press release

National Federation of Atomic Energy Employees
NFAEE
Regn.No.17/9615
Recognised by DAE vide DAE OM No. 8/1/2007 – IR&W/95 dated 13th June 2007
JCM Office, Brindavan, Anusaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094
Website: www.nfaeehq.blogspot.com
Email address: nfaee@yahoo.com

PRESS RELEASE

ATOMIC ENERGY EMPLOYEES WILL STRIKE INDEFITELY FROM 19TH JANUARY 2009 AGAINST THE DISCRIMINATORY APPROACH OF THE DEPARTMENT ON PAY

As decided in the meeting of the Working Committee of National Federation of Atomic Energy Employees (NFAEE) held on 19th December 2008 at Mumbai, NFAEE and its affiliates issued Notice on 5th January 2009 to start INDEFINITE STRIKE in all DAE units from 19th January 2009 against the discriminatory attitude of the Department on finalizing their pay, allowances and other facilities. Apart from the Federation served notice to the Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the unions and associations of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre – BARC- (Mumbai, Tarapur, Kalpakkam)), Indira Gandhi Centre for Research – IGCAR - (Kalpakkam), Centre for Advanced Technology – CAT - (Indore), Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre – VECC - (Kolkotta), Industrial units such as Nuclear Fuel Complex – NFC - (Hyderabad), Heavy Water Plants – HWPs- (Tutiocrine, Manuguru, Baroda, Kota, Talcher) and other supporting units such as Directorate of Estate Management – DCSEM - (Mumbai), General Service Organisation – GSO - (Kalpakkam), Directorate of Purchase & Stores – DPS - (Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kalpakkam) given notice to the Heads of the concerened units on 5th January 2009.

Thousands of employees working in the various units of Department of Atomic Energy through out the country participated in the agitations conducted in the month of November and December as the Department unilaterally implemented the Pay Structure. As the Department is adamant in their stand and the demand for pay structure is unresolved, call was given by the National Federation of Atomic Energy Employees (NFAEE) to protest against the discriminatory approach of the Department by way of protest demonstration from 12th November to 18th November 2008, wearing black badges on 28th/29th November 2008, orgnaising Day Long Dharna on 3rd/5th December 2008, sitting 24 hours Long Fast at Mumbai from 17th December 2008 and Day Long Fast in all DAE units across the country on 18th December 2008, etc. More than 15 thousands employees working in the prestigious Research & Development establish in the Nuclear Industry such as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre – BARC- (Mumbai, Tarapur, Mysore, Kalpakkam)), Indira Gandhi Centre for Research – IGCAR - (Kalpakkam), Centre for Advanced Technology – CAT - (Indore), Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre – VECC - (Kolkotta), Industrial units such as Nuclear Fuel Complex – NFC - (Hyderabad), Heavy Water Plants – HWPs- (Tutiocrine, Manuguru, Baroda, Kota, Talcher) and other supporting units such as Directorate of Estate Management – DCSEM - (Mumbai), General Service Organisation – GSO - (Kalpakkam), Directorate of Purchase & Stores – DPS - (Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kalpakkam), etc were participated in the protest action programme.

Immediately after the submission of the recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission (SCPC), Dr. Anil Kakodkar Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) called the Office Bearers of NFAEE for discussion on 28th April 2008. During the discussion the management assured better pay structure and facilities to the employees and a committee constituted to recommend proper pay structure in consultation with the similar Departments like Department of Space, etc. But the Committee failed even to recommend the pay structure adopted by the Department of Space for its non-gazetted staff, though both Departments are coming under none other than Hon’ble Prime Minister. By doing so, the employees of Department of Atomic Energy losing thousands of rupees by way of salary on comparison with the employees in similar grade working in Department of Space and this will reflect in their pension and other benefits. While implementing the revised pay structure the Department not only denied the better pay structure to the non-gazetted employees, but taken away the promotional avenues by merging the pay scales.

When Ministry of Health, Ministry of HRD, etc succeeded to upgrade the pay structure of the employees of their core personnel such as nurses, teachers respectively, Department of Atomic Energy miserably failed to ensure better pay structure for their employees working in the core area such as radiation and other hazardous field. Department of Space could successfully conduct the Cadre review for their administrative and auxiliary staff and hence the benefit of up gradation of their pay could extend to them while implementing revised pay structure. Here too Department failed to complete the Cadre Review for their administrative, accounts, auxiliary, purchase & store staff which other department completed & implemented well before the submission of the recommendations of SCPC, by which these categories in those Department got the financial up-gradation while implementing SCPC report.

By virtue of this attitude all section of employees of Department of Space is in better position. This can be clear from the facts given below:
· When the auxiliary staff of Space who got two promotions in their carrier getting higher Grade Pay than that of DAE employees and having better promotional avenues.
· The entry level of administrative, accounts, purchase & store staff of DOS is higher than that of DAE and the difference in the Grade Pay at the entry level is Rs500/- per month.
· The Technical staff, the core group of the R&D and Industrial activities under DAE too denied the better pay structure comparing to the Space staff. The senior most employees in Technical staff – Technicians (including Operators and maintenance staff of Nuclear Plant), Draftsmen, Foremen, Scientific Assistants, etc – are getting lesser Grade Pay in the tune of Rs1000 to Rs1200/- per month, as the selection of pay scale has not been done properly.

The approach of the DAE authorities’ results discontentment among the employees and started action programme to show the protest of the employees. In the meantime Department called the office bearers of the Federation for discussion on 4th December 2008. But the authorities were not ready to settle any of the demand, even to ensure pay parity with that of Department of Space and hence the employees had no alternate option other than to continue the agitation. Accordingly the Office bearers of the NFAEE and its affiliated unions associations across the country assembled at Mumbai and participated in the 24 Hours Long Fast on 17th/ 18th December 2008 at Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai and Day Long Fast in all DAE units across the country on 18th December 2008.

As the Department has not been showing any response to settle the justified demands or not coming with a solution to ensure at least pay parity with Department of Space, the Working Committee meeting of NFAEE has given a call for INDEFINITE STRIKE from 19th January 2009 and the notice has been given on 5th January 2009. Vigorous campaign was started by from 26.12.2008 among the employees and started to collect consent from the employees for indefinite strike.

(Jayaraj.K.V)
Secretary General

Address for Correspondence: Jayaraj.KV, Secretary General, NFAEE
PESS/UED; BARC, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085
Tel. No: (O): 022 – 25594549; (Res): 022 – 2746 4704; (Mobile): 9869501189
Email Address: nfaee@yahoo.com, jrajkv@yahoo.com