EDITORIAL - POSTAL CRUSADER - DECEMBER 2013

7th CPC – NO COMPROMISE ON TERMS OF REFERENCE

GET READY FOR STRIKE IF GOVERNMENT REJECTS DA MERGER,

GDS INCLUSION & INTERIM RELIEF

Eventhough Government has announced constitution of 7th Central Pay Commission, the appointment is yet to take place. In the meanwhile one round of discussion was held with Secretary, DOP&T on terms of reference. Subsequently, the staff side, JCM National Council has submitted a unanimous proposal on the items to be included in the terms of reference of the 7th CPC, which includes (i) date of effect as 01.01.2014 (2) merger of DA with pay (3) grant of interim relief (4) inclusion of GDS under the ambit of 7th CPC (5) statutory pension for those entered into service on or after 01.01.2004 (6) settlement of anomalies of 6th CPC (7) cashless/hassle-free medicare facilities etc.

Government while announcing the 7th CPC has made it clear that the date of effect will be 01.01.2016. Further nothing has been mentioned about DA merger and interim relief. Regarding GDS the declared stand of the Government is that GDS are not civil servants and in the past also every time when CPC is appointed, the Government refused to include them in the Pay commission. Last time also inspite of the strong protest and agitational programmes conducted by NFPE and Postal JCA, the Government has appointed a bureaucratic committee. Regarding statutory pension to those who entered into service on or after 01.01.2004, the Government’s stand is well known and it may refuse to include this item also in the terms of reference.

This being the position, our past experience shows that unless and until the demands raised in the staff side proposal submitted to Government on terms of reference of the CPC is backed by serious agitational programmes, rallying the entire Central Government Employees and create compulsion on the Government to accept our justified stand, there is every possibility of Government rejecting the above proposal.

Further all of us are aware that the political situation in the country is gradually getting in election mode. This is bringing forth before the working class movement a crucial task of front-loading our class issues in the ensuring political battle. We have to keep in mind that the corporate class and corporate controlled media has started making effort for relegating the working class issues and the economic policy related issues in particular to the background. It is our duty to bring the demands of the working class to the fore-front and conduct intensive campaign against those policies and also against those who are supporting the neo-liberal globalization policies. Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers and NFPE being the part and parcel of the mainstream of the working class of our country has got an added responsibility to rally the entire Central Government Employees in the struggle against the anti-people and anti-worker policies of the Government which shall ultimately lead to a change in the political equation ensuring implementation of pro-people, pro-worker alternative policy.

It is in this back the National Secretariat of the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers met at new Delhi on 28.11.2013 has decided to go for strike if the Government refuse to accept the staff side proposal on terms of reference. Confederation further decided to organize series of phased programme of action and campaign from now onwards so that the employees will be ready to go for strike on short notice.

NFPE call upon all the Postal, RMS and GDS employees to implement the call of the Confederation at all levels and be prepared to go for strike at any time, if situation warrants. We further make it clear that NFPE and Confederation will not go for any compromise on the demands raised in the proposal submitted by the JCM Staff side on terms of reference of 7th CPC.