REPORT
OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL
Adopted by
48th
Conference of
ALL INDIA AUDIT & ACCOUNTS
ASSOCIATION
At Kolkata - from 5th November to 8th November
2019
Dear Comrades,
On behalf of the National Executive Committee of All India Audit &
Accounts Association, I welcome all of you to 48th Conference at
Kolkata that was the venue for the 34th Conference in 1974.
We met in the 47th Conference at Nagpur in August 2016. The
Conference was immediately after the implementation of 7 CPC report. We are
meeting in this 48th Conference when rumours are flying thick –
probably testing the waters by the powers that be - that there may not be any
more central pay commissions.
I am sure, this Conference would review the implementation of the
decisions taken in the 47th Conference and cause a realistic
assessment of our ability to execute our own decisions on organisational issues
as well as on demands. Also to be discussed, reviewed and rectifications, if
any, to be carried out is on our role in the common movement of central
government employees & workers.
We are meeting at a very critical time – for the workers, for the people
as such and the country itself. The attacks on the working class are on the
rise, so is the right on the livelihood. Only conscious section of the working
class aligning with other sections of population can resist and defeat the
nefarious games of the ruling classes that try their best to incite hatred
amongst people, rake up trivial issues so as to divert attention of the common
people from the disaster that looms at them.
I hope this Conference would self critically assess the organisational
position, strengths and weaknesses, the organisational requirements to face and
successfully overcome the onslaughts that we may have to face in the days and
years to come and the preparedness to that end while discussing and deciding
the ways and means to counter the challenges to march forward. From this 48th
Conference of All India Audit & Accounts Association, it is expected of
every delegate to carry the conviction on the demands, challenges and
responsibilities to the members.
The 47th Conference elected the following National Executive
Committee
President :
Com. Tapas Bose
Vice President : 1. Com. K.C. Mathai
2. Com. Hemant Pant
Secretary General : Com. M. S. Raja
Additional Secretary General :
1. Com. V. Sreekumar
2. Com. Anilkumar
3.
Com. Amitava Chatterjee
Finance Secretary : Com. K. Ramesh
Assistant Secretary General :
1. Com. Anindya Mitra
2. Com. G. Rajagopal
3. Com. R. Janakiraman Iyer
4. Com. Rupak Mukhopadhyay
5.
Com. T. Anandakumar
6. Com. Pramod Mishra
Convener, Women’s
Committee : Com. K. N. Jayashree
Raj
The National Executive Committee that met immediately on election,
co-opted Comrades Com. Subhash Pandey, Com. V Nageswara Rao and Com. K.L.
Gautam as permanent invitees and the following comrades as Special invitees.
1. Subrata Saha,
Defence Audit Cat III Association, Kolkata
2. Sohan Lal,
Haryana Civil Accounts Association, Chandigarh
3. Bahadur Singh,
Punjab Civil Accounts Association, Chandigarh
4. Balbir Suri, HP
Civil Accounts Association, Shimla
5. Mahesh Verma,
Asstt Audit Officers Association, Jaipur
6. Sunil Khanna,
Audit Category III Association, Jaipur
7. Amit Roy, DGA
Central Cat III Association, Kolkata
8. JK Prajapati,
Gwalior Accounts Association
9. Shankar Sahoo,
Odisha Accounts Association, Bhubaneswar
10. Roshan Lal, HP
Civil Audit Association, Shimla
11. Vandana
Bhattacharjee, Chairperson, Women’s Committee
12. Jaya Jyoti,
Joint Convener, Women’s committee
13. Rekha
Narsikar, Joint Convener, Women’s Committee
Condolences &
Homages
Comrade Bhawani Pada Bhattacharjee, former Secretary General &
President of the Association breathed his last on 22nd March 2017 at
Bengaluru. Com. Bhawani, as he was fondly called, was a remarkable and affable
personality led many struggles of Audit & Accounts personnel and Central
Government employees. The regional co-ordination Committee (RCC) of NE region
was his brain child and he served the RCC as Convener for nearly two decades. We dip our flag in his memory.
Comrade Sukomal Sen, former Secretary General, All India State Govt
Employees Federation and Trade Union International (TUI) – Public Services, RL
Bhattacharjee, former Acting Secretary General of NFPE, Desraj Sharma, former
General Secretary, All India Postmen & Gr D Employees Union, DV Dhaktod,
former General Secretary of All India Postal Employees Union passed away during
the period under report.
Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister (1998-2004) expired on 16th
August 2018 after prolonged illness.
Shri M Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu expired on 7th
August 2018 due to old age.
Shri Somnath Chatterjee, former Speaker of Lok Sabha, expired on 13th
August 2018. George Fernandes, former Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, former
Defence Minister & former Chief Minister, Goa, Sushma Swaraj, former
External Affairs Minister, Arun Jaitley, former Finance Minister & Ram
Jethmalani, former Union Minister and noted Jurist passed away in 2019.
Comrade Gurudas Dasgupta, veteran Trade Union leader, former MP and former General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) breathed his last on 31st October 2019.
We pay rich tributes to the memories of the departed leaders and dip our
flag in their honour.
Comrade CS Dubey, former General Secretary and President of Civil Audit
& Accounts Association, Mumbai expired on 9th September 2018. We
record our grief on his passing away.
Fidel Castro, the legendary revolutionary leader, an icon and
inspiration for all progressive forces across the globe who led the Cuban
revolution expired on 25th November 2016. Castro governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from
1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008 (when he voluntarily
stepped down). This Conference pays rich tributes to the memories of Fidel
Castro.
Robert Mugabe, former President of Zimbabwe, a hero of yester years fight against colonialism in African continent died on 6th September 2019.
Stephen Hawking theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and
author who was Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at
the University of Cambridge expired on 14 March 2018. We record our grief on his death.
48th Conference pays respectful homage to
Comrade A. K. Roy, the veteran Trade Union leader of coal workers, three times
M.P. from Dhanbad, thrice MLA of Bihar Legislative Assembly championing the
cause of the workers and down-trodden in the parliamentary forums at the age of
81 in the BCCL hospital at Dhanbad. Comrade A. K. Roy joined full time in trade
union movement in his early youth giving up career of a qualified engineer and
job in FCI in Sindri. He was one of the pioneers and architects of coal workers
movement, from its private ownership days, in Dhanbad- Jharia coal belt; fought
for the workers and displaced people of Dhanbad-Bokaro-Hazaribagh industrial
region of present day Jharkhand.
We pay our respectful homage to Shri Girish Karnad, a
multifaceted personality excelled as actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Rhodes
Scholar whom the nation honoured with Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan who
breathed his last on 10th June 2019.
This 48th Conference pays rich tributes to
all those brave men who laid down their lives in the service of the motherland
and conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
This conference further records its grief and offers
its condolences to the families of those country men who lost their lives in
various acts of terrorism, religious fanaticism and natural calamities in
various parts of the country.
