MAKE 25TH DHARNA A GRAND SUCCESS, BE PREPARED FOR DIRECT ACTION TO HALT ALL ANTI WORKER ATTITUDE OF THE ADMINISTRATION, POSTAL BUREAUCRACY!
get ready for immediate strike if situation warrants
STRIKE DATE WILL BE ADVANCED IF DEPARTMENT GO AHEAD WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF MCKINSEY REFORMS:
FIVE LAKHS POSTAL EMPLOYEES OF INDIA POST IN ONE VOICE DECLARE:
• NO MORE CLOSURE AND MERGER OF POST OFFICES
• NO MORE CLOSURE AND MERGER OF SORTING SECTIONS AND RMS OFFICES
• NO MORE CURTAILMENT OF DELIVERIES AND POSTMEN BEATS
• NO MORE FIRST CLASS MAIL HUBS AND DELIVERY HUBS
• NO MORE FRANCHISE (PRIVATE) POST OFFICES AND POST SHOPPE.
• NO MORE OUTSOURCING AND CONTRACTORISATION OF POSTAL FUNCTIONS
AND ALSO WE DEMAND
ô IMMEDIATE SETTLEMENT OF LONG PENDING SECTIONAL DEMANDS OF ALL CADRES OF POSTAL AND RMS EMPLOYEES INCLUDING GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS AND CASUAL LABOURERS.
INDEFINITE STRIKE FROM 2011 JULY 5TH
IN 1946Ø JULY ENTIRE P&T EMPLOYEES WENT ON INDEFINITE STRIKE AGAINST THE BRITISH IMPERIALISM
IN 2011 JULY ENTIRE POSTAL EMPLOYEES ARE GOING AHEAD FOR ANOTHER INDEFINITE STRIKE AGAINST THE IMPERIALIST GLOBALIZATION POLICIES AND THE US-BASED MCKINSEY REFORMS IN INDIA POST
WE DON'T WANT THE FOREIGN CONSULTANT TO DECIDE OUR FATE
MCKINSEY IS FOR PRIVATISATION OF INDIA POST
WE SHALL OPPOSE IT LOCK STOCK AND BARREL
WE ARE READY TO SACRIFICE TO SAVE INDIA POST
PREPARE FOR A DETERMINED AND UNCOMPROMISING STRUGGLE
MAKE THE MAY 25TH DHARNA PROGRAMME A GRAND SUCCESS.
ORGANISE CIRCLE LEVEL JOINT CONVENTIONS OF NFPE & FNPO
PARTICIPATE IN THE JUNE 19TH ALL INDIA JOINT CONVENTION AT CHENNAI
Dear Comrades,
We are in receipt of encouraging reports from various circles and Divisions about the mobilisation by grass root level workers and leaders for the total participation of employees in the indefinite strike from 5th July 2011 as per the call of Central Joint Council of Action (NFPE, FNPO & GDS Unions)
Department's move for implementing the Mckinsey Consultancy's disastrous recommendations has resulted in allround protest and stiff resistance from employees especially in Chennai and Hyderabad. Chennai Postmen staff has went on three day's strike and successfully resisted the Mckinsey reforms and halted it. Andhra comrades are conducting continuous agitational and campaign programmes throughout the Circle against the unilateral implementation of Mckinsey reforms. "Mckinsey Go Back" has become the slogan of the fighting comrades.
Postal Board is trying to go ahead with the Mckinsey reforms. Speed post hubs have resulted in erosion of public faith in the efficiency of this premium services. Now the department want to implement hubs for first class ordinary mails and registered articles. Total number of sorting offices will be reduced to 77. Further Chief PMGs have already sent proposals to Directorate for closure / merger of thousands of Post offices in urban areas. Privatisation and contractorisation of the Mail Motor Service (MMS) is also on the anvil. Opening of Franchise Post offices (Private Post offices) in a new name called "Post shoppe" and outsourcing of many other postal functions are also under serious consideration. Orders are already issued abolishing the sorting postman cadre altogether.
Gramin Dak Sevaks are facing the worst attack they have ever faced after independence of the country. Bonus has been reduced. Norms for cash handling and stamp sale drastically reduced. Norms for calculating the workload and allowances of Branch Postmasters have been curtailed resulting in reduction of allowances. Compassionate appointments limited to 10%. 25% of the Postmen vacancies are given to outsiders. And as a last blow, the GDS Conduct and Employment Rules has been changed and instead of "Employment" the word "Engagement" has been substituted. "Appointing authority" is changed as "Recruiting Authority", thus permanently blocking the chances of GDS to be treated as Civil Servants. All the adverse recommendations of Nataraja Moorthy Committee are implemented one by one. The revision of wages of casual labours w.e.f. 01.01.2006 is still pending and the orders for outsourcing their work is not yet withdrawn.
