RESOLUTION
adopted at the National Convention of Central Government Employees
on
4th April, 2014 at Nagpur.
1. The National Secretariat of
the Confederation places on record its appreciation over the massive and
magnificent participation of the largest number of our members in the 48 hour
strike on 12thand 13th Feb. 2014. It was a great
manifestation of the confidence the members had reposed in the organization and
their determination to win the demands through
struggles. The reports, the Confederation CHQ received both
from the affiliates and the State Committee indicate the massive participation
of the employees in the strike action throughout the county. In some
of the affiliates, the participation had been cent percent. This
must embolden the Confederation to pursue the issue with determination and
organize further action programmes to ensure that the demands are got settled.
2. The Secretariat has noted
that the Government had pretended to ignore the massive action of the
employees. There had been no response from them so
far. In the wake of the strike action, it announced the
composition of the 7th CPC disregarding the united demand
raised by the Staff side of the JCM National Council for the inclusion of a
labour representative. The Government also chose not to convene the
meeting the staff side to discuss the draft terms of reference
submitted. It did not make any announcement on the question of
merger of DA, Interim Relief, and inclusion of GDA within the ambit of the
Commission and rejected the demand for making the recommendation of the
Commission effective from 1.1.2014.
3. On
every issue, which is included in the 15 point Charter of demands, the Govt.
continued with its nugatory attitude. In the last session of the Parliament, they ensured
that the PFRDA bill becomes an Act despite the strongest objection and
resistance of the employees by eliciting and receiving the support and
patronage of the dominant opposition party, the BJP. Even on an issue like compassionate appointments, no
positive response emerged. The period witnessed increased outsourcing of governmental
functions. Almost a third of
the workforce is presently casual and contract workers with abysmally poor
wages taking advantage of the acute unemployment situation in the
country. There had been no
settlement of any issue raised by the Staff Side in the National Council JCM. The JCM scheme has been made ineffective as not a
single meeting of the Council was held in the last three years and even the
decision taken at the National Anomaly Committee was thwarted through political
intervention.
4. The
plight of the three lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks of the Postal Department is highly
deplorable. They constitute almost half of the Postal work force. But for
them, the functioning of the Postal system will come to a grinding halt.
Their service conditions are presently worse off than even a causal/daily rated
worker. Despite the Supreme Court’s decisions that they are holders of Civil
Post and consequently are entitled to the benefits and privileges of a civil
servant, there had been no improvement in their service conditions worth
mentioning. In spite of repeated presentation of their case both inside
and outside the Parliament by people from all walks of life irrespective of
party affiliation, the Government had been silent to the pleading for bringing
them within the ambit of the Pay Commissions. Confederation is duty bound
and determined to change the situation and to bring them within the purview of
the 7th CPC.
5. During
its five year tenure the UPA II was in power, it intensified the neo-liberal
reforms; phased out all welfare measures; accentuated the unemployment
situation; divested the PSUs; allowed unbridled entry of Foreign capital to
subjugate the Indian people; ruined the indigenous industry; destroyed the
livelihood of the farmers and agricultural labourers; allowed the prices of all
essential food items to soar; privatised education and health care services;
ensured that each of its decision was to favour the rich; granted huge tax
concessions to the corporate; indulged in large scale corruption; squandered
away the national wealth; siphoned off the poor man’s earning into the hands of
a few rich in the country; sided with the entrepreneurs in all labour
disputes; took each and every political decision to sub-serve the
interest of the imperialist powers especially the USA. The pursuance of
the neo liberal policies at the behest of the advanced capitalist countries
drove the majority of Indian population to be below the poverty levels. In the
comity of nations, India became the poorest and the last ranking in all fields.
Indian youth were driven to be beggars at the doors of transnational
corporations and developed countries.
6. Those
who were responsible in driving our country men to unprecedented deprivation
have to now seek mandate, for their tenure is to end shortly. No
different is the approach of the major opposition party, BJP. There is
nothing to choose from these two political dispensations. They were hand
in glove together to demolish the sovereignty of the country; pauperisation of
the people and supported every legislation to intensify the neo liberal
exploitation of the common man. They supported to the hilt the corporate
houses. But for the support extended by the BJP, the PFRDA bill would
never have been made into a law. The Act now provides for the extension
of the new contributory pension scheme to those who were recruited prior to
1.1.2004 and the existing pensioners. Despite the refusal of the
Government to accept their suggestion to guarantee minimum pension, the BJP
unashamedly supported the Bill, for they were the proponents of the neo liberal
economic policies. They supported this Government to increase the FDI and
FII in all sectors of economy and announced that they would intensify the
reform process if elected to power. The conglomeration of Corporates in
the country has now appointed the leader of that party to be the next CEO to
run the country. They have no use for the discredited UPA howsoever
subservient it could be. They know in a democratic system demagogy can
play a vital role. They are certain that BJP and its allies if elected to
power will be much more pliant and compliant.
