MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVT. EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS TO THE HONARABLE PRIME MINISTER

No.Confdn/Memorandum/2016-19                                                05th September 2019

To

                 Shri. Narendra Modiji,

                 Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,

                 South Block,

                 New Delhi - 110 001.

Respected Prime Minister,

               Sub: Memorandum on the long pending demands of the Central Government employees - Request for kind intervention - regarding.

                 This Memorandum is submitted with the most fervent hope that the Hon’ble Prime Minister will be condescend to intercede on our behalf to settle the following long pending issues agitating the minds of 32 lakhs Central Government employees and 33 lakhs Central Govt. Pensioners.

1.     Scrap New Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS) and restore Defined benefit Old Pension Scheme (OPS).  Guarantee 50% of the last pay drawn as Minimum Pension.

          Government of India has implemented New Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS) for all Central Govt. employees entering service on or after 01-01-2004.  When compared to the Old Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (OPS) there are many adverse factors in the NPS.  The monthly pension amount being received under the Insurance Annuity Scheme under NPS is less than Rs.3000/- per month, to those NPS employees who had already retired from service during 2018 and 2019, after completing 14 to 15 years of service, whereas as per the Old Pension Scheme an employee who completes minimum ten years qualifying service will get 50% of the last pay drawn as Minimum Pension which in any case will not be less than Rs.12,000/- for a lowest level employee (Multi Tasking Staff) with ten years service in Central service.  Thus the very principle laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India that “Pension is a social welfare measure rendering socio-economic justice to those, who in the hey day of their life ceaselessly toiled for the employer on an assurance that in their old age, they would not be left in lurch”, stands defeated.

                      Seventh Central Pay Commission headed by Retired Justice of Supreme Court Shri. Ashok Kumar Mathur, in its report made the following observations about NPS:

                      “Almost a whole lot of Government employees appointed on or after 01-01-2004, were unhappy with the New Pension Scheme. Government should take a call to look into their grievances”.

                      Govt. appointed a Secretary level committee called “NPS Committee” for streamlining the NPS, but that committee was not empowered to look into the main demand of the NPS employees i.e., scrap NPS, restore OPS and guarantee 50% of the last pay drawn as monthly pension.  It is true that as per the recommendations of the NPS Committee, Govt’s contribution to NPS is increased to 14% from 10% and some other cosmetic changes are also made in the NPS Rules.  But the basic grievance still remained unattended and unsettled, as a result uncertainty about the social security and Pension looms large over the head of every NPS employee, and the discontentment among the NPS employees (as correctly observed by 7th CPC) is growing day by day.  We request the Hon’ble  Prime Minister to have a relook into the entire matter, so that NPS will be scrapped and OPS will be restored and at least 50% of the last pay drawn will be guaranteed under Rules as Minimum monthly Pension on retirement.

2.     Honour the assurances given by Group of Ministers on 30-06-2016 to National Council (JCM) Standing Committee members regarding increase in Minimum Pay and fitment factor recommended by Seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC):

          All the Federations/Unions/Associations in the Central Govt. Employees sector including Railways, Defence and Confederation had given a call for nationwide indefinite strike from 11th July 2016, demanding increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment formula recommended by Seventh CPC and other 7th CPC related issues.  A goup of Cabinet Ministers including Shri. Rajnath Singh, then Home Minister, Shri. Arun Jaitley, then Finance Minister, Shri. Suresh Prabhu, then Railway Minister discussed the demands with the leaders of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) and assured that Minimum Pay and Fitment formula will be increased and a High Level Committee will be appointed to submit recommendations in this regard.  The assurances were reiterated by Shri. Rajnath Singh, then Home Minister on 6th July 2016 in the second round of discussion and Finance Ministry issued a press statement confirming the assurances.  Accordingly, the proposed indefinite strike call of the NJCA was deferred, taking in good faith the assurances given by the Group of Ministers.  We are sorry to bring it to the notice of the Hon’ble Prime Minister that even after a lapse of three  years, neither the promised High Level Committee is constituted by the Govt. nor the Minimum Pay and fitment formula is increased.  The entire employees feel betrayed.  We request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to take immediate necessary action for implementing the assurances given by the Group of Ministers.

