All
India General strike on September 2, 2015.
This
National Convention of Workers consisting of BMS INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC,
TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC. LPF and All lndia Federations of Banks, Insurance,
Defence, Railways, Central/State Govt. Employees and other Service
Establishments held on 26th May 2015 under the banner of joint
platform of all the Central Trade Unions of the country along with independent
national federations of all sectors and
service establishments expressed deep concern over anti worker, anti-people and
pro-corporate actions of the present Government at the Centre in pursuance of
the policy of globalisation.
The
government aim in aggressively pushing through sweeping changes in labour laws
is nothing but to push out overwhelming majority of workers out of the coverage
of all labour laws and to drastically curb the trade union rights. During this
period the government has been over-busy in amending all labour laws to empower
employers with unfettered rights to 'hire and fire' and stripping the workers
and trade unions of all their rights and benefits besides aggressively pushing
through almost unlimited FDI
in strategic sectors like railways, defence and financial sector.
Unions
have been opposing certain proposed labour law amendments which allows hire and
fire, makes it tougher to make labour unions and diluting existing social
security not available to the workers at different fora. Under the proposed
Industrial Relations Code Bill 2015, the employers with up to 300 workers would
not require government permission for retrenchment, layoff and closure.
The
Convention also expressed dismay over the Govt’s total inaction in implementing
the consensus recommendations of 43rd, 44th and 45th Indian Labour Conferences
on formulation of minimum wages, same wage and benefits as regular workers for
the contract workers and granting status of workers with attendant benefits to
those employed in various central govt schemes. On the contrary, the Govt
drastically curtailed budget allocations to all those centrally sponsored
schemes meant for poor peoples’ welfare.
The
Convention supported the decision of the constituents of JCM of Central Govt.
employees to go for indefinite strike from 23rd November, 2015 and will decide
at appropriate stage, the form of solidarity action to be taken. The National
Convention called upon the trade unions
and working people irrespective of affiliations to unite and make the
countrywide General Strike on 2nd
September a massive success.
Issue of minimum wage: The 15th ILC had,
in 1957, provided a formula for calculating minimum wages and the 44th ILC had
endorsed it. But the government, instead of accepting the formula, hit upon a
floor-level wage of Rs.160 per day, which is much less than the demand of the
trade unions that Rs.15,000 should be the minimum/floor-level wage. Our demand
before the 7th Central Pay Commission is Rs.26000. Then only the
cascading pay hike to officers is our minimum expectation. When Government
itself is for the minimum wage of Rs.4800/ for unorganised workers then how can
Central Government employees expect Rs.26000/ as minimum wage?
The
Central Government employees and officers are being promised bigger pay and
allowances in Fiscal 2016-17 as the Finance Minister stated in February 27th
in the parliament. The 7th Pay commission impact may have to be absorbed
in 2016-17, The Finance Ministry and the 7th Central Pay Commission are
not committing anything, after the above announcement made by the Finance
Minister. It is painful to note that so many rumours have been floated by the
various interests. But our struggle only brings good results.
Payment of Bonus Act: There was no
consensus on the amendments to the Payment of Bonus Act, where the trade unions
held the position that all ceilings under the Act, the eligibility ceiling, the
calculation ceiling and the maximum per cent of bonus payable, needed to be
removed while employer representatives did not agree to this, arguing that this
would lead to a spurt in industrial relations issues. According to them, while
making changes to the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, the productivity of workers
and paying capacity of the employers should be taken into account. They were
not even in favour of the indexation of cost of living for the purpose of
fixing the ceiling and calculation of bonus.
Wrong Policies of Present Government: Some of the wrong policies of the present Government are:
A. not implementing the recommendations of the 43rd,
44th and 45th ILCs; reforming labour laws for the convenience of employers;
unilateral enactment of the Apprenticeship Act and other laws;
B. allowing the Rajasthan government to effect changes
unilaterally in the Factories Act and other labour laws which motivated other
States like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana to follow the same line;
removal of inspectors and allowing self-certification, which was a gross
violation of the ILO’s conventions; not ratifying four conventions of the ILO;
C. not accepting the 12-point charter of demands of the
trade unions;
D. not fixing Rs.15,000 as the minimum wage or floor
wages; imposing changes in social security laws; and allowing the Finance
Ministry to change the provisions of some labour laws.
Grievance redressal mechanism for Gazetted
Officers. The
Gazetted Officers of Central Government have been insisting upon a suitable
mechanism to redress their grievance in order to resolve the issues with the Government.
