South Central Railway Mazdoor Union

It is a great relief that the Government of India has chosen to issue notification before Pooja Holidays, so that the Central Government employees can get revised pay for Dasara. It is heartening to note that the Government has accepted certain modifications suggested by the Staff Side with regard to the Pay Bands for which the Cabinet gave its approval on 14-8-2008. Under the present circumstances where in the political scenario is fast changing and the survival of the present UPA Government itself is at stake and depending upon the support of individuals, whose whims and fancies cannot be imagined by any,it will be prudent on our part to welcome the implementation of new scales at the earliest.

The Federations might have thought that allowing the Government to implement the Pay Scales and get the arrears paid to the employees is a better option instead of delaying or blocking the same on certain contentious issues on which the government is yet to spell out its stand . There is no doubt that the employees will get substantial rise in Pay and Allowances on implementation of the 6th CPC recommendations. Allowing 40% fitment and also DA linked Incremental rates, removing restrictions for the Transport Allowance, Doubling all allowances, Point to point fixation for the benefit of seniors, Educational Allowance at the rate of Rs.1000/- per child per month, reduction of service to 20 years for payment of full pension, allowing the upgradation to all the existing Group’D’ employees to Group’C’, clubbing of certain grades and also allowing higher grade placement for certain categories in the Railways etc. will go a long way to give some satisfaction to the Central Government employees and Pensioners in general. However, there are certain elements in the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission which need to be addressed by the recognized Federations.Payment of DA w.e.f 1.1.2006 on 2001 CPI-IW series, reduction of holidays, reduction of Commutation value of pension, recommendations with regard to privatisati9on, outsourcing many activities including Welfare and Medical need to be tackled effectively through negotiations with the Government. Undoubtedly the Central Government employees looking forward for necessary efforts by the All India Railwaymen’s Federation which can only secure justice in this regard. The Working Committee Meeting of All India Railwaymen’s Federation held recently on 17th & 18th August,2008 at New Delhi also reviewed the position with regard to implementation of the 6th CPC recommendations and felt that implementation of the recommendations need to be welcomed in the present circumstances .It also felt that the negative aspects which will adversely affect the working class should not be allowed and opined that the same can be marginalized across the table with the Government of India through discussion as the Cabinet Secretary assured that the recommendations of the 6th CPC are only of advisory nature and not final. We have come to this far from total denial of any pay commission by Shri P.Chidambaram, Hon’ble Minister for Finance and Shri Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister a couple of years back and they went on record that the Central Government employees do not require any 6th CPC as they got sufficient increase in the wages in 5th CPC itself and pondered even to implement the wage freeze.

Let us also hope that the organized labour will succeed in getting the arrears of payment for the employees in one lumpsum rather than 2 instalments of 40% and 60% so that it gives great relief to the employees