15/1089-90,
VASUNDHARA, VASUNDHARA (P.O.), Dt. GHAZIABAD
Website:
www.auditflag.blogspot.com
Reference: AIA/Circular-10/2014 Dated: 9th April 2014
To
Unit
Secretaries,
Members
& Spl. Invitees – NE &
Members of
Women’s Committee
Dear
Comrades,
MAKE
THE RIGHT CHOICE
We are in
the process to elect the 16th Lok Sabha. By the time this Circular
reaches you, the voting in nearly 100 out of 542 Lok Sabha constituencies might
be over. The great Indian democracy has seen many wonders, has produced
spectacular results – defying all pollsters. Let us hope and try for that again
this time.
Let us
remember that the underprivileged always expressed very forcefully at the very
first opportunity, through the ballot boxes. They react when their daily going
gets bad to worse.
The
central government employees should not get carried over some peripheral issues
but should consider:
1. The unprecedented price rise
2. PFRDA act – that could be adopted
with the active support of NDA
3. Outsourcing and contractorisation
of jobs
4. Ban on recruitment and abolition
of vacant posts
5. Non functioning of all
negotiating fora since 1998-99
6. Restriction on compassionate
recruitment since 1998-99
Privatisation
of Pension is the biggest “contribution’ of the UPA-II. And we cannot forget
that the PFRDA bill could be made into an Act of the Parliament only with the
total support of NDA. Only the Left parties and Biju Janata Dal voted against
the bill. There was unanimity between UPA and NDA when it came to robbing of
government employees the only social security that they had all along. (‘It is
our political commitment’ – this how Shri Yeshwant Sinha, Chairman,
Parliamentary Committee on Finance responded when some of the leaders of our
movement contacted him).
Confederation
of Central Govt Employees and Workers organised a National Convention at Nagpur
to finalise the approach towards the general elections based on the issues that
confront us. The resolution adopted in the Convention is given below.
All India
Audit & Accounts Association endorses the resolution adopted at the Nagpur
Convention on 4th April 2014 and call upon every unit to fully
involve in the implementation of the directive given there-in and also in the
enclosed circular of Confederation. Our
Units may get the resolution translated into the regional language and
distribute amongst the membership. We may also arrange meetings during the
visit of all India leaders of Confederation or/and at the behest of local COC.
With greetings,
Yours fraternally
(M.S.Raja)
Secretary General
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.
******
