STRIKE ON 2ND SEP, 2015: GOVT ASSURED ON BONUS ENHANCEMENTAND WAGES FORMULA.

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Labour & Employment

27-August-2015 21:05 IST

Inter Ministerial Committee Holds Wider Consultations with Trade Unions on Charter of Demands Appeals to Reconsider Proposed Call for Strike in View of Discussions

            The Second meeting of Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) continued discussion on 12 Demands Charter of Trade Unions for the second day here today in continuation of discussions held yesterday. The Committee comprises Shri Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, MoS(IC) Labour and Employment, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, MOS(IC) Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Jitendra Singh, MoS DOPT, and Shri Piyush Goel, MoS (IC), Power. During the discussions Trade Unions expressed concern and asked for clarifications on their demands. Addressing their concerns and expectations, the Finance Minister explained policies on which the Government is working and assured that the Government is committed to welfare of labour. Underlining the importance of role of Trade Unions, Shri Jaitely assured the Central Trade Unions that all labour laws reforms will be done with due discussions and tripartite consultations.

            In view of the discussions held in conducive and cordial atmosphere, the IMC appealed to Trade Unions to reconsider the proposed call for strike on 2nd September, 2015.The Trade Unions have agreed to consider the appeal.

            In view of the suggestions given by Central Trade Unions in the meetings held on 19th July, 26th August and 27th August, 2015, the Government assured the following:

1.         Appropriate legislation for making formula based minimum wages mandatory and applicable to all employees across the country.

2.         For the purposes of bonus the wage eligibility limit and calculation ceiling would be appropriately revised. Earlier in 2006-07 the calculation ceiling was decided at Rs.3500/- and eligibility limit was wage of Rs.10,000/- per month which is proposed to be revised to Rs.7,000 and Rs.21,000 respectively.

3.         The Government is expanding the coverage of social security and working out ways to include construction workers, Aanganwari workers, ASHA workers and Mid Day Meal workers.

4.         Regarding contract workers the Government assured that they will be guaranteed minimum wages. Moreover, the Government is working out ways so that workers of industries will get sector specific minimum wages.

5.         Government has already enhanced minimum pension for EPFO members and every pensioner gets minimum pension of Rs.1000/- per month perpetually.

6.         Labour laws reforms will be based on tripartite consultations as already stated by the Prime Minister. The States are also being advised to follow the tripartite process.

7.         For strict adherence to labour law enforcement, advisory has been issued to the State/UT Governments and strict monitoring has been initiated by Central Government.

8.         For employment generation Mudra Yojana, Make in India, Skill India and National Career Service Portal initiatives have been taken.

9.         Abolition of interviews for all primary jobs which do not require any special knowledge/expertise, is being done for transparency and expediting the process of recruitment.

10.       Inflation is lowest in the last many years excepting two items onion and pulses. Government is taking necessary steps to contain the higher prices of these two commodities also.

            It was further clarified that there is no ban on filling up of vacancies in Government jobs and all concerned Departments are taking necessary action to fill-up these vacancies. It was further assured that the Government is committed to job security, wages security and social security to the workers. The issue of equal wages for equal work for contract workers is an issue requiring wider consultations and a committee will be constituted, if required.

                                                                                                               

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EXTENSION OF THE TERM OF THE 7th CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION 

            The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for the extension of the term of the 7th Central Pay Commission by four months up to 31.12.2015.

Background:

            The 7th Central Pay Commission was constituted by the Central Government on 28.2.2014. According to the Resolution dated 28.2.2014, by which the Commission was constituted, it is to make its recommendations within 18 months of the date of its constitution that is by 27th August, 2015.

            In view of its volume of work and intensive stake-holders' consultations, the 7th Central Pay Commission had made a request to the Government for a four month extension up to 31.12.2015.                                                                                                                                                                                                            BY L.KISHAN SINGH

                                                                                                                            CIRCLE SECRETARY,
                                                                                                                                    AIPSBCOEA ,                                                                                                                                                                                  A.P.CIRCLE,HYDERABAD.

Prime Minister expressed concern over the grievances of public relating to post offices

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today chaired his fifth interaction through PRAGATI - the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation. In course of his review today, the Prime Minister expressed concern at the grievances relating to post offices. Noting that postal services are vital for the poorest sections of society, he directed the Department of Posts to work towards improvement in service delivery, especially in areas such as payment of policy benefits, money orders, postal savings accounts, and delay in delivery of post. The Prime Minister reviewed the progress of key infrastructure projects in the Railway, Road, Power, Telecommunication and Agri-Infrastructure sectors, spread over several states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The projects reviewed also included the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Chennai Metro Rail. The Prime Minister urged speeding up of work for early completion of the projects. Shri Narendra Modi reviewed the scheme for provision of mobile services in Left Wing Extremism affected areas. Emphasizing that mobile connectivity was extremely essential for the common man, particularly in backward areas, he urged all concerned States to accelerate implementation of the scheme. The Prime Minister was given a demonstration of the progress of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) scheme, through live video conferencing with three police stations in the States of Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. He called for enhancing both the level of sophistication, and the speed of implementation of this scheme across the country. Source : PIB(Release ID :126351)