This 48th Conference salutes all the valiant
people, in this country as well as across the globe, who laid down their lives
in the struggle for an egalitarian and equitable society. We dip our flag in
their memory.
International
Scenario
We are meeting in this Conference when the world as
such is going through crisis, economic and social and India is not out of it.
The plight of the workers is getting worse – livelihood
& life, working conditions and the basic rights are under attack. The IMF,
WB and the World Economic Forum etc are busy in sustaining the system and are
concerned only about the profit for the corporates. The workers, their rights
are not in their agenda. Their concern over the sustainability is born out the
fear of unrest and upheavals that may lead to revolt by the people affected by
widening gaps in income and resultant threat to the existence of the capitalist
system.
As we can experience ourselves, the International
finance is with the right forces that wear the mask of patriotism, nationalism,
populism etc as these forces serve the interests of finance capital.
Struggles against the capital intensive policies that
deprive the worker of his/her legitimate rights are also taking place and
growing day by day. The ‘Yellow Vest” are continuing their weekly demonstrations
in France for the last 50 weeks, without break. University and school
teachers, transport workers, ‘blue’ and ‘white’ collared workers in the
manufacturing and service sectors, are on the struggle path across the world –
in the USA, in Europe, in Asia, in all continents. Teachers raised the demands
of students. Parents and students joined the struggle.
Right wing forces, with the total support and connivance
of corporates, are successful in creating a make-belief world where in the
suffering common people are made to believe that their sufferings due to disastrous
neoliberal policies and the austerity measures are because of ‘others’
different from them in the colour of their skin, language they speak, religion
they follow, culture they practice.
Capitalism is losing its sheen in its base, the USA. More
and more people in the USA – women and youth- now want to live in a ‘socialist’
society. Neoliberalism has failed. Capitalism is also losing appeal. This is
becoming clearer and clearer from the head way that some of the left wing
leaders are able to make – something that was unthinkable a decade back –in the
electoral front.
Global economy:
According to ‘The Global Risks Report 2019’ of the World
Economic Forum, ‘global risks are intensifying’. It laments that the collective
will to tackle this problem is lacking.
The IMF ‘World Economic Outlook’ of April 2019 notes that
the ‘global economic activity slowed notably in the second half of last year’.
‘The euro area economy lost more momentum than expected as consumer and
business confidence weakened’. The report projects that the global growth would
slow down from 3.6% in 2018 to 3.3% in 2019. The forecast for 2019 was brought
down by 0.4% because of the slow growth in the second half of 2018.
Employment:
World Employment and Social Outlook 2019 – ILO report –
‘A majority of the 3.3 billion people employed globally in 2018 experienced a
lack of material wellbeing, economic security, equal opportunities or scope for
human development. Being in employment does not always guarantee a decent
living. Many workers find themselves having to take up unattractive jobs that
tend to be informal and are characterised by low pay and little or no access to
social protection and rights at work.
The same report estimates that 172 million people
worldwide were unemployed in 2018also and says that
the current outlook is uncertain.
In addition to the unemployed, 140 million people were in
‘potential labour force’ in 2018, i.e. under-utilised labour. This is much
higher for women; 85 million, of this ‘potential labour force’, were women and
55 million men.
Wages and working conditions:
According to the ILO’s World Employment and Social
Outlook 2019, ‘in 2018, more than one quarter of workers in low and middle
income countries were living in extreme or moderate poverty.’ The report of
2018 says that millions of men, women and children are victims of modern
slavery. A large number of people still work excessively long hours; millions
die of work related accidents every year. It also says that wage growth has not
kept pace with productivity growth and the share of national income going to
workers has declined. The Global Risks Report of the World Economic Forum says
that ‘worldwide, mental health problems now affect an estimated 700 million
people. Complex transformations— societal, technological and work-related—are
having a profound impact on people’s lived experiences. A common theme is
psychological stress related to a feeling of lack of control in the face of
uncertainty.
Artificial Intelligence:
Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer with more
than 300 million customers across the world is seeking to build a global
‘brain’ for the Pentagon. The ‘brain’ is named
Joint
Enterprise Defence Infrastructure’ or JEDI. The Department of Defence of the USA
will choose between Amazon and Microsoft for the $10 billion project. The
contract is expected to be awarded in late August 2019.
JEDI is intended to dramatically increase the ability of
US military to collect, sort through huge amount of surveillance and
information from many sources and individuals and groups, governmental and non-governmental,
around the world. This will be part of using artificial intelligence and
algorithms to identify probable targets for killing.
But the Amazon and Microsoft employees are opposing the move.
The stiff opposition from Google employees forced Google to drop out of the
competition to create JEDI. A petition circulated by a group known as Tech
Workers’ Coalition, addressed to Amazon, Microsoft, Google and IBM stated: ‘We
can no longer ignore our industry’s and our technologies’ harmful biases, large
scale breaches of trust and lack of essential safeguards. These are life and death
stakes. We risk potentially catastrophic outcomes if we continue to deploy
global technical systems without care, deliberation and a clear understanding
of our significant responsibility’.
Global multidimensional poverty index 2019:
illuminating inequalities
There are vast
inequalities across countries, and among the poorer segments of societies, says
a new UN report. The 2019 global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) from the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) shows that, in the 101 countries studied – 31 low
income, 68 middle income and 2 high income – 1.3 billion people are
“multidimensionally poor”(which means that poverty is defined not simply by
income, but by a number of indicators, including poor health, poor quality of
work and the threat of violence).
ILO
Though its name suggests that it is a pro labour organisation,
the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in fact is a tripartite body
comprising representatives of workers, employees and governments. Recently ILO
governing body has decided to appoint a Commission of Inquiry for Venezuela.
The reason will not appear strange given the composition of the ILO. It is that
Venezuela has increased the minimum wage for workers, the ILO argues, without consultation
with the employers’ organisation, FEDECAMERAS, the Venezuelan Federation of
Chambers of Commerce and Production. It should be recalled here that it was
Pedro Carmona, the president of FEDECAMERAS, who became the de facto president
of Venezuela for 47 hours during the failed coup against the government of
President Hugo Chavez in April 2002. It is these very corporations that are
believed to be responsible for lobbying for economic sanctions against
Venezuela; they are responsible for hoarding of goods leading to inflation and
decline in the purchasing power of the workers. It is in such a situation that
the Venezuelan government increased the minimum wages to provide some succour
to the workers. And this is considered to be a crime by the ILO! This is one of
the methods how the big corporates seek to bring pressure on the progressive
governments utilising all their clout.
World working class in struggle mode- Across the World
The Yellow Vests struggle in France has been continuing
since October 2018. The struggle is directed against the increase in the taxes
and the cost of living while the wages have stagnated for years. The workers
strongly feel that Macron doesn’t care about the working class while slashing
wealth tax for the rich. Thousands of workers and all sections of people have
been marching in the streets of Paris and all other cities in the country with
their demands, despite the severe repression let loose by the Macron
government. The movement has also spread to some other countries like Canada.
