Monthly Archives: December 2018

Partial shut down of US Government – 8 lac workers affected

22 Saturday Dec 2018

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Washington, December 22 : In an attack on the US working population, most directly targeting the federal workforce, the Trump White House and Congress triggered a partial shutdown of the government at 12:01 AM Saturday. On the eve of the Christmas and New Year holidays, some 800,000 of the nation’s 2.1 million federal employees have been hit by the failure to fund a quarter of federal departments and agencies past a midnight Friday deadline.

Of these, an estimated 380,000 are indefinitely furloughed, i.e., put on unpaid leave, and another 420,000 workers deemed essential personnel are required to work without being paid. It is unknown at this time how long the shutdown—the third just in 2018—will last, but President Trump in an early morning tweet and a bill signing event later on Friday said it would continue “for a very long time.”

There was a three-day shutdown in January of this year, followed by a one-day shutdown in February. There have been 20 federal shutdowns over the past four decades, the longest extending for three weeks in the winter of 1995–96.

The main author of the current closure of federal services is Trump. Last week he insisted that he would shut down the government unless Congress allocated $5 billion for his wall along the US-Mexico border as part of any bill to keep the affected government departments and agencies funded.

Earlier this week, he appeared to reverse himself and signal his willingness to accept a potential deal being worked out between congressional Republicans and Democrats to temporarily extend funding without the wall money. In line with this, the Senate, by a voice vote Wednesday night, approved a bipartisan continuing resolution that would have kept the agencies open until February 8, following next month’s installment of the new Congress, with a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.

Trump then came under concentrated attack from far-right personalities on Fox News and outlets such as Breitbart News, as well as the extreme-right Freedom Caucus in the House. On Thursday morning, he told congressional Republicans that he would refuse to sign a bill based on the Senate measure and would veto any bill that did not allocate $5 billion for the wall. He accompanied this with a new round of fascistic denunciations of immigrants as murderers, drug pushers and rapists.

This was part of a calculated move to counter mounting political and legal threats associated with the anti-Russia special counsel investigation by appealing for popular support outside of the normal two-party channels, including among racist anti-immigrant elements of his base. To this end, the White House sent its fascist adviser Stephen Miller to defend Trump’s ultimatum on the wall on CNN and other news channels.

At the same time, Trump sought to tap into broad anti-war sentiment by ordering the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and cutting in half the troop level in Afghanistan.

The House Republican leadership dropped its plans to push through a continuing resolution along the lines of the Senate bill and instead passed a funding extension that added $5.7 billion for the wall and $8 billion in disaster relief spending. This was adopted Thursday night on a near-party line vote of 217 to 185, with all Democrats voting against and eight Republicans joining them. This set the course for a shutdown.

On Friday, the Republican Senate leadership suspended voting on the House bill with the wall funding in order to continue negotiations with the Democrats on a possible resolution. However, the House adjourned at 7 PM, agreeing to reassemble at noon Saturday, thereby foreclosing any possibility of legislation being approved before midnight to avert a shutdown. The Senate adjourned soon thereafter.

The Democrats are complicit in the shutdown. They have aided Trump’s anti-immigrant witch hunt with their silence on his mass incarceration of children, his deployment of troops to the border and his illegal evisceration of the right to asylum. Last January, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to give Trump $25 billion to build the wall in return for protections against deportation for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought into the country without documents when they were children—the so-called “dreamers” covered by the Obama administration’s DACA program. However, Trump eventually rejected the deal.

Since winning control of the House in last month’s midterm elections, the Democrats have repeatedly declared their readiness to work with Trump, even as they escalated the reactionary anti-Russia campaign, including their attack on Trump for his alleged “softness” toward Moscow. They agreed to give the White House an additional $1.6 billion to further militarize the border in the Senate bill that was rejected by Trump.

Neither the Democrats nor the federal employee unions, such as the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), have made any attempt to mobilize opposition in the working class either to the attacks on immigrants or to the government shutdown. The home page of the AFGE website does not even feature the lockout of hundreds of thousands of federal workers and requirement that hundreds of thousands more work without pay.

Nine of the 15 cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies are impacted by the shutdown. The affected departments include Homeland Security, Transportation, Commerce, State, Agriculture, Justice, Interior, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development. Impacted agencies include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Peace Corps, the Small Business Administration, the General Services Administration, the National Archives and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Other departments, including Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services have already been funded for the next year and will be spared.

The shutdown will not affect the repressive operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Border Patrol, the vast majority of whose personnel will work without pay for the duration. The same applies to federal law enforcement personnel in the Justice Department.

However, the National Park Service will be decimated, with more than 80 percent of its employees on furlough, resulting in the partial or total closure of national parks and federal monuments. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC will be hit, potentially forcing the shutdown of its museums.

