Upgraded Group ‘D’ posts in scale Rs 3050-4590 in Diesel/Electric Loco/EMU Sheds-reg.

NFIR

National Federation of Indian Railwaymen

3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEW DELHI -110055

Affiliated to:

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)

No. I/8/CRC/09/Vol .9 

Dated: 03/03/2014

The Secretary (E),

Railway Board

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

Sub; Upgraded Group ‘D’ posts in scale Rs 3050-4590 in Diesel/Electric Loco/EMU Sheds-reg.

Ref: (i) NFIR’s letter No. 118/CRC/09/Vol. 9 dated 21/11/2013.

(ii) Railway Board’s letter No. PC-III/2004/DC-JCMJ/11 dated 17/02/2014.

With reference to Railway Board’s reply vide letter dated 17/02/2014 NFIR once again desires to convey facts of the case as below for review:-

(i) Vide para (i) of the Board’s letter, it has been stated that the Railway Board vide its letter dated 28/09/1998, had specifically mentioned that there will be no consequent increase in the number of posts in the grades higher than Rs 3050-4590. NFIR is aware of this ‘rider” imposed by the Railway Board in the year 1998. However, on nine Zonal Railways, these posts were taken as part of cadre strength and granted cadre restructuring w.e.f. 1/11/2003 in diesel/electric Loco/EMU Sheds. Thus it become fate-accompli

(ii) When the Railway Board issued instructions to withdraw the benefit, Federations strongly had protested against such step, consequently the Zonal Railways have not reviewed wherever already implemented to avoid staff agitation.

(iii) Consequent to the implementation of 6th CPC pay structure (Grade Pay & Pay Band) w.e.f. 01/01/2006 the minimum educational qualification for entry into GP Rs 1800/- has been revised as matriculation or above. Whereas in the year 1998, the entry qualification in Diesel/Elec. Loco. EMU Sheds was reduced to 8th standard for Group D’ while placing 50% posts in pay scale Rs 3050-4590 to be filled by those staff who possessed Metric/Act Apprenticeship/ITI. From these facts, it could be seen that entry qualification for Group ‘D’ posts prior to September 1998 in Diesel/Electric Loco, EMU Sheds was Metric/ITI/Act Apprenticeship. Having allowed cadre restructuring from 01/11/2003 duly taking upgraded Helper posts into consideration and having granted benefit of restructuring/promotion with effect from November, 2003, it would be improper to quote Board’s letter dated 28/09/1998 for denying benefit. Railway Board instead sticking to illogical stand should realistically analyse the issue for rendering justice to the technical staff working in Diesel/Electric Loco/EMU Sheds. It may be noted that these staff belong to sensitive categories.

(iv) Incidentally, NFIR desires to point out that while in all Technical Departments, promotion quota for Technician Grade III has been 50%, surprisingly in of Diesel/Electric Loco/EMU Sheds. the promotion quota was only 20% thus career growth of Helpers was blocked since the past over 15 years.

(v) If the Railway Board is not satisfied with the valid points mentioned above, a meeting with the MM & ML may be arranged at the earliest. It may also be noted that there is atmosphere of agitation among staff of Diesel/Electric Loco/EMU Sheds against Board’s restructuring orders dated 08/10/2013, as on many zones, the staff may not get promotion benefit. NFIR is keen to avoid agitation and dislocation and equally expects the Railway Board to respond for resolving the issue.

Federation therefore requests to review the matter without delay.

Yours faithfully,

Sd/-

(M.Raghavaiah)

General Secretary

Source:http://www.nfirindia.com/Index.aspx

Government of India Published the Gazette Notification for Seventh Central Pay Commission

Ministry Of Finance

(Department of Expenditure)

RESOLUTION

New Delhi, the 28th Febraury,2014

No.1/1/2013-E.III(A)— The Government of India have decided to appoint the Seventh Central Pay Commission comprsing the fallowing

