CONTRACTUAL LABOUR-FACT & FIGURES

PROVIDING SOCIAL SECURITY TO CONTRACTUAL LABOUR

                 The Contract Labour are engaged in the industrial sector  by the Government and Private establishments  as per their terms of contract and requirement and   no centralized data is maintained. However, the estimated number of contract labour  engaged by licenced contractors  in central sphere including the industrial sector in  the last three years is as under:

Year	No. of contract labour covered by such licences
2009-10	13.73lakhs
2010-11	14.89 lakhs
2011-12*	13.07 lakhs

* Provisional

                Engagement of  contract labourers is regulated under   the Contract  Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act,  As far as the security  in term of  wages and other service conditions is concerned,  as per the  Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Central Rules, 1971 , the wages of the contract labour shall not be less than the rates prescribed under  Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and in cases where  the contract worker perform  the same or similar kind of work as the workmen directly employed  by the principal employer of the establishment, the wage rates, holidays , hours of work and other conditions of service  shall be the same as applicable to the workmen directly employed by the principal employer doing the same or similar kind of work.    The liability to ensure payment of wages and other benefits is primarily that of the contractor and, in case of default, that of the principal employer. 

                 In the central sphere, the Complaints are received in the field offices of Chief Labour Commissioner(Central) Organization under the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970, Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and by   other laws applicable on contract labour which are investigated and action is taken. Social security aspects of contract workers under Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1952 and Employees State Insurance Act 1948 are enforced by the Employees Provident Fund organization and Employees State Insurance Corporation respectively provided the establishments in which outsourced workers are working are covered under the said Acts.  Central Government hasalso prohibited employment of contract labour in various establishments in central sphere through 84 Notifications issued from time to time under the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970. To safeguard the interests of the contract labour further in term of wages and social security, a proposal to amend the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 is under consideration of the Government.

                The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge gave this information in a written reply  in  Rajya Sabha today.

Source : PIB, August 22, 2012

CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS EMPLOYEE’S PENSION FUND

         An amount of Rs. 14,767.47 crore (as per unaudited Balance Sheet of 2011-12) has been received as contribution in Employees’ Pension Fund for the financial year ending on 31.3.2012.

        An amount of Rs. 1,62,980.04 crore is balance in Employees’ Pension Fund Contribution Account as on 31.3.2012.

        The whole amount of Employees’ Pension Fund stands invested. Rs. 57,087.01 crores is invested in Public Account and balance is invested in securities.

        As per the unaudited Balance Sheet of the year 2011-12, total interest income of the investment of Employees Pension Fund for the year ended March 2012 is Rs.13,315.79 crore. The average rate of interest on Public Account is 8.5% and on investment in securities is 8.27%.

        The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge gave this information in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Source : PIB, August 22, 2012

END THE DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN TOP OFFICERS AND THE BOTTOM EMPLOYEES-CONFEDERATION DEMANDS

5 PROMOTIONS

{ EDITORIAL POSTAL LIFE – AUGUST - 2012}

In 1978, while entering in its Silver Jubilee Year, the NFPTE had organised its P&T Convention at Patna. The demand of “3 Promotions at 10, 20 and 25 years” for P&T employees was coined in that National Convention. This demand was necessitated by the fact that most of the P&T employees were retiring without even getting a single promotion in their long career in those days. The Clerical employees retired without even becoming LSG and the Postmen were retiring without even promoted as Sorting Postman or Head Postman / Mail Overseer Postman, the only hierarchical promotion available at that time. After much negotiations and struggles, ultimately the Government agreed two promotions and introduced TBOP and BCR Promotions on completion of 16 and 26 years. All P&T employees were thereafter ensured of at least two promotions. But the movement had paid some price including major punishments to cadres to win the demand of two promotions.

The introduction of TBOP and BCR promotions caused the hierarchical promotion of Sorting Postman / Mail Overseer Postman etc irrelevant as most of the Postmen staff attained TBOP and BCR promotion before getting the only regular promotion available. The Department also discontinued constituting the DPC to promote Postmen staff. Similar was the case with the Group ‘D’ staff also, in whose case the promotion to Jamedar Group ‘D’ was discontinued. Even though the Department had subsequently declared unilaterally that the TBOP/BCR is not a promotion but only a scheme of financial upgradation like ACP Scheme, the regular hierarchical  promotional ladder was not restored or updated to ensure regular promotion to Postman and Group ‘D’ cadres. However, the TBOP, BCR ensured two automatic upgradations financially.

Discriminatingly during the same time, the Officialdom did not satisfy itself with the available two or three promotions in its career but went ahead with repeated cadre restructuring schemes to ensure at least five promotions for the cadre of Officers! We see that an IPS Officer entering as SSPOs [Junior Time Scale Officer] in the Postal Department is ensured of five promotions at least in his career as Senior Time Scale, DPS, PMG, Chief PMG, Board Member and Director General. In Departments like Income Tax a Class I officer who enters as  Assistant Commissioner as an IRS Officer goes ahead with the promotions like Deputy Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, Commissioner of Income Tax, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Board Member in CBDT and Chairman of CBDT. This is the case with all departments. The Government never cared for the promotional avenues of Group C and D employees while going on improving the career advancement of top officers.