Cabinet clears four-month extension to 7th Central Pay Commission

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for the extension of the term of the 7th Central Pay Commission by four months up to 31.12.2015. The Central Pay Commission was constituted by the Central Government on 28.2.2014. According to the Resolution dated 28.2.2014, by which the Commission was constituted, it is to make its recommendations within 18 months of the date of its constitution that is by 27th August, 2015. In view of its volume of work and intensive stake-holders' consultations, the 7th Central Pay Commission had made a request to the Government for a four month extension up to 31.12.201 Source : PIB(Release ID :126354)

Agitation for Granting Merger of DA for central government employees

Opposing the move to lower the retirement age of central government employees The news item published by Tribune News Service regarding agitation to be held by DPCC for granting merger of DA and opposing the move to lower the retirement age of central government employees. The News is provided below.. “………Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken along with a large number of party workers will sit on a daylong dharna tomorrow at Jantar Mantar seeking merger of Dearness Allowance (DA) with basic pay and also to oppose the move by the BJP-led Central Government to lower the retirement age of government employees. DPCC chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee said party workers, government employees, teachers, pensioners and others will join Maken in the dharna to press their demand for merger of DA with basic pay and also to oppose the move to lower the retirement age of government employees. Addressing a press conference, Mukherjee said the Congress would be seeking the merger of 100 per cent DA with basic pay, which is 113 per cent as on January 1, 2015. The Congress-led UPA II government was to take a decision on merger of DA with basic pay, but due to the announcement of the general elections, it had to be deferred. She said the BJP-led Narendra Modi government was now trying to drastically curb non-plan expenditure, for which the Central government employees, academicians and scientists, etc have been made soft targets as the salaries and allowances of the government employees had touched Rs 2.54 lakh crore during the financial year 2013-2014, and another Rs 74,076 crore was spent in the same period on pensioners and family pensioners. About 80 per cent expenses on salary and allowances are spent on Railways, Defence, paramilitary forces, posts and revenue, and thus it is apparent that 80 per cent non-plan expenses are incurred on vital organizations. She also said the Modi government was trying to lower the retirement age from 60 to 58 years. “The BJP government at the Centre is keen to reduce the non-plan expenditure drastically and the easiest way is to prune the strength of employees and by reducing the retirement age, not merging DA with basic pay, and also to prevail upon the 7th Central Pay Commission to submit anti-government employees’ report,” Mukherjee added. Source : http://7thpaycommissionnewscenter.blogspot.in/

Revision of Variable Dearness Allowance and increase in Minimum Wages in Mines and establishments falling under Govt. of India w.e.f. 01.04.2015

PFRDA to launch online facility to open NPS accounts

MUMBAI: Pension fund regulator PFRDA is set to launch an online facility for opening of accounts under the National Pension System (NPS) to net in prospective customers. 

"We are set to launch the online on-boarding facility for the prospective customers of pension schemes under the NPS," PFRDA chairman Hemant Contractor told reporters on the sidelines of an insurance summit organised by the industry lobby CII here this evening. 

"We have also urged the government to offer tax-breaks to pension schemes falling on the lines of other financial products like mutual funds and insurance, to popularise pension products in the unorganised sector," he said. 

The Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA has sought clarification from the government if the pension products being run by various fund houses and life insurers can be regulated by it

"We have asked the government to clarify whether we can regulate the pension business being run by mutual fund houses and life insurers because the PFRDA Act empowers us to regulate all kinds of pension business," Contractor said. 

On the pension business being managed by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation ( EPFO), he said it is up to the government to decide that who will be regulating it. 

Commenting on the progress of NPS, he said the NPS corpus has already crossed Rs 94,000 crore so far, which includes Rs 7,000 crore from the Atal Pension Yojana. 

He further said, "We've already opened 6,80,000 accounts under the Atal Pension scheme during the past couple of months and we are looking at taking it to 2 crore by December. Out of these 6,80,000 accounts, 65 per cent subscribers come from urban areas and the rest from the rural areas." 

The three state-owned fund managers, who are managing the Atal Pension scheme funds are UTI, SBI and LIC Pension Fund. 

The regulator is getting ready to appoint new fund managers for the NPS, which has seven active fund managers now and also reviewing fund management charges. 

Contractor also said the regulator is planning to increase the tenure of NPS fund managers to five years from the present three. 

"We don't mind paying a higher commission to incentivise fund managers and distributors so as to expand the NPS reach. We are reviewing a proposal in this regard and we will be issuing a request for proposal to appoint new fund managers within a month," he said.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/