Recently hundreds of undocumented immigrants, hostel
inmates and tenants of the street, wearing black vests (gilets noirs), occupied
the Pantheon in Paris. They demanded authorisation papers, housing and end to
systemic racist violence; they threatened to occupy the around 2 lakh empty
accommodation in Paris if they were denied housing. The police resorted to
brutal violence on them injuring many and arresting several of them.
Thousands of Amazon workers in USA, Germany and other
places struck work for six hours on 14th July on the first day of Amazon’s
Prime Day sale extravaganza. They were challenging the world’s richest man,
Jeff Bezos and one of the in world’s most powerful corporations. This was the
longest action by Amazon workers. In December 2018Amazon workers went on a
flash action which took the management by surprise. They were attacked by the
police. In March this year they went on a 3 hour strike. The workers were
protesting against Amazon’s unreasonable and unsafe working conditions. They
raised slogans like ‘We are workers; not robots’, and ‘We create a lot of
wealth for Amazon, but they aren’t treating us with the respect and dignity that
we deserve’.
Teachers in Los Angeles in the US have gone on a six day
strike, for the first time in thirty years. They were demanding increase in
salaries, additional support staff, smaller class size and regulation of
charter schools.
70000 teachers in Chile also went on strike demanding
better working conditions, adequate attention to public education and stop its
deterioration. 75000 people participated in a march in the national capital city
in support of these demands. Their demands did not include rise in wages.
They demanded amenities like bathrooms, teaching
materials, reimbursements ofthe teachers’ contributions and regular payment of
wages.35000 farmers converged into Berlin in Germany demanding climate friendly
agriculture and healthy food. 170 of them drove their tractors from their farms
to the city. Their raised the slogan ‘We are fed up with the agriculture
industry!’
The Trade Union Front for the National Model, an umbrella
organisation comprising different trade unions of Argentina held torch light
processions in different cities every week for four weeks. They were protesting
against the increase in tariffs of public services and denounced the brutal
austerity measures of the government of Mauricio Macri.
Women in Switzerland went on country wide strike on 14th
June 2019 demanding equal pay; several hundred thousand women took part in
demonstrations; this action comes three decades after women held the country’s
first nationwide strike for equal pay.
The working class on Greece, the municipal workers, port
workers and others, under the leadership of the militant organisation PAME,
were on continuous struggles against the anti worker policies of the SYRIZA
government.
The Sudanese Professionals Association, an umbrella body
of doctors, engineers, teachers and other professionals led the protests in
Sudan that started in December 2018 and continued till July 2019. These
protests led to the deposition of the dictator Omar Al Bashir and continued
even after he had stepped down as the ruler of the country and the military
took over. They demanded the immediate transfer of power to a civilian
administration representing all sections of the Sudanese society. The military
council, which had assumed the control of the government after AL Bashir, had agreed
to a timetable for the transfer of power, in their discussions with the representatives
of the protesting people. The participation of women in large numbers is one of
the major features of these protests. Occupying the streets and sustaining
determined popular protests by maintaining unity of the people are the true
strength of the Sudanese protests.
Popular anger against Al Bashir’s regime rose because it
had pursued policies that increased exploitation and also curtailed the
democratic rights of the people. The regime tried to brutally suppress these
popular protests with the country’s military too playing its part, but failed.
WFTU:
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), the only global
class oriented trade union that believes in establishing an exploitation free
society through class struggles will be completing 75 years in 2020, the same
year when CITU will complete 50 years and the first national trade union centre
in India, AITUC will complete 100 years. We need to observe this with the
message of internationalism, solidarity and renew our commitment to change
society.
Com. M. S. Raja, Secretary General of our Association and
Com. Giriraj Singh, President, NFPE attended Conference of the WFTU held in Oct
2016 at Durban, South Africa.
Com. MS Raja was selected by the Confederation as a
delegate to the Conference of Trade Union International – Public Services
(TUI-PS) – scheduled to be held at Cyprus on 16-17 November 2019. He declined
the offer and decided not to attend the said Conference.
The 2019 general elections to the Lok Sabha voted back
the NDA government for another 5 year term. The smoke screen created with
Pulwama terrorist attack and Balakot air strike did the magic of turning the
election discourse from burning issues such as unemployment, social security,
other livelihood issues to sensationalism.
In the name of “Ease of doing business” all labour laws
are amended in favour of the corporates, it has also become a bye-word for
pleasing the foreign investors and foreign finance capital.
It is a tragedy that the trade unions and progressive
forces could not counter the strategy of corporate-communal combination’s
unscrupulous efforts to exploit the genuine patriotic feelings of the poor and
make them - who are subjected to economic exploitation and social oppression - understand
that votes are to be cast in pursuance of the struggles they fought throughout
the past few years.
Rising Inequalities
The Oxfam Report published in January 2019 on the eve of
World Economic Forum states that:
Wealth is getting further concentrated. In 2018, 26
people on the earth owned the same wealth as the bottom 380 core of the world’s
population. In 2017 this figure was 44.
The fortunes of the billionaires globally rose by $2.5
billion a day in 2018; the wealth of the poorest half of the world’s population
declined by 11%
The richest 1% of the world’s population received 27% of
global income growth. The poorest50% received only 12%.
In India – Wealth of only 9 richest Indians equals the
wealth of the bottom 50% of the population.
1.
Mukesh Ambani (The combined revenue and capital
expenditure of the government of India and the state governments on medical,
public health, sanitation and water supply is Rs 208,166 crore which is less
than the wealth of Mukesh Ambani, which is Rs 2.8 lakh crore)
2. Azim Premji
3. Lakshmi Mittal
4. Shiv Nadar
5. Kumar Birla
6. Dilip Sanghvi
7. Radhakishan Damani
8. Uday Kotak
9. Cyrus Poonamwalla
Top 1 % holds 51.3% of national wealth; top 10% holds
77.4%.
During the last 5 years, Mukesh Ambani’s wealth went up
from 23 billion dollars in 2014 to 55 billion dollars in 2019, i.e. he
accumulated more wealth in these 5 years all the wealth he made and inherited
in the entire 58 years before 2014.
The story is not different for others too. Adani
Enterprise’s assets grew from 2.11 billion dollars to 11.9 billion dollars.
Ramdev’s ‘Patanjali’’, which was actually a small scaled
activity has become a company worth more than $6 billion in 2018. Today Ramdev
is among the 20 richest people in the country.
Inequality has been rising fast since the advent of neoliberal
policies. The following figures make this clear - In 1982, the share of the top
1% in national income was only 6.2%. It has risen to 21.7% in 2013 -14. At present,
the top 1% households own 60% of the total wealth. Wealth inequality in India
today is higher than that in the USA.
Employment
Drastic reduction in employment is seen in agriculture
and construction.