Ninety-five percent of Housing and Urban Development workers are being furloughed, as well as 95 percent at the EPA, 96 percent at NASA, 80 percent at the Forest Service, 87 percent at Commerce, 83 percent at Treasury and 76 percent at Interior.

After previous shutdowns, new funding bills included provisions for back pay for federal employees who were furloughed, but there is no guarantee of that happening in the current instance. (Coutesy: Ganashakti)

CPI(M) oppose intercepting and monitoring of matters stored in computers

22 Saturday Dec 2018

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The Politburo of CPI(M) has issued the following statement:

“The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an order authorizing ten Central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt “any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer”.

This is a brazen attack on the fundamental right to privacy given to every citizen by our Constitution. This order goes against the spirit of Supreme Court judgements on telephone tapping guidelines, the right to privacy judgement and the Aadhar judgement. The track record of this government in harassing and persecuting citizens who do not share the RSS/BJP viewpoint is there for everyone to see. Individuals have been picked up for social media posts which are seen as being inimical to their image.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that this order must be rescinded immediately.

Double Loot of People’s Money

The government has sought, once again, Parliament’s approval to give Rs. 41,000 crores more to the public sector banks to recapitalize them. This will take the total recapitalizing amount to Rs. 1,06,000 crore this year.The banking crisis is being caused by the Modi government’s patronage to their cronies to take loans and then leave the country. Instead of making efforts to recover these loans, more public money is being pumped in to finance this loot of public money. This is the double loot of the hard-earned savings of the Indian people.

Till date, the Modi government has not revealed the list of crony capitalists and how much they have borrowed. This lack of transparency deepens the suspicion of the patronage being provided by the Modi government to such loot of public money.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the list of such crony capitalists be made public and steps initiated to recover these amounts.”

Red Salute to Com. Suseela Gopalan!

22 Saturday Dec 2018

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Comrade Suseela Gopalan, senior leader of CPI(M), former Minister in LDF government in Kerala, Member of Parliament, former President of AIDWA and wife of Communist legend Com. A.K.Gopalan, passed away 17 years earlier on 19th December 2001. On her death anniversary, I pay my respectful homage to Comrade Suseela Gopalan!

She had always been close to the working class and was formerly Chairman of the P and T co-ordinating Committee Kerala. During her MP days, she took up a lot of issues of the workers in the Parliament and settled many of them. I had the opportunity to meet her and discuss the workers’ issues, while Com. AKG was alive and afterwards. She was always very helpful and took up issues with the government effectively.

Red Salute to Com. Suseela Gopalan!

The govt. should issue orders without delay for pension contribution on actual pay.

22 Saturday Dec 2018

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One of the major item resulting in financial crisis for BSNL is the arbitrary decision of the government to collect pension contribution of the BSNL absorbed DOT employees on the basis of the maximum of the pay scale, instead of the actual pay. After the threat of strike by AUAB and discussion with the Communications Minister on 3rd December with the AUAB, it was agreed that decision will be taken to collect the pension contribution on the actual pay.

Almost 20 days are over after the agreement. The DOT should issue necessary orders without further delay. Further, the government should also take decision to refund the excess amount already collected till date. This will help in restoring the financial position of BSNL.

BSNL to raise loans of Rs.12,000 crore from PSUs

21 Friday Dec 2018

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Financial Chronicle has reported that BSNL is preparing to take Rs. 12,000 crores from PSUs. The full report is given below:

“State run BSNL is in the process of raising Rs 12,000 crore as loans from few public sector banks including Bank of Baroda in tranches to fund its huge operational maintenance expenditure as its services revenues dry up and internal accruals are used for network expenses, sources said.

But most importantly, it will have to raise the money without the Department of Telecom’s Letter of Comfort (LoC) which usually is available to PSUs from their nodal ministries for bank loans to be able to raise the funds at a lower rate of interest. But without it, BSNL will have to pay the higher commercial market rate of interest for the loans after DoT declined its request for an LoC, said a source privy to the development.

Bank of Baroda is said to be one of the key banks with whom BSNL will be raising major part of the amount.

However, the BSNL management refused to reveal any information while BoB had not responded the queries till the paper went to press.

BSNL operates all over India mainly in hinterlands sans key metros of Delhi and Mumbai. The PSU reeling under huge wage bill, legacy networks and severe competition more so after 2016 September with Jio’s entry is awaiting 4G spectrum allocations from the government which it has sought through recapitalisation via equity route. The expenditure this 4G allocation will be of the tune of Rs 6,500 crore on the finance ministry. North Block is yet to approve of this 4G spectrum fund allocation and the process is stuck still in inter-ministerial consultations killing precious time for the PSU for survival.