1.Chairman – Justice Shri Ashok kumar Mathur

2.Member – Shri Vivek Rae

3.Member – Dr. Rathin Roy

4.Secretary – Smt. Meena Agarwal

2.The terms of reference of the commission will be as fallows

a) To examine, review, evolve and recommend changes that are desirable and feasible regarding the principles that should govern the emoluments structure including pay, allowances and other facilities/benefits, in cash or kind, having regard to rationalization and simplification therein as well as the specialized needs of various Departments, agencies and services, in respect of the following categories of employees:-

i. Central Government employees-industrial and non-industrial;

ii. Personnel belonging to the All India Services;

iii. Personnel of the Union Territories;

iv. Officers and employees of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department;

v. Members of regulatory bodies (excluding the Reserve Bank of India) set up under Acts of Parliament; and

vi. Officers and employees of the Supreme Court.

b) To examine, review, evolve and recommend changes that are desirable and feasible regarding principles that should govern the emoluments structure, concessions and facilities/benefits, in cash or kind, as well as retirement benefits of personnel belonging to the Defence Forces, having regard to historical and traditional parities, with due emphasis on aspects unique to these personnel.

c) To work out the framework for an emoluments structure linked with the need to attract the most suitable talent to Government service, promote efficiency, accountability and responsibility in the work culture, and foster excellence in the public governance system to respond to complex challenges of modern administration and rapid political, social, economic and technological changes, with due regard to expectations of stakeholders, and to recommend appropriate training and capacity building through a competency based framework.

d) To examine the existing schemes of payment of bonus, keeping in view, among other things, its bearing upon performance and productivity and make recommendations on the general principles, financial parameters and conditions for an appropriate incentive scheme to reward excellence in productivity, performance and integrity.

e) To review the variety of existing allowances presently available to employees in addition to pay and suggest their rationalization and simplification, with a view to ensuring that the pay structure is so designed as to take these into account.

f) To examine the principles which should govern the structure of pension and other retirement benefits, including revision of pension in the case of employees who have retired prior to the date of effect of these recommendations, keeping in view that retirement benefits of all Central Government employees appointed on and after 01.01.2004 are covered by the New Pension Scheme (NPS).

g) To make recommendations on the above, keeping in view:

i. the economic conditions in the country and need for fiscal prudence;

ii. the need to ensure that adequate resources are available for developmental expenditures and welfare measures;

iii. the likely impact of the recommendations on the finances of the State Governments, which usually adopt the recommendations with some modifications;

iv. the prevailing emolument structure and retirement benefits available to employees of Central Public Sector Undertakings; and

v. the best global practices and their adaptability and relevance in Indian conditions.

h) To recommend the date of effect of its recommendations on all the above.

3.The Commission will devise its own procedure and may appoint such advisors, Institutional Consultants and Experts, as it necessary for any particular purpose. It may call for such information and take such evidence, as it may consider necessary. Ministries and Departments of Government of India shall furnish such information and documents and other assistance as may be required by the commission. The government of India trusts the State Governments, Service Associations and other concerned will extend to the Commission their fullest cooperation and assistance

4.The Commission will have Headquarters in Delhi

5.The Commission will make its recommendations within 18 months of the date of its constitution. It may consider, if necessary, sending interim reports on any of the matters as and when the recommendations are finalised.

RATAN P.WATAL, Secy

Source:http://finmin.nic.in/the_ministry/dept_expenditure/notification/misc/Gazette_Notification030314.pdf

GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE MAIN DEMANDS OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVT. EMPLOYEES & WORKERS

      1st Floor, North Avenue PO Building, New Delhi – 110001

      Website: www.confederationhq.blogspot.com

            Email: confederationhq@gmail.com

Circular No. 13

Dated 2.3.2014

GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE MAIN DEMANDS OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

CONFEDERATION NATIONAL SECRETARIAT CALLS UPON THE ENTIRE CG EMPLOYEES TO PROTEST AGAINST THE ARBITRARY AND UNILATERAL DECISION OF THE GOVERNMENT.

HOLD NATION WIDE PROTEST DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF ALL OFFICES AND AT ALL IMPORTANT CENTRES ON 7TH  MARCH 2014 OR AT ANY IMMEDIATE CONVENIENT DATE.

SEND PROTEST SAVINGRAM TO THE PRIME MINISTER.

PREPARE for AN INDEFINITE STRIKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER GENERAL ELECTION DEMANDING , MERGER OF DA , INTERIM RELIEF , INCLUSION OF GDS UNDER 7TH CPC, PARITY IN PENSION, DATE OF EFFECT 1/1/2014, SCRAP NEW PENSION SCHEME, SETTLE ANOMOLIES,INCLUSION OF LABOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE PAY COMMISSION AND OTHER DEMANDS IN THE 15 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDs.

