People's Democracy

  Govt Employees’ National Convention

Against Pension Reforms In July

THE Confederation of Central Government Employees and the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF) have called upon the central and state government employees and teachers and all other allied employees and workers covered by the statutory pension scheme to organise a countrywide strike to resist the government’s attempt to privatise pension.

The two organisations gave this call after a joint meeting held in New Delhi on May 17. In a statement issued on the same day, S K Vyas, secretary general of the confederation and Sukomal Sen, general secretary of the AISGEF stated that the meeting also decided to hold a national convention on this issue at New Delhi on July 11, 2005 to have wider consultations and finally decide upon the date of the strike action.

They pointed out that the government has already referred the anti-worker Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill to the standing committee of finance for its early recommendations.

“Both the organisations are deeply concerned over the fact that the bill has been designed under the dictates of the IMF and World Bank to snatch away the entire pension system from the government employees and to garner funds for transnational corporations and indigenous capitalists by deducting a part of the salary of the employees and its investment in the share market by these companies”, the statement noted.

Regarding the issue of right to strike, the meeting expressed anguish over the reluctant attitude of the central government to legislate on protecting the right as evident from the letter of the labour minister to Lok Sabha speaker and other members of parliament who had raised the issue before the government. In fact, the letter totally negated the rationale of the right to strike. 

The meeting also noted with deep concern that while on a rough estimate at least 14 lakh vacancies were existing in the central and state government departments, the governments were abolishing many of the posts. This at a time when several crores of youth were languishing without any hope for employment in the near future. The two organisations demanded that all these vacant posts should be filled forthwith as this would help the administration to render better service to the people and would also provide employment to the jobless in consonance with the fair principle of the right to work.

The meeting criticised the lack of action by the government despite repeated demands for restoring the rate of interest on GPF and small savings scheme to its earlier level. This inaction was forcing economic deprivation on the employees and poor sections of the people.  Moreover, the meeting noted with utter surprise the government’s resolve to abolish the central and state administrative tribunals, which have proved to be helpful to the employees in redressing their grievances.

In the backdrop of all these issues, the meeting decided to hold a national convention to chalk out programme of action and decide the date of countrywide strike against privatisation of pension. The strike would also be for the right to strike, against downsizing, retrenchment, privatisation etc, for filling up of existing vacancies in government departments and to ensure right to work for the jobless, for raising the GPF and small savings interest rate and against winding up the administrative tribunals.

The meeting has called upon the central and state employees organisations in various states, including the teachers bodies to organise joint campaigns on these issues through holding of conventions, group meetings, bringing out pamphlets etc. This campaign would prepare the mass of the employees for bigger industrial action of strike. The meeting also decided to appeal to the Railwaymens unions, to the workers unions, the defence civilian organisations, BSNL and MTNL unions to join the convention and take part in the programmes of action chalked out by the convention. The meeting also decided to appeal to the central trade unions to lend active support to the campaign and action programme. (INN)