
it difficult to make the both ends meet. The enforcement laws fear to knock at
the doors of those who have looted the Nation and refused to pay back even the loan they had contracted from the
Nationalized Banks . The circus in the floor of the Parliament, session after
session, precludes any serious
discussion or deliberation over the good
or bad of the executive decisions
concerning governance. All appears to
be with a design to obliterate the real
issues of the people from the centre stage.
The 105,000- crores, which is
a highly exaggerated financial outflow worked out by the 7th CPC for
this fiscal year has been substantially reduced, thanks to the deferring the
grant of enhanced allowances, disapproval of the Option No.1 granted by the
commission to the Pensioners as a relief, the continuous derailing of the
negotiating machinery and the sheer refusal even to abide by the decisions of
the Judiciary and Arbitration Boards, deferring decision on extending the
benefit of revision of wages and pension to the employees of the autonomous
organizations etc. To sustain the
untenable actions, threats are employed invoking the provisions of the colonial
rules and regulations. A good number of
participants in the magnificent rally at the Parliament street on 15th
December, 2016 was the retired personnel, despite their physical debilities due
to the advancing age. They look forward
to the NCCPA and the Confederation to articulate, present and fight for their
demands and ensure that justice is rendered to them.
There is no doubt that the
ongoing struggle undertaken by the Confederation will create sanctions not only
on the Government but also on those who witness it from the sidelines but
refuse to become part and parcel of an event that is bound to have its imprint
in the history of the movement of the Central Government employees in the
country. That should not deter us but
steel our determination to march to its
glorious end of victory.
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