But the sources explained that even though fund will be raised on the market rates, the loans may not burden its present debt level, which is at Rs 13,000 crore on a top line of around Rs 27,500 crore where as the other two top players — Airtel has a debt of Rs 94,000 crore and Vodafone-Idea has Rs 1.15 lakh crore. Even with this loan, still BSNL will be the least leveraged telco in the present competitive scenario. It meets its huge wage bill of Rs 16,000 crore a year through its internal revenue generation and other expenditures are also met by its own service revenues which though is witnessing a gradual decline and expected to shore up once it is given 4G spectrum.

The government has not given BSNL the 4G spectrum to match competition and at the same time we are surviving even in this hyper competition time without a key service (4G) in our portfolio as Jio goes on giving cheap services with its financial muscle. The amount of Rs 12,000 crore will be raised in tranches for meeting the operational maintenance and some amount could be raised by the end of this month for the same, said the sources.

In June this year, the PSU had decided to borrow Rs 4,300 crore in the current financial year to fund capital expenditure plans. The PSU is also seeking its dues amounting to Rs 2,400 crore from its services from BharatNet, LWE networks and NFS projects from DoT which if comes will also help the PSU meet some of its immediate expenditures.

BSNL which was declared along with MTNL as an ‘incipient sick unit’ by the DPE has seen some of the worst times recently particularly after Jio’s entry along with other telcos. Its loss has widened to Rs 7,992 crore in 2017-18 nearly doubling from a loss of Rs 4,793 crore in 2016-17.”

 

Strike by Bank Officers

21 Friday Dec 2018

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Around 3.20 lakh officers from various state-run banks are on a one-day strike on 21st December seeking immediate wage revision and opposing the proposed merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda. The union also demanded wage revision, which is pending since November 1, 2017, for employees from scale 1-7.

Bank managements have mandated the industry lobby Indian Bank Association (IBA) to negotiate for scale 1-3.

“The IBA is also not coming forward to structure the 11th bipartite wage negotiations based on our charter of demands by discussing the wage revision for officers from scale 1-7 and also based on the concept of minimum wages as envisaged in the seventh Central pay commission report,” All- India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) general secretary Soumya Datta said.(Courtesy: Press Reports)

Govt. empowers itself to snoop on computer datas – .

21 Friday Dec 2018

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The central government has issued orders empowering 10 central agencies like Enforcement Directorate etc. to snoop on any computer for the purpose of interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer. This will result in complete snooping on the personal data of individuals and enable the government unlimited powers to victimise the people.
Political parties have strongly protested and demanded withdrawal of the order.

Memorandum to Prime Minister by National Co-ordinating Committee of Pensioners Associations (NCCPA)

21 Friday Dec 2018

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,

Memorandum to Hon’ble Prime Minister

NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS.
13-C Feroze Shah Road,
New Delhi.110 001
Website: http://www.nccpahq.blogspot.com
Email. nccpahq@gmail.com

President: Shiv Gopal Misra: Ph: 9717647594
Secretary General: K.K.N. Kutty Ph: 9811048303

Dated: 27th November, 2018.
To
The Honourable Prime Minister,
Government of India,
South Block,
New Delhi. 110 001.

Dear Sir,

We submit herewith a memorandum containing the demands, issues and grievances of the Central Government Pensioners. We request your goodself to kindly cause consideration thereof with a view to provide relief to them.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,

Sd/-
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General.

Memorandum

On behalf of the community of pensioners who retired from various Central Government establishments after putting in more than three decades of active service, we submit the following for your kind consideration and necessary direction to the concerned to evolve solutions to the issues raised therein. Before we dwell upon the issues in detail, permit us to mention sir, that NCCPA is the apex organisations of the Central Government Pensioners Associations in the country. Our affiliates also include associations of Pensioners of the Central Autonomous bodies. The grievances of the Pensioners mainly arise from the non-settlement of the following issues.

1. Implement option No.1 as per the pension fitment formula as recommended by the 7th CPC and grant MACP benefit with effect from 1.1.2006 .

The 7th CPC in appreciation of the demand placed by the Central Pensioners organisations jointly had recommended two distinct methodology of Pension revision leaving it to the beneficiaries to choose whichever is beneficial to them. The entire pension community was highly appreciative of the said recommendation and pleaded for the acceptance thereof to the Government. Unfortunately the Pension Department advised the Government not to accept Option No.1 on the ground that it was not feasible to be acted upon. The Government heeding to the said advice, accepted the recommendation and issued notification in which it was specified that the acceptance of the Government of the 7th CPC suggestion is subject to its feasibility of implementation. The subjective clause in the Notification was without precedence and appeared to be strange. In order to meet out the objections from large number of Pensioners, a Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the same Pension Department was set up. The Committee made the same recommendation to the effect that the suggestion of the 7th CPC contained in Option Nol1 was not feasible. They however suggested to the Government an alternative formulation to replace the recommendation of the 7th CPC. This was primarily to benefit the officials in organised Group A service, where career progression was time bound. In a written submission made to the Committee, the Staff Side of the National Council JCM pleaded for offering all the three alternatives so that the pensioner would be able to choose whichever was beneficial to them. The Committee’s conclusion that option No. 1 was not feasible was flawed in as much as the document, which the official side affirmed as the bare necessity to implement Option No. 1 was available in the case of 86% of the pensioners, even according to the Committee’s own finding. The Committee’s report was heavily one sided and was conceived to favour a section of the pensioners, especially those who retired from the higher echelons of the bureaucracy. If the third alternative , which was accepted and implemented had benefited pensioners who had retired from the lower rungs of the hierarchy, it was incidental. Our submission before your goodself is that the Government, having accepted the recommendation of the 7th CPC must implement the same. The feasibility or otherwise of the recommendation must be subjected to critical scrutiny. The Committee’s finding that the Pay Commission’s recommendation was not feasible had been made to enable them to put before the Government the third alternative. There is no difficulty in disproving the Committee’s findings on the question of “feasibility”. A large number of pensioners would have been benefited and the question of parity between the past and present pensioners would have been properly addressed.

