Editorial May 2013

                                           EDITORIAL               Thota Hanumaiah

 Constitute 7^th Central Pay Commission.                                                

Constitution of 7^th central pay commission is the need of the hour. The central government employees are very much justified in their demand for constitution of the

 7^th central pay commission and immediate merger of 50% DA with pay.                                                   

Ever since the implementation of 6^th CPC recommendations, the erosion of real wages owing to the high degree of inflation in the economy and in particular the sky rocketing prices of essential commodities   the employees have been affected very badly of their purchasing power in the market. The retail prices of those essential commodities, which formed as basis for deciding the minimum wage, have risen by about 160% between 1.1.2006 to 1.1.2011, in comparison to compensation of DA, which had been just 51%. It is also a matter of   fact that a dubious method had been adopted by the 6th CPC for computing the minimum wage by suppressing the real retail price of those commodities in the market on a foul plea of non availability of official statistics of the retail prices of those commodities. Thus, the 6th CPC had deliberately computed the retail price by a meagre increase of only 20% of the wholesale price for each of the commodity, while the actual retail price in the market was 60% more than the wholesale price, by putting a deaf ear to the evidence adduced by the witnesses and Trade Unions before it. The present emoluments of employees are too meager to meet both the ends in the prevailing market prices, leave alone the health care, education of children and their marriage and the care of old aged parents and other dependents. The plight of retired senior citizen is still worse.

When compared to the Government owned central public sector undertakings, the central Government employees are placed in a disadvantaged position as the wage revision of central Government employees takes place after 10 to 13 years of gap from one revision to another. The 5^th CPC recommended pay revision after every five years but not accepted by the central Government. The 5^th CPC recommendation for merger of DA after it crossed 50% was accepted by the Government but implemented belatedly in the year 2004. Whereas, the 6^th CPC not only not recommended time bound wage revision but also not favored the merger of DA after it crossed 50%.Infact, the DA crossed 50% on 1-1- 2011 but the Government did not merge the DA with pay, by citing the 6^th CPC report.

As a result, the emoluments of both serving and retired employees have eroded so much that they are not at all capable of keeping   pace with the galloping market prices and  in the result ,the living standards are constantly diminishing. It is therefore high time that the Government, with out losing further time should immediately constitute the 7^th CPC, duly merging the 50%DA  and DR with pay and pension ,respectively.

The central Government employees and their unions should prevail upon the Government with united programs of action to achieve their justified demand for constitution of 7^th CPC and merger of 50% DA with pay, immediately.

 

                                                                                     THOTA HANUMAIAH.

 

 

 

 

 

 WITHDRAW THE PRFDA BILL TO ENSURE AN AGE OLD SOCIAL SECURITY OF PENSION

 

 The Government had been consistently trying to enact the PRFDA Bill in the Parliament in every session ever since the UPA II sat in the saddle of Government.  It is a very sad thing that the main opposition party’s support could be elicited, by the UPA2 ruling party, for this anti working class enactment. The future of Lakhs of workers joined the Government services since2004 is bleak and at stake, in view of the denial of an age old social security scheme of Pension. The AILRSA along with the central Government employees and their organizations have been opposing this move, right from its inception when the NDA   Government introduced the bill in the Parliament in 2003. But, the Government has ignored our efforts, actions and objections and going ahead unashamed and uncared for the future of lakhs of employees.  Even though the Government could not muster enough support required to pass the bill in the Parliament, the Union Cabinet has recently taken the decision to allow 49% FDI in the pension fund, which is most unethical. To burry the PRFDA bill we have to follow the path of UNITED STRUGGLE and the need of the hour is to build up a wider platform of UNITY.