Massive Demonstration cum Dharna – NJCA Meeting

NJCA
National Joint Council Of Action
4, State Entry Road, New Delhi- 110055

No.NJC/2019/7th CPC

February 9, 2019

To
All Constituents of NJCA

Dear Comrades,

A delegation of the National JCA consisting of Com. M. Raghaviah, Com. Shiva Gopal Mishra, Com. Guman Singh, Com. K.K.N. Kutty, Com. Ashok Singh, Com. L.N. Pathak, and Com. R.N. Parasar met the honourable Home Minister on 8th February, 2019 at 9.30 Am. The delegation conveyed to the honourable Home Minister, the discontent and anger of the central Government employees over the dishonouring the assurance held out by the group of minister headed by him on 30th June, 2016 in the matter of the upward revision of the minimum wage and fitment formula. They pointed out the honourable home minister that on all previous occasions, the Government had revised the minimum wage recommended by the respective pay Commission after negotiation with the Staff Side JCM.

The growing concern of the Central and state Government employees manifested in large scale mobilisation of the newly recruited employees over the new contributory Pension scheme was also brought to his notice. The employees and officers who are recruited in Central Government service after 1.01.2004 are extremely agitated over the meagre amount of annuity they are entitled to receive even after paying huge amount of subscription to the scheme devoid of cost indexation. Family pension protection etc. The delegation also brought to the notice of the honourable Minister that the number of employees and officers who are presently covered by the new scheme has crossed over 50% of the total strength and the demand for bringing back the old Pension scheme has gained momentum. It unfortunate that the Government did not heed even to the modest suggestion made by the Staff Side before the pension committee to the effect to guarantee a minimum amount of annuity to those who are covered under the new scheme.

The delegation also stated that they are constrained to belive of a concerted effort on the part of the Government to kill the negotiating forum JCM as repeated pleading made to revive the joint consultative Machinery has not been responded. They pointed out that the National Council of the JCM met about 9 years back and the meetings of the Standing committee and national Anomaly Committee has been few and far between. Since no meetings are convened at the apex level, the departmental Councils had also become defunct, they added. In other words, they said that there has been virtually no interaction worth the name between the Government and the employees organisation, which has proliferated the litigation and in most of the cases, the Government has lost out in the Courts. They also pointed out that the official side had been taking extremely nugatory attitude and had not been acting upon even on the verdicts of the Supreme Court.

The Honourable Home Minister gave a patient hearing and recalled the interaction he had with the Staff side earlier, when an assurance to revisit the quantum of minimum wage and fitment formula had been held out. He assured the delegation that he would cause a discussion of the matter with the Honourable Prime Minister.

The National JCA met later at the Staff side office when Com. M.S. Raja and Com. Giriraj Singh joined the meeting. The issues were discussed at length, especially taking into account the ensuing general Election in the country. The meeting finally decided to organise the following programme of actions.

13th March 2019

A massive demonstration cum dharna will be organised under the auspices of the National JCA to highlight and focus the demand for the withdrawal of the new Pension scheme and restoration of the old Pension scheme for Central Government employees. The National JCA will simultaneously write to all Political parties to make their stand clear on the issue of the New Pension scheme in their respective manifesto. The National JCA will spcarhead a campaign amount the employees for the acceptances of the demand by the political parties. The dharna will be at jantar Mantar and the same will be participated by the employees working in and around Delhi besides the NJCA leaders. On the same day, similar dharna and demonstrations will be held in front of all Central Government offices throughout the country. The employees will also be requested to wear black badges projecting the demand for the withdrawal of the NPS.

28th March 2019

A protest day long dharna will be organised at Jantar Mantar on 28.03.2019, in which all the National council members will take part. A huge demonstration will also be organised on the same day in front of the dharna venue in which the employees working in and around Delhi will take part. The dharna will highlight the need to revive the JCM forum and thus constant and continuous inter action between the Government and the employees. It will also focus the intolerable attitude of the official side even in issuing orders, where the supreme Court has given the verdict in favour of the employees. The Cabinet Secretary will be informed of this decision well in advance.

Copy of the letter addressed to the Cabinet Secretary is enclosed. All participating organisations are requested to make the programme a grand success. The NJCA will meet again on 28.03.2019 to discuss of the future course of action to be mounted in the days to come.

With greetings,

Yours faithfully,

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
-Convener

Source: Confederation