Another related issue is the date of effect of the MACP Scheme. The recommendations of the 6th CPC was implemented with effect from 1.1. 2006. However, while issuing the orders the MACP was introduced from a different date i.e. with effect from. 1.09.2008. The matter went first to the Armed Forces Tribunal, where the Govt. lost in as much as the Tribunal made it clear that the Government’s decision to implement MACP from 1.09. 2008 was wrong. The Government took up the matter before the High Court, where again they lost. The matter went upto the Supreme Court,who also confirmed the position taken by the Tribunal. Having reached a finality, the Government issued orders making the scheme effective from 1.1.2006 but only in the case of armed forces personnel, leaving out the Civilian employees and Pensioners from the ambit of their latest order. This is despite many decision of the Honourable Supreme Court that similarly placed personnel should not be dragged to the court for redressal. The Staff Side of the National Council, JCM had taken up this issue with the Government twice but are disappointed as those communications have not been responded with till date. We request that the Department of Expediture, Ministry of Finance and the Department of Personnel may be directed to issue orders extending the MACP Scheme effective from 1.1.2006 in the case of all civilian pensioners.

2. Revise the Pension of BSNL absorbed retirees with 15% fitment recommended by the 3rd PRC and approved by the Government from 1.1.2017 delinking the wage revision in BSNL.

When BSNL was formed in 2000, the entire employees working in the Department of Telecommunications were absorbed in BSNL with assurance of better prospects and pension from consolidated fund of the government of India. Rule 37A was incorporated with the CCS (Pension) Rules , 1972 to ensure them government pension and also their pay was upgraded to IDA scales. The pension revision was given to them with 30% fitment , recommended by the 2nd PRC for the PSU employees from 01-01-2007. Later, they were also granted pension revision based on the 78.2% IDA fitment at par with the working employees of BSNL. But both these revisions were much delayed due to a condition of 60:40 stipulated by the government for payment of pensionary benefits. However with much effors and struggles, this condition was annulled by the Cabinet and the order issued vide No.40-13/2013-Pen (T) dated 20-07-2016. It is stated in the order, Para 2 (b) that “The liability towards pensionary benefits including family pension to the BSNL employees (excepting those recruited after 01-10-2000), as per sub rule, 22 of Rule 37-a of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, lies with the government.”

The 3rd PRC has recommended 15% fitment for the pay revision of PSU employees with effect from 01-01-2017 which has been approved by the government. The BSNL absorbed government retirees are fully justified to get their pension revised with 15% fitment from 01-01-2017 without linking to the wage revision of BSNL employees. Wage revision of BSNL employees is being delayed due to the affordability condition laid down by the 3rd PRC. The pension revision of BSNL absorbed government retirees has nothing to do with the finance of BSNL, as the entire liability lies with the central government. The Department of Telecommunications, despite the assurance by the hon’ble Minister of Communications for early pension revision, is adopting a negative approach and their mindset , even after a series of discussions and struggles, is for the pension revision only after pay revision of BSNL employees. The central government pensioners have already got their pension revised from 01-01-2016 as per the recommendations of 7th CPC. So it is a great injustice being meted out to the BSNL absorbed government retirees by denying the due pension revision, even after two years of their counterparts in central service got their pension revision.

3. Revise Pension of Central Autonomous Body pensioners.

There are more than 600 Central autonomous bodies. Thousands are employed in these institutions. These institutions were created as special vehicles to deliver certain goods and services for public benefit. Most of these institutions have adopted Govt. of India rules and regulations and service conditions. Some time back, the Govt. issued an executive fiat making it obligatory for these institutions to generate own funds and be self reliant. The said fiat as pointed out by the Managements of these institutions, were impracticable unless the user charges are increased manifold putting the public at large into unbearable financial burden. After the 7th CPC’s recommendations, most of these autonomous bodies revised the wages of the working employees and officers, but chose to punish the pensioners. In quite a number of cases, the pension revision has not taken place. Even the entitled dearness relief was not sanctioned in certain cases. It is our ardent plea to your goodself that the pension revision in the case of retirees from the autonomous bodies may be directed to be undertaken immediately and the funds required for the purpose being made available to these bodies.