Minimum Wage
The Union government appointed an ‘Expert committee on
determining the methodology for fixing the national minimum wage’ which has
recommended a ‘national’ minimum wage for five different regions with diverse socio
economic and labour market situations, ranging from a low of Rs 8892 per month
to a high of Rs 11622 per month. Now it is being reported that the ‘mandatory
national minimum wage will not be fixed as per the expert committee report; it will
be less than half of that, around Rs 178 per day. It is reported that
employers’ objections to the hike were among factors contributing to a change
of mind of the government. This is when the central trade union are agitating
demanding minimum wage of Rs 18000/- per month.
The dubious exercise by the Expert Committee is reflected
inter alia, by two major steps. One, to arbitrarily reducing the calorie-intake
requirement formulated by Indian Labour Conference from 2700 calorie to 2400
calorie; two, by calculating the expenditure requirement on the basis of price
level prevalent in 2012 for finalising the floor level minimum wage to be
effective from July 2018. And all these was done in order to artificially
suppress the minimum wage for the benefit of the employers’ class.
It is a pity that ILO – meant to protect the rights of
workers – was part of exercise on determining the above mentioned minimum wage,
negating the unanimously adopted formula for determining the minimum wages by
the tripartite Indian Labour Conference way back in 1957 which was upheld and
improved by the Supreme Court in 1992 (in Raptakos Brett Vs. workmen).
Gender:
According to ILO Global Wage Report for 2018-19 the
gender gap in India is highest in the world –with women being paid 34% less
than men for the same job. India ranks 108th in WEF gender gap index
2018; it ranks 142 out of 149 countries in the economic opportunity and
participation sub index; globally women work more than men; they perform 75% of
the world’s unpaid care and domestic work, valued at 13% of global gross
domestic product; if included in national accounts, the unpaid care economy
would represent between 15 and 50% of GDP according to a UN report.
Agriculture
Debt is at the centre of contemporary agrarian distress in India. The
cutback in formal sector credit has been a major factor in the present agrarian
crisis, and financial sector liberalization in the period of structural
adjustment has had a rapid, drastic and disastrous impact on the credit system
and on the livelihoods of the peasantry and the rural poor.
According to the 2019 global Multidimensional
Poverty Index (MPI) from the UN Development Programme (UNDP),
the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative
(OPHI) India's MPI value reduced from 0.283 in 2005-06 to 0.123 in
2015-16
Struggles around Us in India
The last three years since 47th Conference in
August 2016 saw many struggles by the toiling masses, cutting across various
sectors and states/regions.
The Long March by the peasant of Maharashtra demanding
waving of farm loans, govt intervention to give succour to the distress that
the farming community is faced with etc caught the attention of the nation.
Maha Padav (Mass Dharna) for 3days on 9, 10, 11 November
2017 organised by CITU, AIKS and AIAWU was noteworthy and impressive, inviting
attention of the country towards the massive distress that has been struck at
various sectors.
Privatisation of 46 PSUs, so called labour law reforms
and alteration of land acquisition rules have been responded to through mass
demonstrations. In various sectors like Steel, BSNL, Railway Production Units,
Printing Presses etc, concerned sectoral unions responded through massive
agitational programmes including strikes in many places.
BSNL
Telecom Department, the predecessor of today’s BSNL, was
earning a net profit of more than Rs 8 crores per day in 199-2000, before
corporatisation. As we go to the
Conference, reports say that BSNL may be closed down (!). Destruction of
Department of Telecom (DOT) was inaugurated when from April 1986 MTNL was
carved out of DOT, taking Mumbai and Delhi out of DOT. Formation of BSNL from
September 2000 was the next stage towards destruction.
Workers protests were silenced through allurements like
special pay etc. Sane voices against the corporatisation and the eventual
privatisation were ignored by the leaders and workers as everybody was made
happy with a bigger pay packet.
Today, the BSNL workers are not paid for months. It is a
lesson for workers in all government establishments.
The survival of the BSNL is in the interest of the people
and the nation. What will happen to nation’s security when the communication
networks would be wholly controlled by private players- both domestic and
foreign whose only motive would be profit – is a big question. The fight
against privatisation or closure of BSNL inevitably is a fight for nation’s
sovereignty.
Latest report says that the Union Cabinet has decided not
to close down BSNL. It is stated that funds would be infused and voluntary
“voluntary retirement scheme” would be introduced. Will have to wait and watch
the developments.
Central Government Employees Front
When we met at 47th Conference in 2016, the
scenario was of despondency and anger in the aftermath of withdrawal of the
indefinite strike call and government’s notification of CCS (RP) Pay Rules,
2016 without considering the demands of the employees. The delegates expressed
their righteous indignation over the inability of National Joint Council of
Action (NJCA) for not doing enough even after the Government ignoring the
assurances given by the group of Ministers on 30th June 2016.
All the efforts of the Confederation in the NJCA for
continuing the struggle and taking it to a decisive action were stonewalled by
the dominant leadership in the NJCA.
Confederation, true to its tradition of non-comprising on
employees/workers’ demands and issues, organised one day strike on 16th
March 2017, in addition to many demonstrative programmes. (Given elsewhere in
this report as “programmes observed’).
Non Functional and Ineffective JCM
Grievance redressal machinery was one of the demands
raised by the Central Govt Employees during the historic 1960 strike. Though
the strike was repressed terming it as ‘civil rebellion’, the government of the
day initiated process for establishment of grievance redressal machinery for
central government employees. Thus “Scheme
of Joint Consultative Machinery & Compulsory Arbitration” was inaugurated in
October 1967 where in it was visualized that all grievances would be
resolved/redressed through effective negotiation.
It functioned – to some extent – well for nearly two
decades, though the employees resorted to strike action twice during this time.
As some amongst participating organisations visualized way back in 1965-66, the
JCM ultimately became a talking shop.
The National Council – as well as the Departmental
Councils – which should as per the scheme and its constitution should meet once
in 4 months, met in 2018 after a gap of 8 years. The agreements reached are not
implemented.
Similar is the situation with Anomaly committee. In both
the meetings, there was an agreement on revisiting the “very good” bench mark
for MACPS with retrospective effect. Till date it has not been resolved. Also,
the anomaly committee spoke of a committee on grant of higher pay scales to
Senior Auditor/Accountant. Here also, none speaks of it now, nor none has any
idea about it when enquired.
The NJCA has become a committee sans action. In none of its recent
meetings a decision could be taken even to hold a joint demonstration. Our
Association’s effort to persuade the NJCA to organise a march to parliament in
support of Defence Workers’ strike and also on rampant privatisation also did
not succeed with Railway Federations turning its face on any demonstrative
actions.
Drastic drive towards privatisation in the post 2019
elections is a big challenge before the employees and workers. The definite
30-day strike decision jointly by the three federations in the Defence Industry
and Confederation of Recognised Associations in Defence forced the government
to enter into an agreement with the striking workers representatives.