Many sectional demands listed in the 25 point charter of demands are yet to be settled. Cadre restructuring of all cadres, Decentralization of PLI and RPLI, Filling up of vacancies, Revision of OSA and OTA rates, Non implementation of JCM (Departmental Council) assurances, Non-settlement of demands raised in the Postman Committee, issues of MTS, parity in pay-scale and promotion to MMS Drivers, SBCO and Civil Wing issues, problems of Postal Accounts Staff, counting of services of ex-RTP staff, Discrimination towards PO and RMS Accountants Cadre, MACP anomalies, review of Postmaster cadre orders etc. are agitating the minds of the employees for the last more than one year.
Comrades, the very existence of Postal Department as a Government Services and its five lakhs employees is under threat from the Government. This is a question of "DO or DIE". We have to face the challenge. We shall fight it out with all forces at our command. We are confident that we can stop this onslaught.
Let us prepare ourselves for a massive breakdown from 5th July 2011, which alone can compel the Government to come forward and settle the genuine demands of the Postal workers.
With greetings,
Fraternally yours,
M.Krishnan. SG, NFPE
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Reason behind hike in Petrol Prices
Just some days back, the Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs) declared a sharp hike in petrol prices to the tune of Rs 5 per litre. The move came immediately after the Assembly elections of some states. That was indeed quite an opportunistic move. Even after this hike, the OMCs are still losing about Rs 5.5 per litre. So there is a fair chance that there could be another hike in petrol prices soon. Not to mention, diesel and LPG is also set to get dearer later during the month.
The media has been constantly talking about rising crude oil prices and how the Indian OMCs are losing so much money as a result of fuel subsidies. To a logical mind, it seems obvious that if international crude oil prices are rising, there is no way we can escape the brunt of it. But if you look at some basic facts, you get a feeling that there has been some deliberate shaping of public opinion. In fact, fuel prices need not be as high as they are now.
The problem is that we fail to ask how much petrol really costs. Let's try some simple arithmetic. International crude oil prices are hovering around US$ 112.5 per barrel. That translates to about Rs 5,085 per barrel. Each barrel contains about 158.76 litres. So, effectively crude oil costs Rs 32 per litre. Now, add the cost of refining it to petrol or diesel. According to an oil company official, the refining cost is about 52 paise per litre. Add about Rs 6 as capital costs for the refinery. Then there's the cost of transportation (Rs 6) and dealer's commission (Rs 1.05). So, adding all that, the price of petrol comes to about Rs 45.6 per litre. But how much are we actually paying for petrol? Rs 68.3 in Mumbai, Rs 63.4 in New Delhi, Rs 71 in Bangalore!
Why are we paying so much more and to whom? The answer is tax. Not many are aware about the huge quantum of central and state government taxes and duties levied on fuel prices. In some states the tax component is pretty close to 50%. To add to that, these taxes are levied as a percentage of the basic price of the fuel and aren't fixed per litre. That means rising fuel prices only add more to the government's kitty. But all we hear about are the huge subsidies and the bleeding OMCs.
An optimal solution at the moment would be to reduce the tax burden on fuels. But neither the central government nor the state governments have shown any willingness to budge one bit.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
CENSUS OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
The main factors of census of Central Government employees are given below for your ready reference.
(1). As per the result of Census Enquiries, the total regular employment under Central Government as per this census was 31.16 lakh as against 31.64 lakh of previous census.The employment has, thus, recorded a decline of 1.52%.
(2). Employment in Ministry of Railways was the highest (45.32%) followed by theMinistry of Home Affairs (22.20%),Defense civilian (11.35%),Communications & IT (7.75%) andFinance (3.62%).Other Ministries/Departments collectively shared the rest of 9.76% of the total Central Government regular employment.
(3). Out of 31.16 lakh regular employees,3.20 lakh were women.The proportion of women in the total employment shows an increasing trend.It is 10.28% in this census against 9.68% in previous census and thereby indicating empowerment of women.
(4). About 96% of regular Central Government employees were Non-Gazetted.The overall ratio of Gazetted to Non-Gazetted employees was 1:22.In Ministry of Railways, ratio, however, was 1:116.
(5). Amongst regular Central Government employees,57.80% were holding Group-‘C’ posts and30.62% were in Group-‘D’ posts(now Group-C).8.63% were holding Group-‘B’ postswhereas employees holdingGroup –‘A’ posts were only 2.95%.
(6). About 21.13% of the regular Central Government employees were found to be in Grade pay of Rs. 2000 to 24000/- and only 0.47% employees were in highest bracket of pay range-HAG with drawing basic pay of Rs. 75,500/- & above.
(7). Amongst regular Central Government employees,15.66% were working at offices located in ‘A-1’ class cities, 11.10% in ‘A’ class cities,4.61% in B-I class cities and15.31% in B-2 class cities.The percentage of employees in ‘C’ class and other unclassified cities was 53.32%.