4. Provide notional fixation of pension under Option No.3 on the basis of the pay scale/grade pay/pay level from which the pensioner retired. Provide fixation of pay in the case of all pre 2006 pensioners on the basis of the grade Pay/pay level/pay scale of the post or cadre from which one has retired as per the judgements of the court.

It is the interpretation of the Department of Expenditure that led to the denial of the legitimate quantum of pension in respect of some of the pensioners, who could not avail the benefit of pay scale revision during their service. The issue had been the subject matter of judicial scrutiny and the judgements were clearly against the interpretation of the Department of Expenditure Instead of accepting these court verdicts, the Govt. had been dragging the poor pensioners to higher courts denying them what is legitimately due to them. While the serving employees are given the benefit of revision of pay scale or grade pay, the same is denied to the Pensioners. In some cases, the Govt. has implemented the decisions of the tribunal denying the benefit to the other similarly placed personnel. The attitude of the Department of Expenditure has only led to the increase in the number of cases in the court apart from placing unbearable financial burden on the pensioners. This is also clearly against the principle/policy announced by the Government while setting up the administrative tribunals to the effect that the Govt. would abide by the decisions of these tribunals with a view to speed up the delivery of justice. It has now become a common practice for the Govt. to approach the High Court and Supreme Court whenever the decisions of the tribunals go contrary to the position taken by the Govt. We request you to kindly direct the Department of Expenditure to reverse their untenable interpretation in the matter and render justice to the Pensioners.

5 & 6. Extend the benefit of CS(MA) rules to all pensioners who are not covered by CGHS. Increase the FMA to Rs. 2000 pm as has been granted to PF pensioners. Introduce the health insurance scheme as suggested by the 7thCPC.

CGHS came into existence decades back inconsideration of the dire requirement of addressing the health cared needs of the Central Government employees. It commenced its operation in a few stations initially and was later widened to cover 26 important towns of the country including almost all metro cities. It received wider appreciation from the employees and Pensioners. However, its expansion was arrested in the post 1991 period, especially after the report of the Expenditure Reform Commission was submitted to the Government. Its service was curtailed and the budget allocation was drastically reduced. The number of empanelled hospitals at certain points of time got reduced. In a city like Mumbai, where number of Central Government employees and pensioners is huge, at some point of time, there had been only one or two empanelled hospitals. The health insurance scheme, which was one of the recommendations of the 6th CPC, did not take off. The health care has now become abysmally poor. While this is the case of the employees and pensioners in the CGHS covered areas, the situation in other moffusil stations is precarious. While the working employees have the old CCS(MA)system whereby they could get the expenses reimbursed, the poor pensioners are given a pittance of Rs. 1000 p.m.to meet out the health related expenses. Most of pensioners, being at the advanced age, require hospitalisation for continuous treatment of the ailments. Therefore, the demand for the extension of the CCS(MA) Rules had been raised continuously and persistently for many years. The Government has not responded to this demand positively. Rather on many occasions, the Govt. has expressed their inability to consider this demand fearing the huge financial outflow. We request your goodself, to kindly get the matter seriously examined from the humane angle and pending a decision thereon, kindly direct the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance to increase the FMA toRs 2000 p.m to the pensioners.
Incidentally, we may also bring to your kind notice that the 7th CPC had recommended for introduction of a health insurance scheme. This is an alternative worth considering by the Government as the insurance scheme will obviate the financial outflow from the exchequer. The Departments of Pension and expenditure may be asked to consider this recommendation seriously and evolve a scheme which would go a long way in addressing the health related problems of the pensioners to a very great extent.
7. Raise the minimum pension to 60% of the Minimum wage i.e. Rs. 10800pm.

Minimum Pension is presently computed as half of the minimum wage determined by the Pay Commissions. One is entitled for full pension on completion of the specified number of years of service. Pension is computed as 50% of the last pay drawn. It is, therefore, discernible that the computation of Minimum pension at 50% had been based on the assumption that pension is normally calculated as half of the last pay drawn. This appears to be not based on any sound principle. Minimum pension is related to Minimum wage. Minimum wage is the wage determined on the basis of the minimum basic and essential requirement of a person’s existence. As per the agreed formulations as early as in 1957, the basic essential requirement is considered to be the requirement of the family of a person. Family is defined as “Husband, wife and two children” treating this as three units. The formula stipulates and provides one unit for the bread earner, 0.8 units to his spouse and 0.6 unit for each children. The point at issue is that the minimum pension cannot be less than the minimum wage. Minimum wage being the least below which a person may not be able to live on, the same analogy must apply to the pensioner. Minimum pension is the need based requirement of a pensioner, whose family includes his spouse who is fully depended upon his pension income. However, taking into account the fact that the superannuation age of retirement being 60, no pensioner in the normal circumstances may have dependent children. The logical conclusion that emerges is that the minimum pension must not be less than 60% because the family of the pensioner shall have 1.8 units which is just 60% of the family units of a working employee. We request therefore, that the concerned may be advised to determine the minimum pension at 60% of the minimum wage, which will work out to Rs. 10,800 p.m.

