NCCPA Latest Circular - Important!

NCCPA Latest Circular - Important!

NCCPA CIRCULAR - NJCA CIRCULAR - NJCA PRESS STATEMENT - CHARTER OF DEMANDS OF NJCA 

NCCPA

NATIONAL COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION  
13-C, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi -110001

                                                                                                                 Ph:- 9868244035

Website: www.nccpahq.blogspot.in

E-Mail: nccpahq@gmail.com

Dated: 5^th June, 2016.

Dear Comrades,

Ever since the 7^th CPC was set up, the JCM Staff Side had been striving to make a united common approach on all issues/demands of the Central Government employees before the Commission.  Having failed to elicit a  favourable response from the then Government on the question of grant of IR and DA merger, the National JCA came into being to spearhead the agitational programmes.  The Staff Side JCM could unite almost all organisations, especially those who were participating in the JCM.  They could make a memorandum, after detailed deliberations with all stake holders, which was accepted and endorsed by large number of Federations barring a few.  It is a fact, evidenced from the report itself, that the Staff Side memorandum could become the central document of consideration and discussion by the 7^thCPC.

In the matter of retirement benefits, the Staff Side authorised Late Com. S.K. Vyas to cause inter action with all Pensioners’ Associations and formulate a common view. Late Com. Vyas accomplished the task admirably well and the document he presented was deliberated upon by the Staff Side thoroughly and with certain minor modification was incorporated in the main memorandum itself.  Elaborate discussions with the Commission as a follow-up measure on issues both pertaining to the working employees and retired personnel were held  by the Staff Side JCM. 

The final recommendations of the 7^th CPC was far below the expectation and the Staff Side rightly came to the conclusion that the last minute intervention of the newly elected Central Government had a big role in effecting reversal of the pronounced stand of the 7^th CPC on various issues. The Commission’s report is beset with very many dissenting note, which  is indicative of the state of affairs in the Commission’s functioning.  It became clear that unless sanctions are generated, no satisfactory settlement on even core issues could be brought about. The National JCA acted swiftly and apart from organising various programmes of actions,  It submitted a charter of demands consisting 26 issues for effecting improvement in the recommendations of the Commission by the Government. The charter was the  product of the wide ranging discussions the staff side  held with various organisations of the working employees and the retired personnel. The said charter was then  subjected to discussion with the empowered committee set up by the Government under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary on 1.3.2016.

There had been no response from the Government after the said meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for nearly two months.  On 24^th the Convenor sought and obtained a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary in which the undersigned also took part.  The Cabinet Secretary was candid enough to inform the delegation that except a slight increase in the minimum wage, no other issues are likely to be modified.  He also informed the delegation that the Option No. 1 provided for as an alternative in the pension fitment formula, which many pensioners felt was a very positive recommendation, might not be accepted by the Government on the plea of the non availability of the relevant records and the consequent infeasibility and impracticability of implementation of the recommendation.  On his advice, the Staff Side met the Secretary Pension on 3^rd May, 2016.  The meeting was attended by the representatives of various Ministries.  Almost every one of them expressed the probable difficulties that would be encountered in the implementation of Option No. 1. due to the possible non-availability of the relevant records.  They also pleaded that quite a number of anomalies might arise if the recommendations were to be acted upon.  The official side also stated that some of the Pensioners organisations had written to them expressing the fear and anxiety over the anomalies that might arise on implementation of the recommendation of the Commission.  The following were those organisations who had made representation of the Pension department.

A.      The Railway Senior Citizen Association, Chandigarh.

B.      The Karnataka Post and Telecommunication Pensioners Association, Bangalore.

C.      Bharath Pensioners Samaj. New Delhi.

D.      Atomic Energy Retirees Welfare Association, Mumbai.

E.       One Shri S.N. Gupta.

The thrust of the argument of the official side was that the implementation of the decision requires the records for verification and under the extant instruction on the retention of records, such verification might not be possible. 

                On behalf of the Staff Side, the following submissions were made.

(i)                  It would be unfortunate and unethical if the Government rejects a recommendation on the ground of lack of records for verification.

(ii)                In every pay fixation formula evolved by the successive Pay Commissions, certain anomalies  had  arisen and the matter had been subsequently discussed at length and attempts made to resolve those anomalies.  For fear of anomaly,  never in the past a decision has been taken to reject the recommendation of the Pay commission.

(iii)               Even in the matter of pay fixation of the working  employees, anomalies might arise but that cannot give rise to the decision not to have any fitment formula at all.

(iv)              The Staff Side is prepared to consider any well thought out alternative without compromising the benefit the pensioners might get on implementation of the 7^th CPC recommendation, if it is advanced by the official side.  However, virtual negation of the recommendation is not acceptable to them.

(v)                ‘The Staff side may be provided with the copies of the representations received by the Pension departments from various pensioners’ organisations to enable it to study and suggest the ways and means to address the issue.

(vi)              The staff side added that Option No.1 is an alternative and the Commission has suggested that the revision initially must be on the basis of the second formulation i.e. application of the multiplication factor.  It is only in the case of those pensioners, who might be benefited by resorting to Option No.1. representation  will be received and  they will naturally  submit the  documents required for the purpose of verification.  The leftover would be small in number and can be addressed as to what course to be adopted later after discussions.

(vii)             The official side stated that in none of the representation received by them any alternative has been put forth. 

You will recall that the Option No.1. suggested by the 7^th CPC is the only positive recommendation and all other demands raised by the Pensioners Organisations jointly and the Staff Side JCM have been rejected by the Commission.   The Commission has not even suggested for a small rise in the FMA.  The insurance coverage suggested by them is vague and no suggestion to address the specific problems faced by the Government during their attempt to implement the earlier recommendation of the 6^th CPC  was made.  If the Government decides to reject the one and only positive recommendation of the 7^th CPC, the pensioners especially those retired prior to 2006 will stand bereft of any benefit.  This must also be looked into in the background of the Government accepting the demand of armed forces personnel for one rank one pension scheme.

It is in this background that the NJCA met on 3^rd June, 2016 evening.  We enclose herewith the copy of the communication issued by the convenor, Com. Shiv Gopal Mishra  conveying the decisions taken at the meeting.  You will see therefrom that the working employees would be serving the strike notice on 9^th June, 2016 by holding massive demonstration in front of all offices.  We appeal to our constituents to advise their units and branches and members to ensure that the Pensioners join in that demonstration at the respective work places.   The National JCA has also decided to organise a massive march to Parliament on 24^th June, 2016 at Delhi.  The Constituents must advise the pensioner comrades who are staying at Delhi and nearby places to join that rally on 24^th .   The NCCPA National Sectt. is scheduled to meet on 27^th June, 2016 at Delhi (AIRF librbary).  The SCOVA meeting is also scheduled to take place on that very date.  Therefore, the meeting will be scheduled for 3.30 PM on 27^th June, 2016 so that some of the comrades who are required to attend the SCOVA meeting will also be able to make their presence in the NCCPA meeting.  Further Course of action will be decided in the National Sectt. meeting.

                With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

K.K.N. Kutty,

Secretary General.

Copy of NJCA Circular letter dated 4^th June, 2016.