The 6th Pay Commission also not cared much for ending the discrimination between the employees and officers in the central services. It simply recommended for only improving the periodicity of ACP financial upgradation from 12 and 24 years into 10 and 20 years through MACP. After much discussion in the JCM Standing Committee, the Government made only a marginal improvement by granting the third upgradation on completion of 30 years but created a lot of anomalies including taking away the benefit of parity with hierarchical promotions. The increase in number of up gradations to three necessitated us to switch over from TBOP/BCR system to MACP Scheme though we knew that under MACP the Promotees will not be granted equal number of up gradations like a direct recruitment. We however embraced the MACP for its benefits with the idea to focus the discrimination and set right it through our organisational efforts. Now, with the historic judgment of Jodhpur CAT, we have brighter chances of set righting the anomaly. But even that will not bring parity with the Officers, who are ensured of at least five promotions.

It is in this background that the NFPE raised it in the National Secretariat of the Confederation of CG Employees and the Confederation expanded its Charter of Demands into 15 Points by including the demand of Grant of 5 Promotions to all employees in their career on par with the Officers. This is a very important demand with far reaching implications in advancing the status of the Group C employees including the Postman and MTS.  The demand attains much more importance in the background of our cadre restructuring issue stagnating without any noticeable progress and at the initial level of discussions only. Proper popularisation of this new demand of 5 Promotions among all our membership is absolutely essential to create necessary tempo as we know very well that only when a new idea grips the minds of the employees it becomes a material force. We broke the stalemate in 1980s by strongly agitating for 2 Promotions. Let us now embrace the new demand of 5 Promotions and make it a reality soon. But everything depends on the rank and file organisation, which alone can succeed not only in popularising the new demand but also rousing the employees to agitate for the 15 Points charter of Confederation that focuses on 7th CPC, 50% merger of DA and grant of 5 Promotions etc. Time has come to end the discrimination between top officers and the bottom employees on number of promotions to advance the career prospects.

PREPARE FOR GENERAL STRIKE ON 12/12/12

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

(NON GAZETTED)

MINISTRY OF STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Dated 20/8/12

Dear friends,

Prepare for General Strike on 12 December 2012

You are aware that without creating awareness amongst our members and the Central Government Employees in general on the 15 point charter of demands, we cannot bring them to the nationwide strike on 12/12/12. Without joining the entirety of the Central Government Employee on the strike we cannot achieve anything. Thus it is the duty of every one of us to explain the issues to our member first and discuss the demands with the employees in other offices and convince them the need of their involvement in the strike.  Unity and struggle is the ultimate way to achieve the goal. Thus please be ready to lose one day salary, which is an investment for a better future.

Revision of wage with effect from 1.01.2011 & the Government must set up the 7th CPC immediately. 

In Central Government undertakings, Nationalized Banks and Insurance wage revision takes place once in every five years.   Several of the State Government also implements Pay Commission in every 5 years. The retail prices of those commodities which go into the making of minimum wages have risen by about 160% between 1.1.2006 and 1.1. 2011. But due to faulty DA formula, only 51% has been compensated to the Central Government Employees as on 1.1.2011.  In the mean time the value of rupee is continuously going down.

The 6th Central Pay Commission applied a multiplication factor of 1.86 for arriving at the revised pay structure to Group C and D Employees. In the case of Group A Officers, the factor was ranging from 2.36 to 3 times. Uniform formula should be implemented for all cadres.

The National Anomaly Committee met 4-5 times and yet it could not settle any major issues. The MACP, introduced by the Government in replacement of the ACP Scheme ruined the very concept ACP scheme itself. The Group C employees have to pay heavily the change.

Merger of DA with pay:

                Merger of DA to pay was first mooted by the Gadgil Committee in the post 2^nd Pay Commission period. The 5^th CPC had recommended that the DA must be merged with pay and treated as pay for computing all allowances as and when the percentage of Dearness compensation exceeds 50%.  Accordingly even before the setting up of the 6^th CPC the DA to the extent of 50% was merged with pay. As on 1.1.2011, the DA was at the rate of 50%.  Thus irrespective of the recommendation of the pay commission, merger of DA has to be made to compensate the erosion of the real value of wages. Government should take steps to merge 50% of DA with pay for all purposes.

Downsizing, outsourcing, contractorisation etc.