8. Restore the commutation value of pension after 10 years.

The restoration of the commutation value of pension is made after 15 years. The 5th CPC had pointed out that the period of 15 years is too large in as much as the Government recovers the advance with interest in less than 11 years. Accordingly the 5th CPC recommended restoring the commuted value on completion of 12 years, so that full pension is restored. After the subsequent revision of the commutation value factor, the period by which the government could recover the full amount with interest has further been reduced to 10 years. The recommendation of the 5th CPC was not accepted by the Government. With this decision, the Government is presently recovering almost one and half times of the commuted value along with interest, interest being charged on fictional amount of principal. There is absolutely no justification for the stand taken by the Government in the matter. The Pensioner community feels that the Government is behaving like a cruel and parsimonious money lender. At no point of time, the Finance Ministry has been able to advance any logical argument in support of their reluctance to reduce the period from 15 to 10 years. This apart, quite a number of pensioners will not be able to receive the benefit of restoration as they may not be able to live even up-to 75 years. We, therefore, request you to kindly direct the Finance Ministry to issue orders for the restoration to 10 years.

9. Provide increased rate of pension on attainment of 70 years of age.

Taking into account, the increased financial requirement of a pensioner, the earlier Pay Commission had recommended to raise the pension by 20% on attainment of age of 80. This recommendation was implemented. Many of the pensioners are compelled to spend huge sums of money on health related problems and other debilities once they attain the age of 70. The Pensioners Associations had represented before the 7th CPC to increase the pension by 20% on attaining the age of 70 and a periodic rise to reach 100% on attaining the age of 90. The CPC however, on obtaining the opinion from the Defence Ministry turned down this request, even though the Pension welfare department had suggested to increase the pension on attainment of the age of 75. On such a crucial issue, it was unfortunate that the Pay Commission instead of arriving at an independent decision relied upon the opinion of the Defence Ministry. We are not aware of the circumstances under which the Defence Ministry came to such an unhelpful conclusion. Over the years, as your goodself is aware, the Government had been reducing the rate of interest on fixed term deposits, which had adversely affected the Pensioner community as most of the Pensioners have chosen to invest their retirement benefits on these instruments. While the constant reduction of interest rate by the RBI and consequently by the Financial institutions may be in consonance of the sound macro economic policy matters, there is no way the pensioners could compensate for their reduction in monthly income. They face a piquant situation in as much as they face reduction of their income and an increase in their financial requirement simultaneously. At the advance age, there is no cushion for them to absorb the unanticipated expenditure. Having recognised the fact that the advanced age poses problems it would be in the fitness of things, that the pensioner is granted a small increase in their pension income. We, therefore, request that the suggestion put forth by the Pensioner Community to increase the pension as suggested above.

10. Withdraw the contributory pension scheme and restore the defined benefit pension to all
Central Govt. employees.

The main objective of introducing the new contributory pension scheme in 2004 was stated to be to arrest the financial outflow on account of the constant increase in the pension liability of the Government. The IMF had earlier advised the Government to do so as a measure to contain the fiscal deficit in the Union Budget. The employees organisations had been consistently opposing this move and had been presenting the obvious fact that the pension liability of the Government would not be abated by this move, rather it would only register an increase. The 6th CPC set up a Committee to go into the matter headed by Dr. Gayatri. The Committee’s conclusion was akin to what the employees organisations were all along making. The matter came up for the consideration of the 7th CPC again as by that time the new scheme had been in operation for more than a decade. The Commission received many complaints and suggestions from the stake holders. These had been enumerated in their report. Instead of making any recommendation, the Commission suggested to the Government to set up a Committee to go into these complaints and take remedial measures. Govt. set up such a committee under the Chairmanship of the then Secretary, Pension, who heard the presentations made by the Service organisations and the Pensioners Associations. One of the suggestions made before the committee was to guarantee a minimum pension or a minimum return for the investments being made by the employees during their service career. It is reported that the Committee has submitted its report to the Govt. But the same has not come to the public domain so far. The Pensioners are, rightly so, apprehensive of the continuation of the present defined benefit pension system, they enjoy. The employees, who are recruited after1.12004 are highly agitated as the new scheme guarantees no mimum annuity nor does the projection made by the PFRDA gives them any hope for a decent return for the contribution they make every month which is presently 10% of their Pay + DA. The facts now available with the Government over the financial outflow from the exchequer both in respect of the Pension liability of the employees who were recruited prior to 1.1.2004 and the contribution the Government is to make under the new contributory scheme must convince that the decision taken to introduce the new scheme in replacement of the erstwhile defined benefit scheme had been flawed. If that be so, the scheme requires to be scrapped lock stock and barrel as it has not benefitted the Govt, nor the subscribers, i.e. the employees. The discontent over this ill advised decision is growing day by day and the younger generation of workers and officers have become highly critical. We, therefore, request you to kindly cause a revisit with a view to bring back the defined benefit pension scheme for all Central Government employees.