(8). Amongst States and Union Territory Administrations, the highest number of regular Central Government employees was in the State ofWest Bengal (11.23%) followed byUttar Pradesh (9.97%),Maharashtra (9.65%),Delhi (6.61%),Andhra Pradesh (6.44%) andTamil Nadu (4.66%).In remaining States/U.Ts the proportion was less than 4%.
source: some web pages.
SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME LAUNCHED FOR GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS
Union Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot and Department of Posts Secretary Radhika Doraiswamy (left) at the launch of the scheme in Gurgaon on Tuesday.
To provide post-retirement financial security to over 2.73 lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS), the Department of Posts has decided to deposit Rs.200 per GDS per month, said Union Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot while launching a new social security scheme for GDSs and their spouses here on Tuesday.
Mr. Pilot, who launched the Service Discharge Benefit Scheme (SDBS), said it was being operationalised utilising the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)'s New Pension Scheme product — NPS-Lite.
The cost of the management of the scheme would be over Rs.70 crore annually, to be borne by the Union Government.
"The scheme has been designed to benefit the GDSs working mainly in the rural, remote and far-flung areas across the country. Some modifications in the NPS-Lite scheme have been made under the SDBS to suit the needs of the GDS," he added.
The Minister pointed out that the monthly deposits by the government would constantly grow through investments in different schemes/securities by the pension fund managers (PFM) appointed by the PFRDA.
"Forty per cent of the accumulations at the retirement of the GDS at 65 years will be invested to purchase an annuity, which will ensure that the GDS gets a monthly annuity throughout his/her life and later his/her spouse after his/her death. The GDS as a beneficiary will receive the balance 60 per cent of the accumulations in lump sum to meet his/her financial requirements as per their choice," he said.
"Backbone of Postal Department"
Describing the GDSs as the backbone of the Postal Department who are responsible for running the rural network of post offices, Mr. Pilot said the Department was committed to the welfare of such important constituent of postal human resources.
He also gave away Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) cards to some GDSs.
According to Department of Posts Secretary Radhika Doraiswamy, "Of 2.73 lakh GDSs, 1.53 lakh have already opted for SDBS and 1.35 lakh have already received their PRAN cards. The existing GDSs have the option to join the new scheme or continue under the Severance Amount Scheme as per their choice. The new scheme is, however, mandatory for the GDS engaged on or after January 1, 2011."
ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳು
1) All India Postal Extra Departmental Employees Union is the only one Union got recognization from the Department in GDS Category with 60.15% Member ship on declaration of reverification of Membership of GDS Associations 2) LGO Examination scheduled to be held on 29.05.2011 is postponed to 04.09.2011.
2) LGO Examination scheduled to be held on 29.05.2011 is postponed to 04.09.2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Central govt employees’ retirement age to be extended by 2 years to 62
Central govt employees’ retirement age to be extended by 2 years to 62
Nistula Hebbar, Rishi Raj
Posted: Monday, May 02, 2011 at 0133 hrs IST
Tags: Government Employees Retirement Age | Department Of Personnel And Training | DoPT | UPA Government | Central And State
New Delhi: The government is planning to extend the retirement age of all central government employees by two years — from the current 60 to 62 years. Sources said that an in-principle decision has been taken in this regard and the department of personnel and training (DoPT) has begun the work to implement the same. A formal announcement to this effect is expected this year itself.
The last time the government extended the retirement age of central government employees was in 1998. It was also a two-year extension from 58. This was preceded by the implementation of the 5th Pay Commission, which had put severe strain on government’s finances. Subsequently, all state governments followed the Centre’s policy by extending the retirement age by two years. Public sector undertakings followed suit too.
The decision to extend the retirement age is well-timed both politically and economically.
The UPA government reckons the move would be a masterstroke. At a time when it is buffeted by several corruption cases, it is felt that the extension of the retirement age will go down well with the middle classes. Economically also, the move makes sense because by deferring payment of lump sum retirement benefits for a large number of employees by two years, the government would be able to manage its finances better.
“An in-principle decision has been taken to increase the retirement age by two years within this year itself. This would reduce the burden on the fisc from one-time payment of retirement benefits for employees including defence and railways personnel,” an official involved in the discussion said. With the fiscal consolidation high on the government's agenda, this deferment would come handy.
There’s some flip side too if the retirement age is extended by two years. Those officials empanelled as secretaries and joint secretaries would have to wait longer to actually get the posts. And of course, there is the issue of average age profile of the civil servants being turning north.
It is also felt that any extension is not being fair with a bulk of people who still look for jobs in the government.
However, officials point out that at least it prevents an influential section of the bureaucracy to hanker for post-retirement jobs with the government like chairmanship of regulatory bodies or tribunals.
“As it is, a sizeable section of senior civil servants work for three to five years after the retirement in some capacity or the other in the government,” said a senior government official. The retirement age of college teachers and judges are also beyond 60.
As per a study, the future pension outgo for the existing Central and State government employees is estimated at a staggering R1,735,527 crore or 55.88% of GDP at market prices of 2004-05