The defence employees strike as well as the earlier
strike by the GDS workers is indicative of the workers’ power and effectiveness
that will make any government to bend and negotiate with the workers.
We are eagerly waiting for the response of the Railway leadership on the
move of the government to privatise 150 (profit making) trains and handing over
of 25 major railway stations to private hands in addition to privatisation of
six Railway Production Units. Viz, Chittaranjan
Locomotive Works, Chittaranjan, Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi, Diesel Loco
Modernisation Works, Patiala, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, Rail Coach
Factory, Kapurthala and Rail Wheel Factory, Bangalore.
The
privatisation mania – handing over of national asset to corporates - is the
precursor to the eventual merger of state and corporatism and obliteration/gobbling
up of state by the corporates.
The only silver line was the 30 day strike declared
jointly by Defence Employees Federations against the corporatisation of
Ordnance Factories and the settlement they could reach with the government on
the 5th day of their strike. It reaffirms our faith in struggles and
our conviction that no force on earth can ignore the might of the united
movement of the workers.
A letter, a demonstration, a dharna or a day’s strike
cannot stop forces that are bent upon demolishing the state and the security
the state provides to crores of its people. Yes, these are and should be
considered as much only, mobilization mechanisms.
Massive turn outs in the streets and relentless struggles
(battles) against the ideology that promotes and propagates and enable handing
over of the state and the nation to corporates alone can put halt to the selling
spree of the nation by the governors of the day.
Formation of All India Audit & Accounts Pensioners’ Association
The process
for formation of a Departmental level Pensioner’s Association was being under
active consideration for quite few years. Amongst the affiliates of
Confederation, it was the audit movement that had to carry out the decision of
the Confederation in this regard with Postal and Income tax Federations already
having taken lead.
The
preparatory meeting in this regard was held at Nagpur on 7th August
2016, on the eve of the 47th Conference. This meeting was attended
by senior leaders of the movement such as Comrades RK Shrivastava, T Narayanan
(former Presidents) and S Radhakrishna former Vice President and President of
Audit & Accounts Officers Association amongst others.
A
preparatory Committee with RK Shrivastava as Chairman and Com GK Gohain as
Convener was formed. The Committee was authorised to draw a draft Constitution.
The
Committee met at Thrissur in Kerala on 24-25 January 2017 and adopted a draft
Constitution. It was further decided to convene a Conference within six months.
The
conference got delayed and finally the formative Conference of All India Audit
& Accounts Pensioners’ Association was held at Guwahati on 24-25 November
2018. The following Committee was
elected.
Comrades
RK Shrivastava & T Narayanan – Patrons
President – Com. S. Radhakrishna, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Working President – Com Subhash Pandey, Prayagraj, UP
Vice President – 1. Com. T. Radhamony,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
2. Com.
Dipen Dutta, Shillong, Meghalaya
Secretary General –
Com. Jagmohan Thakur, Shimla, HP
Addl. Secretary General –
1. Com. GK Gohain, Guwahati, Assam
2.Com. K.
Kamalasanan, Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala
Finance
Secretary –
Com. KC Mitra, Kolkata, WB
Assistant Secretary – 1. Com. Rishweshwar Upadhyay, Prayagraj, UP
2.
Com. AS Rawat, Delhi
3.
Organising Secretary – 1. Com. Rajendra Babu, Bengaluru, Karnataka
2. Com. Tapan Chakraborty, Kolkata, WB
2 posts vacant
Internal Auditor – Com. Om
Prakash Pal, Prayagraj, UP
Departmental Front
Some of the issues that agitated our members much could
be taken to a meaningful end during the period under report – either through
pursuance with the department or with the government through National Council,
JCM.
The demand for treating appointment as AAO as direct
recruitment for the purpose of granting MACPS was raised by us way back in
2009, immediately after the implementation of CCS (RP) Rules, 2008. It was one
of the demands that we placed before CAG in our charter of demands for one day
Mass Casual Leave on 8th April 2010. Thousands of AAOs benefitted
from this.
Similarly, grant of pay at par with direct recruitees to
the promotee personnel also was settled during this period, benefitting thousands
of personnel across the board.
Grant of Non Functional Upgradation to AAOs on completion
of 4 years of service is a big leap forward. That would, if pursued
organisationally in a sustained manner, can ensure better mobility and pay
level for Audit/Accounts Officers. It is a matter of concern that CAG
administration has refused to extend this benefit to Adhoc/Regular-Temporary
AAOs or to count the service rendered as Adhoc/RT AAO for grant of NFU.
There should be no hesitation in accepting the role of
CAG in person for the grant of AAOs of IA&AD and organised Accounts.
Adhoc/RT AAO was a creation of CAG administration. It is
they who bestowed gazetted status to Adhoc/RT AAOs despite the Circular of
February 2009 on Adhoc/RT AAO stating that Adhoc/RT AAO would do the work of
1.5 times of Senior Accountant. Till recently the Adhoc/RT AAOs were made to
become members of Category II Association i.e. AAO Association. HQrs is
pursuing this issue continuously and hope that wise counsel shall prevail upon the
CAG administration.
Cadre
Restructuring
The decision of the CAG to constitute a Committee on
Restructuring of Gr B & C cadres was one of the big moves during the last
three years. A lot of background work had to be undertaken for persuading the
administration to constitute such a committee and after the constitution of the
committee.
The National Executive Committee, following up the
mandate granted by the CWC held in New Delhi in July 2014 – which was later
approved by the 47th Conference – in a special sitting held at
Chennai in January 2018 finalised its proposals in detail. The proposals were
subjected to discussion in a joint meeting with All India Audit & Accounts
Officers Association and fine-tuned. Comments were invited from Units before
the proposals were submitted to the Committee on restructuring of Group C &
B cadres in IA&AD.
We record our appreciation and sincere thanks to Com. S.
Radhakrishna, our former Vice President (and former President of All India
Audit & Accounts Officers Association) for helping and guiding us for
finalization of the proposals on cadre restructuring. We sincerely thank Com.
S. Mohan, former Secretary General of All India Audit & Accounts Officers
Association and also Com OS Sudhakaran, present Secretary General of All India
Audit & Accounts Officers Association in enriching of the proposals through
continued interactions and consultations and sharing of drafts.
Gist of our proposal is as under:
·
Each Group
“C” or Group “B” personnel from the entry level should be entitled to five
promotions in the entire career – the one who passes departmental promotional
examinations getting promotions faster and probably, more number of promotions.
For e.g., one recruited as MTS during his career spanning for 30 years (presuming
that he/she entered the Department at the age of 30) should get promotions to
DEO, Auditor, Sr. Auditor, one non functional upgradation and one functional
promotion and an Auditor getting promotions to SA, non Functional Up gradation
with one functional promotion in between on seniority cum fitness.