3.     Grant “Option-I Parity” recommended by the 7th CPC to all Central Government Pensioners.

          7th CPC has recommended a new formula called “Option-1” for refixing the existing         pension of Central Government Pensioners retired prior to 01-01-2016. Government accepted  the recommendation in principle and constituted a Secretary level committee to examine and recommend regarding the feasibility of implementing ''option-1'' recommended by 7th CPC. The Committee was not, ready to heed the valid and scientific pleadings  made by the staff-side in favour of the recommendation mode by 7th CPC which is an ''Expert Body'' headed by retired  Justice of Supreme Court, instead viewed the case with a closed mind and gave recommendation to the Government that implementation of Option-I is not feasible. Govt accepted the recommendations of the Secretary Level Committee and rejected ''option-I'' recommended by 7th CPC.

          The entire Pension community is very much aggrieved of the decision of the Government. We request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to review the case dispassionately, so that the ''option-I party'' recommended by the 7th CPc will be accepted by the Government.

4.  Regularisation of Gramin Dak Sevaks working in Postal Department and casual/contract workers working in all Central Govt Establishments.

(a)   About 2.76 lakhs Gramin Dak Sevaks are employed in the Postal Department. Govt. appointed a one man committee headed by retired Postal Board Member Shri Kamalesh Chandra,  to examine their wages and service conditions. The final report submitted by the Committee includes certain positive recommendations. As abnormal delay took place in implementing the recommendations of the Report, the entire Gramin Dak Sevaks went on indefinite strike for 16 days in 2018. Finally Govt issued orders, but many recommendations are either modified, diluted or rejected, including payment of arrears from 01-01-2016 as per the formula recommended by the Committee, Children education Allowance, Promotions, etc, etc., We request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to take a lenient view to rederess the grievances of the low-paid Gramin Dak Sevaks which includes regularisation of their services and also implementation of the pending positive recommendations of the Kamalesh Chandra Committee report.

(b)   There are thousands of causal/contract employees and workers engaged in all Central Govt departments and working for years together. They are not paid equal wages and not extended any benefits of regular employees. Even after working for more than ten years continuously, their request for regularisation is not considered favourably. There is no scheme to absorb them in regular service. We request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to consider their case sympathetically so that a scheme will be worked out to regularise all casual/contract workers and extend them all the benefits of regular employees.

5.     Stop Corporatisation/Privatisation of Railways, Defence and Postal Departments. Withdraw the orders for closure/reorganisation of Govt. of India Printing Presses, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Salt Department, Stationery Offices etc.

               The no holds barred big bang reforms unleashed by the Central Government has given rise to an alarming situation in the Central Government  Departments.  The proposed move to Corporatize Railway Production Centres and allowing private passenger trains, Corporatisation of Defence Ordinance Factories, Life Insurance and Parcel Sector of Postal department, closure of Govt. of India Printing Presses, proposed reorganisation of Salt Department, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Stationary Offices etc. has put in danger the very existence of various Central Govt. Departments and also the  job security of lakhs of Central Govt. Employees, Gramin Dak Sevaks and Casual/Contract Workers.  The present fate of the Telecom Department which was corporatized in 2000 into different companies is a bitter lesson for all of us.  We request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to desist from the proposed move to corporatisation, privatisation, closure and reorganisation of Central Govt. departments.