K.K.N.KUTTY
Secretary General

Address to the Inaugural Session of BSNLEU AIC by V A N Namboodiri

21 Friday Dec 2018

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Address to the Inaugural Session of the AIC of BSNLEU on 17th December 2018 at Mysuru by V.A.N.Namboodiri, Founder General Secretary, BSNLEU
Respected President Com. Balbir Singh, CITU General Secretary Com. Tapan Sen, who inaugurated this Conference, Comrade Amanulla Khan, President AIIEA, Comrade P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU, Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA, Com. Seethalakshmi, General Secretary, P IV Union, Com. Umesh, General Secretary, CITU Karnataka, Com. Animesh Mitra, Secretary General, BSNLCCWF, Com. Mahantesh, Circle Secretary BSNLCWF Karnataka,Com. Swapan Chakraborty, Dy. General Secretary, Gokul Borah, Treasurer, C.K.Gundanna, General Convener, Reception Committee, Com. H.V.Sudarshan, Asst. General Secretary, BSNLEU, Com. M.C.Balakrishna, Circle President BSNLEU Karnataka, Com. G.D.Patil, veteran leader AIBDPA, Com. Muddiah, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, Karnataka, Com.B.P.Narayana, former Circle President BSNLEU, Com. Balajai, senior leader CITU, other distinguished leaders who are present, leaders of the of the Reception Committee, all the delegates who have come from all parts of the country, visitors and well-wishers!
Dear Comrades and Friends, My Warm Greetings to all of you who are present here in this All India Conference!
First of all, I thank Com. P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary BSNLEU and Com. C.K.Gundanna, General Secretary Reception Committee, for the kind invitation to me to attend and address this august IX All India Conference of BSNLEU, being held in this great and ancient city of Mysuru, the cleanest city in the country. It is also the cultural centre of the Karnataka state with its great cultural tradition, where centuries back, Shri Basavanna preached for communal harmony and removal of caste discrimination.
BSNL is 18 years old and BSNLEU 17 years. Both are part of the heritage – BSNL that of P and T Department and BSNLEU, that of NFPTE, the great united organisation of the P and T workers. We always cherish this memory.
Both the UPA and NDA governments in furtherance of their anti-PSU and anti-people policy have conspired to close, disinvest BSNL, unbundle the copper cables, impose VRS, formation of tower company bifurcating BSNL etc. etc., but the united and sustained struggles organised by the Forum/Joint Forum, AUAB etc. with the initiative of BSNLEU have thwarted all these attacks and defended and saved BSNL.
Now the latest challenge before the workers is the settlement of the Wage Revision due from 01-01-2017, Pension Revision, 30% pension benefits for the BSNL recruited employees to whom the statutory defined pension is denied, reducing the pension contribution based on the actual pay instead of the maximum pay etc. The question of allotment of 4G Spectrum, which is essential for providing the latest efficient services, is also a major demand. You can be proud that the sustained agitational programme and the notice for Indefinite Strike from 3rd December 2018 and the full preparation for the same compelled the Communications Minister to meet the AUAB, discuss the issues on the basis of which the indefinite strike has now been deferred.
Promises are to be kept. But this is a government which did not honour its assurances and promises made either at the time of election or afterwards. Hence continued pressure is required for achievement of the demands.
The young recruits, who are highly qualified, have their own aims and objectives to improve their status and financial position. This has to be taken care of. The agreement to increase the pensionary benefits now to 26% and later to the full 30% is a great achievement.
Wage Revision and Pension Revision are very important demands. Some assurances have been received on delinking of pension and pension revision. The Pension revision should be granted with 15% fitment as recommended by the III PRC. No such assurance is given on wage revision. The wage revision is of prime importance, the workers are impatient and the AUAB has to continue its efforts in the matter. In fact, today 17th December is the “Pensioners’ Day” being observed in memory of the historic Supreme Court judgment in Nakara case, which upholded and declared that pension is a right and not any charity.
About one lakh casual contract workers engaged in BSNL are cruelly exploited, Minimum wage is not paid and social security benefits are not implemented in many circles. The issues are under discussion with the CLC, management etc. In fact local struggles are going in many circles. The exploitation of the casual labour In Varanasi and E.UP from where Prime Minister Modi was elected was brought to the notice of the Prime Minister himself, but nothing changed. The exploitation continues. BSNLEU should give all support and solidarity to the struggles of the Casual and Contract workers.
The last four and half years of the BJP government have brought more and more misery to the common people. The demonetisation, GST, denial of trade union rights, non-implementation of election promises including waiver of loans of Kisans and 150% minimum support price to the farmers, brutal intervention in the functioning of autonomous institutions like CBI, CVC, RBI etc. creating almost constitutional crises, undue favouring to the corporate houses, non-action against NPAs – the system is being collapsed. We have got a Prime Minister, who attended Parliament only 17 days during the last four and half years, with more time spent on foreign visits to about 80 countries costing the exchequer about 2000 crores as per paper reports. Corruption cases, including Rafael, are being exposed. Communal harmony is being threatened. The GDP increase has been very slow.
The central government employees and pensioners are on struggle for wage and pension benefits. The Option 1 recommended by the VII CPC is not implemented. Pension is under attack. One Rank, One Pension is not implemented except in Defence. Another demand is that the PFRDA should be annulled and that the old system of pension ie. Defined Statutory Pension is to be restored for the new recruits.
The Central Trade Unions, in continuation of the sustained struggle have called upon the workers to organise 2days strike on 8-9 January on the major demands of the working class. BSNLEU had always joined these struggle in the past years. This time also BSNLEU has decided to be part of this great struggle.
The support and solidarity and donations given by the entire country at the time of the unprecedented floods and landslides in Kerala in which 413 precious lives were lost are remembered with thanks by the people of the state. The government and the people are trying to build up a new Kerala better than that existed.
The Kerala LDF government stands for equal status to the women in all spheres and is committed to implement the Supreme Court order against restricting of entry of women in to the temple. The government is making all efforts to make the Sabarimala a place of peaceful worship, despite the violence and rowdyism of the RSS goondas.
Though I am not technically part of of BSNLEU at present, the bond with it continues. It is a strong bond which will continue for ever. I can assure you that I will always be with you in your struggles and achievements. I am sure that BSNLEU, you comrades, will always be in the forefront of the struggles of the working class.
The most important duty of a trade union is to fight for the rights and demands of its members. Second is its progressive outlook and working class character. Third is the urge for the working class unity and connection with sister unions, central trade unions and the International working class. BSNLEU has been continuing on the correct line on all these. I congratulate the leaders and workers for the same.
I do not want to take much time of the AIC, since you have got a lot of issues to discuss and take decisions. While once again thanking the organisers for inviting me to the AIC, I warmly greet you all and quote the slogan raised by our revolutionary leader Com.K.G.Bose:
Struggle for Unity, Unity for Struggle!
I may add one more : Unity and Struggle for Progress!
Revolutionary Greetings to all of you! Lal Salam Comrades!