               Due to the neo- liberal economic policies adopted by the Government, many departments had to resort to outsourcing of its functions.  Some departments were virtually closed down and a few others were privatized or contractorised.   Outsourcing and contractorisation of functions largely affected the efficacy of the Government departments.  Non-plan expenditure reduced considerably and financial outlay for outsourcing of functions of each department increased enormously over the years.  The quality of work suffered.  In order to stop the exploitation of the unemployed youth and to ensure better and efficient service to the people, outsourcing and contractorisation of essential functions of the Government must be abandoned.

Career progression:

                The discontent amongst the Central Government Employees is in high magnitude today.  Thus, decision for   cadre composition and recruitment pattern so as to get five hierarchical promotions since the initial recruitment of a central Government Employee should be adopted. It is to be mentioned that the organized Group A services are getting 5 promotions since their appointment.

Compassionate appointments.

 Scrap the New Pension Scheme

Proper functioning of the JCM and implementation of the arbitration award. 

Remove the ban on recruitment and creation of posts

Stop price rise and strengthen PDS.

Absorption of GDS as regular postal employees. Regularization of Contract/daily rated workers.

The Grameen Dak Sewaks should be included in the 7th Central Pay Commission wage review.  Since the contract & casual employees have been working against regular vacancies/regular nature of work the regularization of these employees should also be taken up by the next pay commission.  

Introduction of PLB and removal of ceiling limit

Revising OTA and Night Duty allowance rates on par with Railways

Implement Arbitration Awards.

Vacate All Trade Union victimization.

Make Right to strike a fundamental right

PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE ABOVE DEMANDS;

EDUCATE THE BENEFITS TO OTHERS;

ENSURE THE JOINING OF THE ENTIREITY OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF IN THE

STRIKE ON 12/12/12.

Yours Sincerely

(TKR Pillai)

General Secretary

Wishing all readers a very happy Eid

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES STRIKE CAMPAIGN PROGRAMME

PROPOSED CAMPAIGN PROGRAMME OF NFPE LEADERS

 FOR STRIKE DATED 12.12.2012

Circles	Stations to be visited
Andhra Pradesh	Hyderabad 21.11.12	Kurnool 22.11.12	Vijyawada 23.11.12	Vishakhapatnam 24.11.12
Assam	Dibrugarh 20.11.12	Nagaon 21.11.12	Guwahati 22.11.12
Bihar	Patna 26.11.12	Gaya 27.11.12	Muzaffarpur 28.11.12	Begusarai 29.11.12	Motihari 30.11.12
Chhattisgarh	Raipur 28.11.12	Bilaspur 29.11.12	Rajgarh 30.11.12
Delhi	New Delhi 4.12.12
Gujarat	Ahmedabad 23.11.12	Vadodara 26.11.12	Rajkot 24.11.12
Haryana	Ambala 19.11.12
Himachal Pradesh	Shimla 26.11.12	Mandi 28.11.12	Dharmshala 29.11.12
Jharkhand	Ranchi 19.11.12	Jamshedpur 20.11.12
J&K	Jammu 24.11.12
Karnataka	Bangalore 26.11.12	Mysore 27.11.12	Hasan 28.11.12	Mangalore 29.11.12	Hubli 30.11.12
Kerala	Kannur 13.11.12	Trichur 14.11.12	Kollam 15.11.12
Maharashtra	Nagpur 19.11.12	Pune 20.11.12	Mumbai 21.11.12	Aurangabad 22.11.12	Goa 24.11.12
M.P.	Gwalior 26.11.12	Indore 27.11.12	Bhopal 28.11.12	Jabalpur 29.11.12
North East	Shillong 23.11.12	Agartala 25.11.12	Imphal 27.11.12
Orissa	Bhubaneshwar 17.11.12	Cuttack 20.11.12	Sundergarh 21.11.12	Sambhalpur 22.11.12	Berhampur 23.11.12
Punjab	Chandigarh 20.11.12	Ludhiyana 21.11.12	Jullandhar 22.11.12	Amritsar 23.11.12
Rajasthan	Jaipur 19.11.12	Ajmer 2-0.11.12	Jodhpur 21.11.12
Tamil Nadu	Trichey 19.11.12	Madurai 20.11.12	Coimbatore 21.11.12	Chennai 22.11.12	Pondicherry 24.11.12
Uttrakhand	Dehradun 24.11.12
U.P.	Meerut 5.11.12	Barelley 6.11.12	Agra 7.11.12	Jhansi 8.11.12	Lucknow 10.11.12
	Allahabad 19.11.12	Varanasi 20.11.12	Gorakhpur 21.11.12
West Bengal	Kolkata 26.11.12	Malda 27.11.12	Siliguri 28.11.12	Sikkim 29.11.12	Andman 24.11.12
	Asansol 21.11.12

Note: 1. The names of leaders will be intimated later.

2. All NFPR Office Bearers / All General Secretaries /All Circle Secretaries of NFPE Unions are requested to suggest any change if they require as per their convenience within a week..

3. After getting feedback from leaders the programme will be finalized.