EMPLOYEES, MILITARY PERSONNEL ARE UNHAPPY
“In the prevailing economic conditions, the proposed hike as per the Pay Commission is inadequate. It is not acceptable to us,” M Duraipandian, General Secretary, Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, Tamil Nadu, said. “If the government does not heed our demand (on revising the hike), we will be forced to advance the indefinite strike call to 4 July instead of 11 Jul.”
The National Joint Council for Action also announced that 33000 South Western Railway employees will go on strike to oppose the pay commission. India.com quoted one of the office-bearers of the union.
“Two of the most significant issues that have triggered the strike are the inordinate delay in taking decisions on the Pay Commission recommendations and refusal of the government to bring back the old statutory defined benefit scheme of pension to all employees in place of the contributory pension scheme. The government has not shown any interest in addressing our demands that include filling vacant posts, no foreign direct investment in railways and no privatization.”
Public employees in Jammu and Kashmir also demanded that 7th Pay Commission recommendations are enforced in the state. INTUC leader Shiv Kumar Sharma urged that daily wage workers must also be regularised. The Daily Excelsior reported.
“The trade union leader strongly demanded that daily wagers of all categories be regularised by framing a definite policy and their pending wages be released. He said there should be provision of job for a family member of the deceased daily wager. Moreover left out daily rated workers be included in the lists. The daily wagers be provided regular wages workers be provided wages at the rate of Rs 350 per day. ”
According to this report in The Hindu, there is a widespread feeling of discontentment. An officer of the Indian Police Association, said “What a pity that a few IAS officers decide the destiny of the civil services, treat commission reports so contemptuously, throw the progressive civil service reform agenda into the dustbin.”
Officers in military and defense are also not happy that the new pay matrix system which will replace the pay grade system will “worsen the disparity between military officers and their civilian counterparts.”
The Congress party has also attacked the Government.
The Indian Express reports that Randeep Surjewala, Congress spokesperson debunked the claim that this was a historic pay rise. He claimed that the hike was only 15% and that it was in fact the lowest hike since independence. He also accused the Government of discriminating against workers by increasing the pay gap between the highest and lowest rung of employees.
“Earlier the ratio was 1:12. The Employees’ Federation demanded a ratio of 1:8. But Modi Government has given a ratio of 1:14, meaning thereby, people in higher category will get higher salary and people in middle and lower category will get lower salary. Why this discrimination Modi ji against poor and ordinary employees?”
General Secretary of Communist Party of India – Marxist, Sitaram Yechury, also said that there are some anomalies. Reserving a more detailed critique until the fine-print of the report be read, The Hindustan Times reported him as saying:
“These recommendations were to be implemented from an earlier date. We now heard the government saying that it will be done from this year. So the government has already saved a lot of money which is due to the working people of our country”
He also said that the lower paid employees have not benefitted from the Pay Commission’s proposal.
Apoorva Pathak believes that the Government’s move amounts to a disservice to dedicated civil servants like her father. In her article in DailyO, she writes about the low pay hike and also points out that the system places a premium on seniority rather than merit, to the disadvantage of honest and hard working officers.
“Hikes of more than 15 per cent on an annual basis is not unusual in private sector whereas the annual hike is only three per cent for government employees. So when the once-in-a-decade rise too is less than what the private sector gets annually, it surely makes one wonder if public service is a sin for which the government employees are being punished.”
She concludes that “All in all, the pay panel proved to be a case of great expectations and greater disappointments. Achhe din for the talented and performers among public servants still seem to be a elusive and distant dream.”
Now that 7th pay commission for govt employees implemented, when should we expect the 1st income commission for farmers?
Source : http://www.sify.com
