People's Democracy

State Govt Employees to Join Strike

IT has come to be known that, at the call of the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF), about seven million state government employees in various states of the country would join the September 7 all-India strike called for by the central trade union organisations.

It is also expected that employees in the central government services, banking, insurance, telecommunications and other sectors would also join the strike in large numbers.

While endorsing the general demands raised by the central trade union organisations, the AISGEF has also formulated its own specific demands to be pressed for by the strike.

GENERAL

DEMANDS

1) Control the price rise of essential commodities through appropriate corrective and distributive measures like universal PDS and curbs on speculation in commodity market.

2) Concrete proactive measures for linkage of employment protection in the recession stricken sectors with the stimulus package being offered to the concerned entrepreneurs and for augmenting public Investment in infrastructure.

3) Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.

4) Steps for removal of all restrictive provisions based on poverty line in respect of eligibility of coverage of the schemes under the Unorganised Workers Social Security Act 2008. Creation of a National Fund for the Unorganised Sector to provide for a national floor level social security to all unorganised workers including the contract and casual workers in line with the recommendation of National Commission on Enterprises in Unorganised Sector and Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour.

5) Stop to disinvestment of shares of the public sector enterprises to meet the budgetary deficit. Use of their growing reserve and surplus for expansion and modernisation purposes and also for revival of the sick public sector undertakings.

STATE, CENTRAL

EMPLOYEES’ DEMANDS

1) Appointments on the huge number of vacancies in government departments through regular channels.

2) An end to contractisation, privatisation and outsourcing in government functions or services. Regularisation of all the contract, part-time and daily-wage employees.

3) Withdrawal of the PFRDA Bill. No move to do away with social security schemes including the existing defined benefit pension scheme. Coverage pf all those who are under the new pension scheme by the erstwhile defined benefit pension scheme.

4) Guarantee of the Right to strike as a fundamental right of the employees.