·
Non
Functional Upgradation as well as promotions should accrue based on the time
bound manner. For every cadre, avenues for fast track promotion through
examinations could also be considered. But such promotions shall be strictly to
the next above cadre in the hierarchy.
·
The role of
Auditor should be strengthened. Functional upgradation as Sr. Auditor and one Nonfunctional
upgradation to the pay Level 7 and one functional promotion to the pay level 8
should be awarded with the residency period of 5 and 6 years respectively.
Audit of High Value of transaction with prescribe limit to be assigned to Non
Functional Upgradation Sr. Auditors.
·
AAOs be
guaranteed of promotion as Audit Officer on completion of 8 years of completed
service as AAO.
·
There could
be only common nomenclature in IA&AD. The Auditor, Sr. Auditor, Assistant
Audit Officer, Audit Officer and Sr. Audit Officer could be the designation.
It is quite natural
that the formation of a committee on restructuring of Group C & B cadres in
IA&AD generated lot of expectations amongst the personnel of IA&AD. And
expectations went to such an extent that many expected results in few months.
- The present age restriction of 53 years for induction to IAAS shall
be removed. This is the serious hurdle experienced by the SR AOs cadre in
their career progression. This has adverse impact on the promotion of
AAOs.
- Recruitment shall be at the Points
of MTS, DEO, AUDITOR & IA&AS Levels.
- Percentage
system of promotions to be the basis for the time bound Non Functional
Upgradation.
- Stenographers
of the same station be pooled together for the purpose of promotion.
- Stenographers
at field offices be considered for higher posts available at HQr office
- Post of LDC has become redundant
and hence may be upgraded and merged with DEO.
- The RR for each cadre with DR
element may contain a specific percentage earmarked for unilateral
transfer/deputation.
There is a general
lack of awareness on the whole processes of cadre restructuring, irrespective
of the Department/Ministry. The report of a committee has to undergo many tests
over a number of stages before the same is approved by its own department,
especially in IA&AD. Months and years may pass by before the report – after
undergoing many changes – is put up for cabinet approval. Only after cabinet
approval, it could be taken as almost final and it reaches finality when the
orders are issued keeping the spirit of the whole process in mind.
It requires constant
alert and intervention at various levels, including organizational actions with
the involvement of members.
CAG administration and Cooperative Societies
Though the CAG administration
has been pro-employee in many respects, on the issue of Co-operative societies
it is seen over enthusiastic in taking steps to paralyse the functioning of
co-operative societies of IA&AD personnel. No other central government
department or ministry has moved with such alacrity to shut down the societies
as has been done by CAG administration and its officers.
The worst form of attack was
seen in Tamilnadu where the Accountant General did everything to close down the
society, transferred its President to paripetic party there by paralyzing the
functioning of the society. The move of the Accountant General to transfer
General Secretary of the Association to field party could be stalled with the
intervention of the CAG office.
In Kerala also, the Pr. Accountant General is doing his best to
scuttle the functioning of the society.
Though the CAG administration
sometimes intervenes, but its effectiveness many times is not upto mark.
Certain actions of the
administration make one feel as if it is wreaking revenge for causing arrest of
the then Accountant General (A&E), TN, Chennai by CBI for corruption.
The overall feeling that we
gain from these experiences is that there is a concerted effort to cripple the
functioning of the co-operative movement amongst the employees.
Formation of
separate offices for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Consequent upon formation of Telangana
State by dividing the Andhra Pradesh, the present office at Hyderabad has gone
to Telangana and new office is being set up at Amaravathi, near Vijayawada.
Opening up of new office ends with transfer of personnel to a station where no
infrastructure is available. The office would be in a rental building.
This issue was discussed In
three successive bilateral meetings with DAI in which Com G Rajagopal,
Assistant Secretary General and General Secretary, Accounts Category III
Association were present. The issue was further raised in the agenda meeting
with DAI on 16th September 2019. The Administration is firm on the
date of shifting of the office to Amaravathi irrespective of whether the office
building is ready or the personnel transferred would have basic facilities like
housing etc available to them.
YPP – formal contractorisation
of functions of IA&AD
The administration has already
initiated contractorisation of functions of IA&AD by initiating projects
like Young Professional Programme (YPP) etc. it is nothing but
contractorisation of auditorial functions. HQr office is already running with
over 500 contract workers in various cadres. Through the proposed YPP, the
whole of department would come under contractorisation.
Organisation
We are going through a tough
time, it is really incumbent upon us to force a self introspection on our
organizational ability, rather willingness, to implement decisions. There was
no dearth in taking decisions, but certainly there were many lapses/shortcomings
in its implementation.
For any organisation to be effective,
it should have leadership at apex level as well as field level that understood,
appreciated and realised the challenges of the day and need to attend to it –
short term as well as long term basis.
In a self critical mode, I
would like to confess that we do lack seriousness in appreciating the
challenges before us and the need to take steps to face those challenges.
What we come across is
vociferous voices on issues that affect the personnel, where wholly or
partially and dreadful silence on implementation of programmes decisions etc.
The 47th
Conference’s decisions on
1. Raising special fund @Rs 500/- per member from 7 CPC arrears
2. Raising the monthly subscription
to Rs 30/- per member and
3. holding Trade Union classes in all stations at regular intervals
were ignored by majority of the
Units – including the Units of National Executive Committee members. This has
caused crisis in the organisation that will take long time to recover.
Implementation of the decisions
of Conference, Central Working Committee and National Executive Committee in
its true spirit will ensure organizational discipline thereby consolidating the
strengthening the organisation to face any challenges.
More Associations
join All India Audit & Accounts Association
During the period under Report,
the following Associations decided to affiliate with All India Audit &
Accounts Association
1. P&T Audit Association, Mumbai
2. P&T Audit Association, Bhopal
3. Civil Audit Brotherhood, Uttarakhand, Dehradun
4. P&T Audit Association, Chennai
I record my appreciation of the
efforts by Comrades RJ Iyer and Pramod Mishra, Assistant Secretaries General
and Subhash Pandey our senior leader in persuading those units to join the
mainstream of Audit as well as Central Govt Employees movement.
Re-verification of
Membership and continued Recognition
The CAG administration vide
letter No. 402-Staff(JCM)/63-2018 dated 27.08.2019 communicated that the
Association has been granted continued recognition for another 5 (five) years.
Despite more Associations joining us, we may have
lost membership on account of the faulty methodology adopted by the CAG
administration – the administration counted the membership in July 2017 for a
verification conducted in 2019! In this process many Associations membership
has been excluded from the list.
Further, non-conducting of verification of
membership on time by many field offices also affected our membership. The
leadership of the Associations also did not act on time to ensure conducting of
verification of membership on time.
Financial Position – Remittance of HQr Quota and Special
Funds
The statement attached with the audited accounts
for the last 3 years would give a picture of Head Quarter remittances by the
Units. Majority of the Units do not even intimate their membership making it
difficult to calculate the factual dues on Head Quarter Quota.
