CIRCULAR 6/08

Circular-6/08

On 25th August we were in the North Block to pursue various issues already taken up with the Member and Chairman of C.B.E.C during our earlier visits. On 26th morning we were able to meet Chairman and requested him:
· to resume the inter Commissionerate transfer at the earliest,
· to stop the direct recruitment of appraisers, to stop utilizing inspectors in different nature of jobs ( like D.E.O, P.A etc),
· to provide an office room in New Delhi for The All India Association.

Follow up action in respect of the points given below were done at various Sections

• A.C.P anomaly of 1992 batch inspectors
• Counting of regular service for granting A.C.P and promotion.
• Unified G.P.F account.
  ORGANISATION
  On 25th and 26th of August a meeting of the available office bearers was held at Delhi. The venue of the next CEC meeting was the main agenda of the meeting. Superintendent Association had submitted one letter requesting us to participate in a rally that has been organized in Delhi on 16th of September. We have discussed the matter at length and decided to extend our moral support. The letter is reproduced below:
  
  ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL EXCISE GAZETTED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS’
  
  C.No. ASSCN/AIACEGEO/05/2005/1897 Dated: 26.08.2008
  
  To
  The Secretary General,
  All India Central Excise Inspectors’ Association,
  Kolkata.
  
  Dear friend,
  Sub: Request to participate in the procession to parliament
  The Association in its AEC meeting held on 9th and 10th of August, 2008 has decided to organize a protest procession to parliament on 16th of September, 2008 against the indifferent attitude and dilatory tactics of the Central Board of Excise & Customs towards the acute stagnation confronted by the Group-‘B’ Executive Officers (gazetted and non-gazetted) causing hostile discrimination and serious pay erosion.
  The Association requests to participate in the said programme for the sake of solidarity and unity.
  Thanking You
  Sd/-
  (S.P.Siddhanta)
  IMPLEMENTATION OF 6TH CPC REPORT – MEETING OF CONFEDERATION
  
  The cabinet has decided to implement the 6th CPC recommendations without accepting any of the major suggestions made by the employees’ organizations to the Committee of Secretaries. The Govt. has accepted only those suggestions made by the Group-‘A’ officers’ organizations. The employees had demanded that the Govt. must re-determine the minimum wage at Rs. 10,000 computed on the basis of the 15th ILC norms. Had the minimum wage been computed even as per the formulations made by tbe 5th CPC, it should have been Rs. 7400/-. The Govt. had announced in March, 2004, that the Commission's recommendation to raise the salary by 40% would be accepted. Since the fitment formula suggested by the Commission had not brought about the uniform rise of 40%, the employees organization before the Committee of Secretaries had pleaded for the revision of the same. As per the 6th CPC recommendation, the fitment benefit was of the order of about 180% for senior officers and as low as 12% for a certain segment of employees. Had the suggestion of the employees organizations been accepted, it would have only brought about the uniform benefit of 40% for all employees without reducing the grand benefit bestowed on the top level officers of the Govt.. By not accepting this, the employees will continue to have a depressed wage for a long time to come.
  The Govt. has not done anything to correct the wide disparity in wages amongst the employees and officers accentuated by the recommendation of the 6th CPC, which was the root cause for discontent amongst the employees. The declaration made by the Govt. that the minimum wage would be raised to Rs. 7000/- is in fact a misnomer. The Wage of a group D employees is considered to be the minimum wage. It is decided to be at Rs. 6046 even after the Cabinet decision. It is only in the case of the lowest grade of Gr.C. cadres, the minimum wage is at Rs. 7000. This is far below even if the computation of minimum wage is made on the 5th CPC recommendation, which would be Rs. 7400. The employees are to suffer in their wages in the long run as the pay bands have been created on this premise.
  The Commission has recommended for the abolition of about 9 lakhs Group D posts. The Group D functions would be contractorised. No decision seems to have been taken by the Govt. to reverse this recommendation.
  In short the present decision of the Government is disappointing in so far as employees are concerned as none of their major suggestions has been accepted by the Govt. The National Executive of the Confederation met on 26.08.2008 to decide upon the future course of action. It appealed all Central Government employees to demonstrate their discontent and disappointment and to muster with other sections of the working class. It was decided that the confederation will indulge itself into mass mobilization against the discriminatory suggestions of VIth Pay Commission which ultimately culminate into an indefinite strike and a strike notice will be served by the mid of December.
  The circular and resolution adopted by The Confederation is available at www.confederationhq.blogspot.com
  KOUSIK ROY