People's Democracy

Central Govt Employees and Workers

Hold a March to Parliament

MORE than 20,000 central government employees participated in the ‘March to Parliament’ programme organised by the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers on July 26, 2012.  Every state in the country and organisation in every department of government of India took part in this programme. 

The major demands of the employees and workers included in the 14-point charter of demands include (a) setting up of Seventh Central Pay Commission for wage revision with effect from 1.1.2011; (b) merger of DA with pay; (c) withdrawal of PFRDA Bill; (d) revival of the negotiating forum JCM at all levels; (e) stopping privatisation, downsizing etc; (f) regularisation of casual workers; (g) grant of five promotions in the career as is given to the officers etc.

The rally was addressed by CPI(M) leader in Lok Sabha, Basudeb Acharya and CITU general secretary and MP, Tapan Sen and other leaders of CITU. Fraternal leaders of AITUC,  BMS and INTUC also addressed the gathering.

K K N Kutty, secretary general of the Confederation said that a detailed memorandum on the charter of demands  has been submitted to the prime minister and the central government employees expect him to consider and settle the issues within a reasonable time frame. In the memorandum the Confederation sought the prime minister’s intervention in finding a settlement of these issues.

The memorandum flags the following issues. The employees and workers in all departments of the government of India are distressed over the total breakdown of the negotiating machinery i.e. JCM. The Council meetings are not being held in any ministry other than Railways, Defence and to a limited extent in the Postal and Atomic Energy departments. There is no channel of communication that exist between the employees and the heads of departments with the result that none of their grievances are attended to or addressed.  This apart, in quite a number of departments, the Associations/Federations have not been granted recognition inspite of fulfilling all the conditions stipulated under the CCS (RSA) Rules, 1993 with the result even bilateral discussions at the level of heads of offices have been dispensed with.

To ensure an expeditious consideration of the issues by the government, the Confederation  has called upon the employees to organise state/district level conventions, demonstrations, rallies, dharnas etc. in the coming three months.  If no satisfactory settlement is brought about within the next three months on the charter, the Confederation has decided to organise a one-day nationwide strike on December 12, 2012, announced Kutty.

Among others who addressed the gathering included S K Vyas, president of the  Confederation, K Raghavendran, working president, M  Krishnan, secretary general of National Federation of Postal Employees, K P Rajagopal, secretary general of Income Tax Employees Federation, M S Raja, secretary general of All India Audit and Accounts Association, Brighu Bhattacharya, secretary general of All India Civil Accounts Employees Association and others. The March to Parliament concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Giriraj Singh, president of Delhi state committee of the Confederation.

(INN)