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Friday 28 August 2015

Strike on 2nd Sep, 2015: Govt assured on Bonus enhancement, Wages formula



Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Labour & Employment

27-August-2015 21:05 IST

Inter Ministerial Committee Holds Wider Consultations with Trade Unions on Charter of Demands Appeals to Reconsider Proposed Call for Strike in View of Discussions


The Second meeting of Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) continued discussion on 12 Demands Charter of Trade Unions for the second day here today in continuation of discussions held yesterday. The Committee comprises Shri Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, MoS(IC) Labour and Employment, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, MOS(IC) Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Jitendra Singh, MoS DOPT, and Shri Piyush Goel, MoS (IC),Power. During the discussions Trade Unions expressed concern and asked for clarifications on their demands. Addressing their concerns and expectations, the Finance Minister explained policies on which the Government is working and assured that the Government is committed to welfare of labour. Underlining the importance of role of Trade Unions, Shri Jaitely assured the Central Trade Unions that all labour laws reforms will be done with due discussions and tripartite consultations.

In view of the discussions held in conducive and cordial atmosphere, the IMC appealed to Trade Unions to reconsider the proposed call for strike on 2nd September, 2015.The Trade Unions have agreed to consider the appeal.

In view of the suggestions given by Central Trade Unions in the meetings held on 19th July, 26th August and 27th August, 2015, the Government assured the following :

1. Appropriate legislation for making formula based minimum wages mandatory and applicable to all employees across the country.

2. For the purposes of bonus the wage eligibility limit and calculation ceiling would be appropriately revised. Earlier in 2006-07 the calculation ceiling was decided at Rs.3500/- and eligibility limit was wage of Rs.10,000/- per month which is proposed to be revised to Rs.7,000 and Rs.21,000 respectively.

3. The Government is expanding the coverage of social security and working out ways to include construction workers, Aanganwari workers ,ASHA workers and Mid Day Meal workers.

4. Regarding contract workers the Government assured that they will be guaranteed minimum wages. Moreover, the Government is working out ways so that workers of industries will get sector specific minimum wages.

5. Government has already enhanced minimum pension for EPFO members and every pensioner gets minimum pension of Rs.1000/- per month perpetually.

6. Labour laws reforms will be based on tripartite consultations as already stated by the Prime Minister. The States are also being advised to follow the tripartite process.

7. For strict adherence to labour law enforcement, advisory has been issued to the State/UT Governments and strict monitoring has been initiated by Central Government.

8. For employment generation Mudra Yojana, Make in India, Skill India and National Career Service Portal initiatives have been taken.

9. Abolition of interviews for all primary jobs which do not require any special knowledge/expertise, is being done for transparency and expediting the process of recruitment.

10. Inflation is lowest in the last many years excepting two items onion and pulses. Government is taking necessary steps to contain the higher prices of these two commodities also.

It was further clarified that there is no ban on filling up of vacancies in Government jobs and all concerned Departments are taking necessary action to fill-up these vacancies. It was further assured that the Government is committed to job security, wages security and social security to the workers. The issue of equal wages for equal work for contract workers is an issue requiring wider consultations and a committee will be constituted, if required.



Source : http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=126401

Thursday 27 August 2015

Cabinet clears four-month extension to 7th Central Pay Commission .



The Union Cabinet today cleared a four-month extension to the term of the 7th Central Pay Commission today.


Set up by the UPA government in February 2014, the 7th Central Pay Commission was to make its recommendations within 18 months. Its term would have expired on August 27.

“In view of its volume of work and intensive stake-holders’ consultations, the 7th Central Pay Commission had made a request to the Government for a four month extension up to December 31, 2015,” a government statement said.

Constituted almost every 10 years, the Pay Commission’s main task is to revise the pay scale of its employees. The recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission—slated to come into effect from January 1, 2016, would impact around 48 lakh central government employees and 55 lakh pensioners.

The Commission has already completed discussions with various stakeholders, including organisations, federations, groups representing civil employees as well as Defence services and is in the process of finalising its recommendations.