6.    Filling up of seven lakhs vacancies existing in various Central Govt. Departments:

               As per the  7th CPC report (Annexure to Chapter-3) there are 7,47,171 vacancies in the Central Govt. Departments as on 01-01-2014.  More retirements has taken place after 01-01-2014 and now the figure may go upto 8 lakhs. During the period from 2001 to 2008, thousands of posts are abolished in all Departments as per the downsizing orders issued by the Government in 2001.  Only very few posts are filled up after 2014 and most of the Departments are running with 30 to 40% shortage of manpower.  This has resulted in heavy increase in workload on the existing employees and has adversely affected the efficiency of all Central Govt. Departments to a great extent.  We request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to take immediate necessary action for filling up all vacant posts in all departments of Central Government.

7.    Revision of Wages from 01-01-2016 and payment of arrears of pay and Bonus from 2016 onwards to the employees of Autonomous bodies:

                      We regret to inform the Hon’ble Prime Minister ,that due to the stringent conditions imposed by the Finance Ministry, the pay revision from 01-01-2016 and payment of arrears is still pending in most of the Autonomous bodies under Central Government. Further they are denied Bonus from 2015-16 onwards.  We request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to take necessary action to redress the long pending genuine grievances of the Autonomous body employees.

                      There are other issues also which is already submitted to the Cabinet Secretary and the Heads of various Ministries/Departments earlier by us.  We are enclosing herewith a copy of the Charter of Demands containing the important problems faced by the Central Govt. Employees and Pensioners.

                      Concludingly, we once again request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to be sympathetic enough to redress the grievances mentioned in this memorandum and enclosed Charter of Demands.

                      With profound regards,

                                                                                                  Yours faithfully,

                                                                                                     M. Krishnan,

                                                                                               Secretary General,

                                                                                                   Confederation.

                                                                                               Mob: 09447068125

                                                                                 Email: mkrishnan6854@gmail.com

                    10 POINTS CHARTER OF DEMANDS OF CONFEDERATION

1.    Scrap New Contributory Pension scheme (NPS).   Restore Old defined benefit Pension Scheme (OPS) to all employees.  Guarantee 50% of the last pay drawn as Minimum Pension.

2.      Honour assurance given by Group of Ministers (GoM) to NJCA leaders on 30-06-2016.  Increase Minimum Pay and Fitment formula.  Withdraw the proposed move to modify the existing time-tested methodology for calculation of Minimum wage.  Grant HRA arrears from 01-01-2016.  Withdraw “Very Good” bench mark for MACP,  Grant promotional hierarchy and date of effect from 01-01-2006.  Grant Option-I parity recommended by 7th CPC to all Central Govt. Pensioners.  Settle all anomalies arising out of 7th CPC implementation.

3.    Stop corporatization / privatisation of Railways, Defence and Postal Departments.  Withdraw closure orders of Govt. of India Printing Presses.  Stop proposed move to close down Salt Department.  Stop closure of Govt. establishments and outsourcing.

4.      Fill up all six lakhs vacant posts in the Central Government Departments in a time bound manner. Reintroduce Regional Recruitment for Group B & C posts.

5.      (a)  Regularisation of Gramin Dak Sevaks and grant of Civil servant status.  Implement remaining positive recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee report.

          (b)  Regularise all casual and contract workers including those joined on or after 01-09-1993.

6.     Ensure equal pay for equal work for all.  Remove disparity in pay scales between Central Secretariat staff and similarly placed staff working in field units of various departments.

7.  Implement 7th CPC Wage Revision and Pension revision of remaining Autonomous bodies.  Ensure payment of arrears without further delay.  Grant Bonus to Autonomous body employees pending from 2016-17 onwards.

8.  Remove 5% condition imposed on compassionate appointments.  Grant appointment in all eligible cases.

9.     Grant five time bound promotions to all Group B & C employees. Complete Cadre Review in all departments within a time-frame.

10.    (a)   Withdraw the anti-worker wage/labour codes and other anti-worker Labour reforms.  Stop attack on trade union rights.  Ensure prompt functioning of various negotiating forums under the JCM Scheme at all levels.

          (b)    Withdraw the draconian FR 56 (j) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension Rules 1972.