7. The
Corporate controlled media has created an illusion to the effect that there
exists a consensus across the political spectrum in the country that the neo
liberal policies will spur economic growth and the only point to be clinched in
the forthcoming election is as to which political combination, whether the UPA
led by Rahul Gandhi or the NDA of Narendra Modi is more efficient in pursuing
the IMF dictated economic policies vigorously. Economic growth is not
akin to development. In the initial years of the introduction of the LPG, no
doubt, the economy grew phenomenally, but the large majority of Indian people
suffered. It permanently halted the bringing up of an egalitarian
society. It only enlarged the scope for maximisation of profit of the
corporate giants; opened up larger and bigger avenues for corruption at the top
of administration, whereby the ruling party and its leaders could amass
wealth. The scams unearthed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of
India during the last five years of UPA II Rule speak volumes of the cancerous
growth of corruption in our country. The 2G spectrum involving Rs. 1.76
lakh crores, the Coalgate of the dimension of Rs. 1.86 lakh crores, the
corruption involved in the commonwealth games, the Rs. 40,000 cr deal in the
Delhi Airport Privatisation scheme, The KG Basin related Gas price deal with
Reliance, topping with Rs 48 lakh crores are a few that surfaced during this
period.
8. As
part of the economic policy, concerted and continuous efforts were made to the
job killing process in all sectors, through contractorisation, casualisation,
outsourcing, privatisation etc. Contract workers now constitute 80% of the
total work force in the private sector. After the implementation of the 6th CPC recommendations about 35% of the workforce in the
Governmental sector is either contract or casual workers. They are paid
quarter of or even less the wages of the regular workers.
9. This
election is not only to decide who should govern this country but more so to determine
for whom the governance is. UPA having been totally discredited in the eyes of
the common man has no chance whatsoever. NDA must not have a chance once
again for it is bound to pursue the neo liberal policies more vigorously than
even the UPA. That is the one and only reason why the Indian corporate houses
and the corporate controlled media solidly back the BJP and the BJP led NDA.
The Political combination outside the NDA and UPA has a predominant presence in
the 15th Lok Sabha. They
are capable of being the largest segment in the 16th Lok Sabha too.
10. It is in this
background that the workers must assess the political situation. In the
forthcoming electoral battle, every worker must discharge his salutary
responsibility. Since the present state of affairs is the product of the
neo- liberal policies and since both the UPA and the NDA are the proponents of
those policies, one must have clear vision and exercise the franchise
effectively to ensure that a pro-worker, pro-people combination of parties is
in governance. In the forthcoming election to the 16th Lok Sabha, the Central Government employees must
become a vehicle for change in the interest of the common people; rise above
the divisive ideologies and misleading propaganda; identify their friends
especially in the Left parties; and ensure the success of those who stood with
them and fought for the cause of the workers and common people.
11. The Secretariat came
to the inescapable conclusion that the settlement of the demands in the charter
will only be possible through intensification of the struggles. It
recognised the need for larger unity. It will strive for bringing about such a
united platform for joint action. The inevitability of an indefinite
strike action has to be emphasised. The Confederation and its affiliates
must prepare its members for such an eventual and unavoidable action, if the
proposed 7th CPC is to
really revise the wages. It is needed to ensure the withdrawal of the
pernicious contributory pension scheme. It only will ensure that there
are no casual or contract system of employment in Government
service. The Government employees must be bestowed with democratic
rights and above all must enjoy the facility for collective bargaining and
right to strike. The Gramin Dak Sevak system is a colonial
legacy and no civilised country must endure such brutal exploitation. All
is possible through united and sustained action. The Confederation has
proved beyond any iota of doubt that it has built up an organisation capable of
carrying out such an action.
12. To ensure that the Indian people have food security,
the farmers are not driven to commit suicide, the workers do have decent job
environment and emoluments, the prices of essential commodities do not soar,
there is universal public distribution of essential food articles; India has an
independent foreign policy, this great Nation is not enslaved by western
imperial powers once again, all communities and people of different faiths are
allowed to live in peace and harmony; no communal violence erupts; all able
bodied people have jobs and livelihood, there must be a Government which exist
for the sake of the poor inhabitants of this country. Central Government
employees must take an active role in the ensuing General election and strive
with their best to bring about such a Government.
13. This convention calls upon every worker of the
Confederation to fan out and reach out to the rank and file of its membership,
explain the stupendous task ahead; to work in consonance with the understanding
depicted in this resolution and ensure that they become instruments for a great
political change in our country.
14. The Convention authorises the National Secretariat
to review the political situation emerging after the election and take
appropriate decision to mobilise the rank and file of the workers for an
eventual industrial action to seek settlement of the 15 point charter of
demands.
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