But present situation is that the Government itself engaged to derail the
existing mechanism available to workers and employees in favour of corporate
and employers in the name of attracting investments and facilitating congenial
environment to industrialists.
CHARTER OF DEMANDS:
1. Urgent measures
for containing price-rise through universalisation of public distribution
system and banning speculative trade in commodity market.
2. (a) Containing
unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation. (b) No ban on
creation of new posts. Fill up all vacant posts.
3. (a) Strict
enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and
stringent punitive measure for violation of labour laws. Withdraw the
anti-worker Labour Law (b) No labour
reforms which are inimical to the interest of the workers.
4. (a) Universal
social security cover for all workers. (b) Scrap PFRDA Act and re-introduce the
defined benefit statutory pension scheme.
5. (a) Fix minium
wage with provisions of indexation. (b) Effect wage revision of the Central
Government Employees from 01.01.2014 accepting memorandum of the staff side
JCM; ensure 5-year wage revision in future; grant interim relief and merger of 100% of DA; Include Gramin Dak
Sevaks within the ambit of 7th CPC. Settle all anomalies of the 6th
Central Pay Commission.
6. (a) Stoppage of
disinvestment in Central/State PSUs. Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent
perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as
regular workers for same and similar work. (b) No outsourcing,
contractorisation, privatization of governmental functions; withdraw the
proposed move to close down the printing presses, the publications, form stores
and stationery departments and medical stores Depots; regularize the existing
daily-rated/casual and contract workers and absorption of trained apprentices.
7. Removal of all
ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum
of gratuity.
8. (a) Compulsory
registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of
submitting applications; and immediate ratification of ILO Convention C 87 and
C 98. (b) Revive the JCM functioning at all level as an effective negotiating
forum for settlement of the demands of the Central Government Employees.
9. (a) Against FDI
in Railways, Insurance and Defense.(b) No Privatisation, PPP or FDI in
Railways, Defense Establishment and no corporatization of postal Services
10. Remove
arbitrary ceiling on compassionate appointment.
11. Ensure five
promotions in the service career.
Dear Friends,
The
main attacks are that the non-implementation of the consensus recommendations
of the agreements arrived at previous Indian Labour Conferences, notably the
43rd, 44th and 45th. The first item on the agenda of the current ILC concerned
the implementation of the conclusions/recommendations of the last three ILCs,
particularly on contract labour, minimum wages, scheme workers and tripartite
mechanism. The 7th Central Pay Commission report as promised for 28th
August this year would be further delayed by one month. Now let us put pressure
on the 7th Central Pay Commission and the Government of India to accept our justified demand’s of Central Government Employees such as
minimum wage of Rs 26,000/- with effect from Jan 2014, fitment formula of 3.72 , five promotion scheme , date of effect of
the 7th CPC from 1/1/2014 etc. if the 2nd September 2015 strike by the Central
Government Employees is a success, then we can get more
financial benefits from the 7th Central Pay Commission and the Government of
India apart from other important issues of unwanted labour reforms will be solved.
The entire working
people including Central Government and financial sector employees are going on
strike on 2nd September to protest against the policies of Government which is
making common people’s life miserable. We being very conscientious section of
the working people it is our bounden duty and responsibility to be with
striking employees.
The confederation
endorses/supports the strike call given by central trade unions, All lndia
Federations of Banks, Insurance, Defence, Railways, Central/State Govt.
Employees, other Service Establishments and calls upon its affiliates to
actively involve with the striking Employees. The extent of participation in
strike and observance of solidarity action will be decided based on local
conditions.
Yours Fraternally,
S.Mohan
Secretary General
PAID LEAVE FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT VICTIMS
ReplyDelete(MIN OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS)
Instructions have been issued by this Department vide Office Memorandum dated 27.11.2014 regarding Alignment of Service Rules with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013. As per para 6 of the said Office Memorandum, the Complaint Committee will have the powers to recommend to the employer (a) to transfer the aggrieved woman or the charged officer to any other workplace; or (b) to grant leave to the aggrieved woman up to a period of three months, which will be in addition to the leave she would be otherwise entitled to.
As per Section 9 of Chapter IV of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, any aggrieved woman may make, in writing, a complaint of sexual harassment at workplace to the Internal Committee within a period of three months from the date of incident and in case of a series of incidents, within a period of three months from the date of last incident.
The Committee may, for the reasons to be recorded in writing, extend the time limit not exceeding three months, if it is satisfied that the circumstances were such which prevented the woman from filing a complaint within the said period.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri P.Nagarajan and Shri B. Vinod Kumar in the Lok Sabha today.