NFAEE

GOVERNMENT HANDS OUT I-DAY BONANZA TO ITS STAFF

(Times of India 15.08.2008)

FOR WHOM IT IS BONANZA?

The Union Cabinet on Thursday bettered the recommendations of the sixth pay commission, coming up with a please – all final award. In the process, the UPA coalition managed to placate about 40 lakhs organized government employees who had been vocal about their resentment at the rising inflation and interest rates. The final package marks an increase of 21% over and above what the pay panel had recommended.

The above paragraph is quoted from the article appeared in the Times of India on 15th August 2008 – 62nd Independence Day of our country. What is the fact?

After a wait of nearly five months, the government has finally taken a decision to implement the 6 CPC recommendations with some minor modifications. What the modification the Government done on Justice Sreekrishna’s report.

The fitment in the pay bands has been modified by replacing the multiple factor 1.74 which was recommended by the Pay commission as 1.86. The fact was that as on 1.1.2006 the employees were drawing DA at 86%. The 6 CPC did not consider the DP factor and denied the benefit of 12%, an element that is already part of the pay. This 12% that was snatched away has now been restored. This is not a bonanza; it is not at all an additional increase. It is only restoration of what is due to the employees.

The minimum basic pay for a government servant has been increased to Rs 7000 from Rs 6660/-. The claim by the Government is nothing but to misguide, not only the employees but the whole nation. The fact is that the entry level in the government service at Group D (the minimum wage) is Rs 6050/- after the cabinet decision. Rs 7000/- is the entry level for Group C. After applying the multiplying factor of 1.86 (2750x1.86 =5115 rounded nearest in tens= 5120+1800 (Grade pay) =6920, brought it into Rs 7000/-

None of the demands raised by the staff side to improve the minimum pay recommended by the Pay commission has been accepted by the Government. It has neither been considered the Need Based Minimum Wage as per the 15th ILC formula nor the National Net Product formula of 5th Central Pay Commission by which the minimum pay cannot be below Rs 7400/- correspond to Rs 2550/-.

All earlier Pay Commissions have applied uniform multiple factor for pay fixation for all section of employees. For example the multiple factor for the fixation of pay by 5th CPC was 3.2 across the board. Thus the percentage in increase in pay was also in uniform. But by accepting the recommendations of Sixth CPC the Manmohan government increased the pay at the entry level from Rs 4750 to Rs 6050 (A meager of Rs 1300/-) where as the pay of the Secretary from Rs 26000 to Rs 80000 (an increase of Rs 54000) and that of Cabinet Secretary from Rs 30000 to Rs 90000/- (an increase of Rs 60000). At the entry level the increase is just 27% where as the increase for Secretary, it is 207% and for Cabinet Secretary it is 200%. For other top bureaucrats and senior scientists also the increase is about 200% or more. At the same time the Government has not considered to extent a uniform hike of 40% to the non gazetted employees in Group D, C, B and even in Group A.

The Government has agreed to raise the rate of increment as 3% instead of 2.5% of the basic pay. The request to re install the CCA and other benefits also was not considered by the Government, it seems from the press communiqué issued by the Government.

At the same time the Government has given more attention to the demands raised by the IPS, IFS, senior scientists and other senior officials in civilian and that of Military Force and upgraded the pay structure of those section.

From the communiqué issued by the Press Information Bureau it is clear that the DAE, DOS & DRDO too pleaded to extend more benefit to the scientific community only. The Government agreed to place the Scientists E & F into the Pay Band 4 instead of PB 3 by which the initial pay of a Scientist F (SF) is getting a jump from Rs 32,490/pm (recommended by Sixth CPC) to Rs 48200/pm. (an increase of Rs 15710/pm). Further the Government agreed to continue to grant special pay of Rs 2000/pm to Scientist G (SG) on promotion and doubling the amount to Rs 4000/pm. Already the update allowance has been enhanced from Rs 5000/pa to Rs 30000/pa for Scientific Officers. If considered these increases pay hike for senior scientists shall be more than 300%.

We are not against the hike extended to the scientific community. But the same approach the Department should be extended to other non scientific communities of the Department. But those who prepared the reports and recommendations were busy to canvas there on pay and perks and were not bothered for their subordinates.

Thus the Government or the Department has not done any thing to correct the wide disparity in wages amongst the employees and officers. On the contrary the disparity is widened in certain cases.

From the above it crystal clear that for whom the Government decision on Pay Commission is Bonanza. By any standards the decision to accept the recommendations of Sixth CPC with minor modifications are not at all a Bonanza to the Non gazetted central Government employees but only a deception and denial of justice.

Under such circumstances, the employees have to vehemently agitate and struggle for justice. Let us not confused with the announcement of the Government on Pay Commission Report and let us concentrate to mobilize the employees against the Governments decision which is discriminatory in nature.

We got the opportunity to show our strength by participating in the Nation Wide Strike on 20th August 2008. The strike is not only for pay commission related issues, but for protecting our Pension and other rights which are now increasingly under the treat of privatization.

Only a successful strike of the employees in general and DAE employees in particular would protect our rights. The battle cannot be won without forging unity with the entire work force of the Department along with the employees of other sector.

TIME IS SHORT………
BE UNITED & GET ORGANISED ………
PREPARE FOR FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE……….
MAKE THE 20TH AUGUST STRIKE A TOTAL SUCCESS……….
GIVE A BEFITTING REPLY TO THE GOVERNMENT & DAE
FOR DISHONESTY & FRAUD ON NON GAZETTED EMPLOYEES………

NFAEE ZINDABAD
CONFEDERATION OF CG EMPLOYEES & WORKERS ZINDABAD
WORKING CLASS UNITY ZINDABAD