Wednesday 19 August 2015

ENHANCEMENT OF CASH HANDLING LIMIT OF SAS AND MPKBY AGENTS- ORDER

TIME FOR SUBMISSION OF REPORT OF 7th CPC EXTENDED FOR ONE MONTH

The panel headed by A.K. Mathur is unlikely to recommend lowering of the retirement age or push for lateral entry and performance-based pay


Finance minister Arun Jaitley. The Seventh Pay Commission was supposed to submit its report and recommendations to the finance ministry on 31 August. Photo: HT

New Delhi: The Seventh Pay Commission, headed by justice A.K. Mathur, has sought a one-month extension from the finance ministry and is preparing to submit its report by the end of September. The commission is unlikely to recommend the lowering of the retirement age as rumoured earlier or push for lateral entry and performance-based pay.

The commission, set up once in every 10 years to review pay, allowances and other benefits for central government employees, was appointed by the previous government on 28 February 2014 and was asked to submit its report in 18 months, which falls on 31 August.

“There are some data points that are missing, which we hope to get by this month end. We are trying to submit the report by 20 September,” an official of the commission said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Sixth Pay Commission had submitted its report a little ahead of its deadline on 24 March 2008. The revised pay scales were implemented retrospectively starting 1 January 2006, while recommendations relating to allowances were implemented prospectively.

The finance ministry apprehends that salary and pension expenditure will both rise by around 16% in 2016-17 as a result of the implementation of the Pay Commission recommendations. This may allow capital expenditure to grow by no more than 8% during the year, leaving little room to aggressively push for an infrastructure build-up.

“The Pay Commission impact may have to be absorbed in 2016-17. The phase of consolidation, extended by one year, will also be spanning out in this period. Thus, in the medium-term framework, the fiscal position will continue to be stressed,” the finance ministry said in the 2015-16 budget presented in February.

The official cited earlier said the Pay Commission report needs to be effective from 1 January 2016, or by April 2016 at the latest.

“It will be the government’s prerogative when to implement it. But beyond 1 January 2016, there will be arrears. But then, the government will be subject to criticism. Earlier, they had hidden behind Pay Commissions giving late reports,” he added.

However, the official said the commission is likely to maintain the status quo on the retirement age of central government employees, currently 60 years. “We are not going to either recommend lowering or raising the retirement age. If we lower the age limit, the pension burden will bust the government’s medium-term fiscal targets,” he added.

Asked whether government has sent any directives to the commission on the kind of hike it can afford, the official said the message it has got broadly is to keep the hikes low. “Merge the basic with dearness allowance, don’t stretch it beyond—that is the message. But that is a good message for the government to send. But there is no pressure otherwise. In fact, there is a lot of cooperation,” he said.

The official said merging basic pay with dearness allowance, which is mandatory, would itself mean a 155% rise for central government employees. “We have to decide how much to give above that. So, it will look good if you compare basic to basic,” he added.

On whether the commission will recommend performance-based pay bands, he said it will make some feasible recommendations, though he couldn’t guess if the government would accept them. The Sixth Pay Commission had also recommended performance-based pay revisions, but the government is yet to implement them.

“Eighty-eight percent of central government employees are industrial and non-industrial workers working with railways, post, paramilitary and army. So, performance-based pay revision is the wrong instrument for them. Biggest growth in government services is in paramilitary forces, where staffs in Central Reserve Police Force and Central Industrial Security Force have gone up by 75-80% in the last 10 years. By the time we have dealt with them, the bureaucracy is an afterthought. It does not affect anything,” he added.

D.K. Joshi, chief economist at rating agency Crisil Ltd, said the government is expected to be restrained in its pay hikes this time around, given the low inflation level and tepid growth momentum. “The last two Pay Commissions had significantly bumped up demand and fiscal deficit. But the government is unlikely to be populist this time. It has already showed restraint in the hike in minimum support prices for farmers,” he said.

However, Joshi said the Pay Commission will have a permanent income effect as well as a one-time impact through the payment of arrears, which will lead to increase in demand for consumer durables.


Wednesday 12 August 2015

DATE OF GENERAL BODY MEETING CHANGED

The date of holding of general body meeting at Barasat HO called by group of NFPE has been changed on 23-08-15 instead of 16-08-15 due to School Service Examination on 16-08-15. 

Friday 7 August 2015

RED SALUTE TO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS

IN MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION PROCESS, 75% AND 65% EMPLOYEES OF GROUP-C AND POSTMEN & MTS RESPECTIVELY  UNDER BARASAT DIVISION SUBMITTED THEIR DECLARATION IN FAVOUR OF NFPE .

Re-classification/Upgradation of Cities/Towns on the basis of Census-2011 for the purpose of grant of House Rent Allowance (HRA) to Central Government employees.