One thing is very clear, that the purpose of the
decision of 47th Conference to fix the rate of subscription at Rs
30/- pm per member and HQr Quota at Rs 12- per month per member has been
defeated as good number of units did not revise the rate of subscription with
in the stipulated time. There are many units even today whose rate of
subscription is not revised to Rs 30- per member per month and hence do not pay the HQr Quota at prescribed rate of
Rs 12/- per member per month. The unfortunate part is that there are Units of
members of NE who have failed miserably on this count.
Similar is the position in respect of Special
funds – first from 7 CPC arrears in 2016-17 and then in 2019. The letter from
the President of the Association was ignored by good number of Units.
The audited accounts for the last three years
circulated separately gives a true picture of the financial position of HQrs
along with a detailed list of special receipt.
If a performance audit of our units – in
implementing the programme and remitting HQr Quota and special Fund – is
conducted, majority of Units would show below average performance is the fact.
Majority of members of NE and their Units would fare much worse.
As we can see from the above, more than 25,00,000
(twenty five lakhs) has been collected as special funds, the Head Quarter quota
remittance came down, drastically, during the said period. As could be seen
from the Accounts for the three years, the Head Quarter quota remittance fell
well below half way mark, leading to a deficit situation in almost every month
that could not be covered up with special fund. In the case of special fund
also, many units did not contribute anything while some of the Units
contributed for name sake. The deficit was managed by not paying the Secretary
General against loss of pay (while on Foreign Service).
Had the HQr quota remittance reached even upto
80% of what is due from Units, this special fund would have helped us to
generate a surplus fund.
We should discuss this part very seriously,
decide on how to overcome this and act in a determined manner.
Conclusion
As stated in the preceding
paras, not only our Association or Central government employees movement the
whole of working people are going to face worst times.
Reports indicate that the
government may come out with bringing changes in the retirement age of central
government employees from the present 60 years of age to 33 years of service or
60 years of age whichever is earlier – as is rumoured for long – once the
elections to the Delhi Assembly is over. If that will happen, it will pave way
for massive induction of contract workers in the central government. At one
end, regular employment would be a dream and on the other the rural as well as
urban unemployed could be lured of government job with fixed emoluments with no
DA, increment etc.
Why this is the question that
would come up in our mind, naturally. We should see what is happening around us
during the last few years.
Within a couple of months after
we dispersed from Nagpur in August 2016, the government of India announced
withdrawal – banning – of nearly 93% of the currency in circulation under the
pretext of fighting black money. With 99% of the banned currency having been
returned, the reason advanced became untenable. But it has a cascading effect
on employment, especially in the unorganized sector. Lakhs of small units –
industrial as well as commercial – were forced to down their shutters, throwing
millions on the street. Today, the poor is pauperized, India is ranking 102 out
of 117 nations in the Global Hunger Index – from 55 in 2012.
Loans worth Rs. 76,600 crores
of 253 – 220 with loan above Rs 100 crores and 33 with loan above Rs. 500
crores - individuals being written off by State Bank of India alone, causing
losses to SBI. It is the hard earned money invested by people like us.
According to RBI, laons above Rs 100 crores of 980 persons are written off by
various banks.
This is not limited to Public
Sector Banks alone. IDBI, a private sector bank has written off more than
26,000 crores.
Reports indicate that HDFC bank
is in red and the depositors may face music any day.
A stage where the state and
corporates get merged is nearing, the façade of democracy that we see today may
be overtaken by corporatism in the days to come, if the toiling masses come out
in large numbers and fight these policies.
We have an important role to
discharge in this fight. If the Government as we have seen and felt it till
date remains, we remain as audit and accounts personnel, government employees,
workers. Wishful thinking will bring more agonies and existential problems.
To fight these policies, we
require an organisational structure, organisational discipline. That is the
task before us.
48th Conference
Zindabad!
All India Audit & Accounts
Association Zindabad!
Confederation of Central
Government Employees & Workers Zindabad!
Workers Unity Zindabad!
Yours fraternally,
Sd/-
Kolkata (M. S. Raja)
5th November 2019 Secretary
General
List of Programmes during 2016-17, 2017-18 & 2018-19
1.
2nd
September ‘16 –One day Strike as per call of Central Trade Unions
2.
20th October ’16 – Demonstration on
Confederation Charter of Demands
3.
7th November ’16 – Dharna under the banner of
COC
4.
15th December ’16 – March to Parliament
5.
8th February 2017 - Strike Notice Serving
6.
21st February ’17 – Day Long Dharna under COC
banner
7.
6th March 2019 – Observance of Black Day,
Confederation Call
8.
8th March – International Women’s Day
9.
16th March 2017 – one day strike
10.
19th April – Association Day observance
11.
1st May – May Day
12.
23rd May ’17 – Dharna before FinMin’s office
at North Block – common charter of
demands
13.
20th June ’17 – Human Chain in front of every
central government office
14.
5th July ’17 – Protest Demonstration – revise
min.pay & fitment factor etc.
15.
25th July ’17 – protest demonstration against
‘betrayal on HRA’
16.
17 October ’17 – Dharna demanding settlement of charter
of demands –confederation
17.
9,10,11 November ’17 – Maha Padaav at New Delhi, Central
Trade Unions
18.
November 2017 – Signature campaign on grant of NFU to
AAOs
19.
8th February 2018 – Demonstration on cadre
restructuring
20.
1st week of March ’17 – Campaign week on cadre
restructuring
21.
8th March – International Women’s Day
22.
April 2018 – constitution of representative
assembly/section activists
23.
15th April – Association Day
24.
1 May – May Day
25.
June-July 18 – Unit Visit by leaders
26.
10th June ’18 – National Convention on NPS at
Hyderabad
27.
25th July ’18 – Demonstration demanding
raising no.of chances for SAS
28.
19th Sept ’18 – 50th anniversary of
1968 strike
29.
25th October – adoption of charter demands as
decided by CWC held at New Delhi
30.
5th December ’18 – One day dharna on cadre
restructuring, charter of demands
31.
December 2018 – Campaign for 2 day strike on 7-8 January
2019
32.
21st December ’18 – endorsing of the strike
notice
33.
7-8 January 2019 – 2 days strike as per the call of
Central Trade Unions
34.
8th March – International Women’s Day
*****
RESOLUTION ON POLICY & PROGRAMME
Adopted by 48th Conference
5-8 November 2019, at Kolkata
The
48th Conference of All India Audit & Accounts Association is
being held at a time when unprecedented
economic slowdown bordering on recession, large-scale unemployment, lakhs of
workers being retrenched, continuing agrarian distress are all imposing greater
miseries on the people.
As per the data available in the public
domain, growth in the 8 core sectors slumped to its lowest levels since April
2015. The recession has led to unprecedented levels of unemployment. The
agrarian crisis has so far taken away the lives of lakhs of farmers.