CONDUCT INTENSIVE CAMPAIGN AND MAKE THE 4TH APRIL NAGPUR NATIONAL CONVENTION A GRAND SUCCESS

Dear Comrades,

The Union Cabinet approved the Finance Ministry’s proposal on terms of reference of the 7th CPC.  We have placed the full text of the same on our website.  None of the suggestions made by the Staff Side was accepted by the Government. 

However, our concern over the date of effect seems to have been taken note of.  The terms of reference has left the effective date of its recommendations to be decided by the Commission itself.  A united stand backed up by struggles will enable us to clinch this demand in our favour.  Undoubtedly it has been our endeavours and the two days strike action that has compelled the Government to have a rethinking on their earlier stand of Decennial (Ten years} wage revision for Central Government employees and the date of effect as 1/1/2016

Unlike on the earlier occasion, the Government has not decided to grant Interim Relief and merger of Dearness allowance.  Nor has it asked the Commission to consider and make appropriate recommendation in this regard specifically.  As pointed out in our earlier communication, inclusion of a labour representative in the Commission being not an idea the UPA Government cherishes, for it is diametrically opposite to its economic policies and ideology, they have stuck to the position of sandwiching the Honourable Judge with bureaucrats.  In the light of the agreement penned by Com. Mahadeviah, the General Secretary of the recognised GDS union with the Postal Board to the effect that a separate one man committee will look into the service conditions of the Grameen Dak Sewaks, it is not surprising that the Government chose to ignore our demand to cover them within the ambit of the 7th CPC.   Our demands for parity between the past and present pensioners and scrapping of the new pension scheme also stand rejected. 

As you are aware, the 6th CPC (and the earlier Commissions also) had refused to entertain the demand for removal of anomalies despite Government referring the same to the Commission specifically.  Therefore, the omnibus clause in the terms of reference requiring the Commission to submit interim reports may not be of any help to us to raise the anomalies before the 7th CPC.

At the conclusion of the meeting held on 24/10/2013 by Secretary, DoPT, with the staff side on terms of reference of the 7th CPC, it was agreed that the Government will consider our suggestion in the matter and will convene another meeting with the presence of Secretary (Expenditure) to iron out the differences, if any, and explore the possibilities of an agreement in the matter. But no such meeting was convened and no attempt was made by the official side to arrive at an agreed Terms of Reference.

We must now react to the arbitrary and unilateral decision of the Government.  We appeal all the State Secretaries, District Secretaries and Branch Secretaries of the affiliated organisations and the State/District COCs to immediately send the following Savingram to the Prime Minister.

THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WORKING IN THE    ..........................................(NAME OF THE STATION)/ OFFICE OF...........................CONDEMN THE ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN NOT HONOURING ITS COMMITMENT OF HOLDING DISUCSSION WITH THE STAFF SIDE JCM NATIONAL COUNCIL BEFORE FINALISING THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE 7TH CPC AND DEMAND IMMEIDATE ACCEPTANCE OF :

(i) Interim Relief

(ii) Merger of DA

(iii) Bringing the Grameen Dak Sewaks within the ambit of the 7th CPC

(iv) Date of effect from 1/1/2014

(v) Parity in pension entitlement between the past and present pensioners

(vi) Coverage of the existing defined benefit pension scheme to employees recruited on or after 1.1.2004.

(vii) Include a representative of the Labour in the 7th Central Pay Commission.

(viii) Settle the anomalies raised in the National Anomaly Committee

While the National Convention scheduled to be held at Nagpur will chalk out detailed and phased programmes of action, we call upon our State Committees and Affiliated Unions to organise massive demonstration in front of all offices and important centres on 7th  March, 2014 (Friday) or any other immediate convenient date. Kindly instruct all the Branches to mobilise their members so that the demonstration has the participation of cent per cent of the membership of the concerned branch.  The State Units and affiliated Unions may issue pamphlets and posters and ensure its wide circulation throughout the country.

As already declared by the National Secretariat of the Confederation, we shall have to go for an indefinite strike action immediately after the General Election if our demands are to be settled.

With Greetings,

Yours fraternally,

M. KRISHNAN.

Secretary General.

Source : http://confederationhq.blogspot.in/