IX AIC of BSNLEU held successfully

21 Friday Dec 2018

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The IX AIC of BSNLEU held at Mysuru from 17th to 20th December 2018 was held successfully discussing and taking decisions on all important issues. The following office-bears have been unanimously elected:

List of All India Office-bearers of BSNL Employees Union (CHQ)
President : Com. Animesh Mitra, West Bengal
Vice-presidents : (1) Com. Balbir Singh, Ludhiana, Punjab
(2) Com. Nagesh Kumar Nalawade, Maharashtra
(3) Com. R.S.Chouhan, NTR, New Delhi
(4) Smt. K. Ramadevi, Andhra Pradesh
(5) Com. M.K. Dave, Gujarat.
(6) Com. K.S. Soun, Uttarakhand.
General Secretary : Com. P. Abhimanyu, Puducherry.
Dy. General Secretary : Com. Swapan Chakraborty, NE-I
Asst. General Secretaries : (1) Com. Sampath Rao, Telangana
(2) Com. S. Chellappa, Tamil Nadu
(3) Com. John Verghese, Maharashtra
(4) Com. Prakash Sharma, Madhya Pradesh
(5) Com. R.K. Mishra, UP (East)
(6) Com. Vijayakumar, Kerala
Treasurer : Com. Gakul Borah, Assam
Organising Secretaries : (1) Com. Ramesh Chand Sharma, Haryana
(2) Com. Sisir Kr. Roy, CTD, Kolkata
(3) Com. P.K. Jain, Rajasthan.
(4) Com. Amarjith Singh, Himachal Pradesh.
(5) Com. Naresh Pal, UP (West).
(6) Com. M.C. Balakrishna, Karnataka.
(7) Com. Irfan Pasha, Karnataka.
(8) Com. S.D. Chowdhary, TF-Mumbai
(9) Com. P.R. Parameswaran, Kerala.

Hearty Congratulations to all the elected office-bearers!