The privatisation of six airports are
already announced; Indian Railways, the biggest public sector employer is being
privatised step by step; FDI is being allowed in Defence Sector; VRS scheme is
announced for BSNL in name of bail out; the loot of the country’s wealth,
through the loans taken from the nationalized banks, continues unabated despite
the government claiming a decline in the level of the NPAs.
The crisis in the Indian economy stems
from a sharp contraction of domestic demand. This is because people have
very little, or, no purchasing power in their hands. Unless demand grows, the
industrial and manufacturing sector, which is now under recession, cannot
revive.
The need of the hour is increase in
public spending that will put money into the hands of the people which, in
turn, will stimulate demands and thus give new life to economic conditions of
crores of poor.
But the government seems to be moving in
the opposite direction – giving more concessions to few thousands of corporate
entities at the cost of crores and crores of countrymen.
Attempts are afoot to cover the crisis by
raising emotional pitch on various issues, dividing the people who are at the
receiving end of the disastrous economic policies.
This Conference considers the
orchestrated attacks on the diverse and pluralistic – cultural, linguistic and in
practice – character of our nation, i.e. the basic ethos on which the nation
has progressed all along, as an attack on the great Constitution of our great
nation. The workers, including the Central government Employees and the common
people at large enjoy certain benefits and protection because of the guarantees
under the Constitution.
This Conference notes with all
seriousness the covert and overt attempts to negate the very foundation of the
Constitution using the very same Constitutional provisions. The present day
developments remind us of the famous quote of Samuel Johnson, the 18th
century Anglican writer and lexicographer that “Patriotism is last refuge
of Scoundrel”.
This Conference comes to the inescapable
conclusion that sustained campaigns and intensified struggles alone can put a
break, halt and reverse the madness that has been unleashed on the hapless
citizens and hence decides to educate and organise the employees in the
struggles against those policies that divides and pauperises the common people.
This Conference takes note of the rising
unity of the working population against the aforementioned policies and
welcomes the united struggles that will develop in the days to come. This
Conference unequivocally declares to join all such struggles including strikes decided
by Central Trade Unions against the policies of the government that ruins the
life of crores of its people and heap misery on all including central
government employees.
Conference also records its righteous
indignation over the total reversal of the stand of the Government on the
demands of the Central Government employees in the aftermath of the
recommendations of the 7 CPC. The assurance by Group of Ministers led by the
then Home Minister that all the issues raised by Staff Side, JCM would be
amicably resolved within a period of two months have been totally negated. We
note with anguish that the government did not hold even a single meeting with
intention to resolve the grievances.
This Conference also records its
displeasure over the inability of the National Joint Council of Action – NJCA –
to take any concrete steps to challenge the government over reneging its own
assurances. The NJCA has ceased to be a ‘council of action’.
This Conference urges upon the
Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers to take to lead in
organising massive protests against the betrayal of the employees by the
Government and restoring of Pension to all under defined benefit scheme,
replacing the NPS.
This Conference proposes to Confederation
of Central Government Employees & Workers to consider organising
struggles exclusively on the demand of reverting back to old pension system
(i.e. defined benefit scheme).
This 48th Conference of All
India Audit & Accounts Association hereby resolves to participate and take
leading part in all the struggles that will be decided by Central Trade Unions
and Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers.
This Conference urges upon all the
affiliates of the Association to conduct effective campaign and mobilisation of
personnel of IA&AD so as to make the one day strike on 8th
January 2020 called by Central Trade Unions and endorsed by Confederation of
Central Government Employees & Workers a total success in IA&AD.
PART II
THIS 48th Conference of All
India Audit & Accounts Association held at Kolkata from 5th to 8th
November 2019 welcomes the decision of the CAG to undertake restructuring of Gr
C & Gr B cadres of IA&AD.
This Conference notes with dismay that
the progress on the proposed restructuring of Gr B & Gr C cadres is not
upto the expected level. It further notes that the recommendations of the
Committee that interacted with the staff Side is not shared with the Staff Side
till date, nor a meeting with the senior management is arranged to discuss the
issue.
This Conference here by resolve to build
up enough organisational pressure upon the CAG administration so that the proposals
are discussed once again with the staff side and decisions there-on are
expedited.
THIS 48TH Conference here-by
adopts the following Charter of Demands and entrust the National Executive
Committee to pursue the demands through appropriate mechanisms.
Charter of Demands
1. Strengthen Audit & Accounts to Safeguard
People’s Rights
Stop down-sizing; Stop outsourcing & privatisation of Audit &
Accounts; Scrap Curtailment/shedding
of Audit functions in the name of Audit Plan; ensure continuance of the
existing Accounting and Auditing methodologies and appropriate party days with
scientific work norms; ensure effective Panchayati Raj Audit & Accounts by
sanctioning adequate posts; revisit restructuring of Audit effected from 1..4.
2012.
2. a) Amend Company Law and DPC Act for Audit
of Public Sector Undertakings
& Corporations even after
reduction of Government share to below 50%.
b) Amend Company Law to ensure the Audit
by IA&AD of all Public Limited
Companies listed with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
c) Enact
necessary law to bring audit of all public Financial Institutions by IA&AD.
3. Restructure the audit/accounts cadres
i)
Grant
5 promotions during one’s career
ii)
Common
nomenclature throughout IA&AD
iii)
Upgrade
LDC to Pay Level 4
iv)
Promotion
of DEO as Auditor (Accountant)
v)
Grant
of NFU to SA to Pay level 7 on Completion of 6 years of service
vi)
Earmark
40% of AAO cadre for promotion of SA on seniority-cum-fitness basis as AAO
vii)
Promotion
as AO on completion of 8 years’ service as AAO
viii)
Stenographers
of the same station be pooled together for promotion and HQr posts be shared
with field offices
4. a) Vacate
victimisation of Association leaders and activists
b)
Allow democratic functioning of
Association without interference from administration
5.
i) Fill
up all vacant posts through local recruitment, coming out of SSC if required;
ii) Reserve 80% posts for those from the
respective territory
iii) Restore unilateral transfer policy
6. i) Withdraw annual audit criteria introduced
vide letter dt 27 January 2011.
ii) Stop unilateral implementation of
transfer policy in Commercial Audit & P&T Audit
7.
Implement Arbitration Award on SA pay Scale
8. Permit all Employees in the GP of 1800
to appear for all Departmental Exams including SOGE.
9. Stop downsizing of P&T Audit Offices;
conduct audit of private service providers as per TRAI regulations, widen scope of
audit.
10. Re-imburse
hotel charges to Railway Audit personnel wherever Railway accommodation is not
allotted while on tour.
11. Restore metal
Pass facility to AAOs in Railway Audit
12. Restore/Extend JCM facility to AAOs
(who were part of the scheme upto 1984)
*****
.
