Joint Platform of Action
Of
Government and Associate Services Employees' Organisations
All India Committee
Hqrs: 77/2/1, Lenin Sarani, 1 st floor, Kolkata-700013
Phone: 033 - 2265-9085, Fax : 033- 2246-5605,22467754
e-mail : all [email protected]
Delhi Office: 3A/38, W.E.A, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 Tel/Fax : 011- 2572-6631
64 th anniversary of the first
Central Government employees' strike
Observe Protest Day on 29 July 2010
To,
The Members of All India Committee, State Committees, Affiliated Organisations And activists of government employees movement associated with JPA
Unite to resist multi-pronged attack on govt. sector, job security, job opportunity and hard won rights – Call of JPA on the occasion of Historic 29 th July .
Dear Friends,
29th July is a red-letter day and glorious addition in the history of India 's struggle for Independence . It also reflected the growing strength of the Trade Union movement of the country. Way back in 1946, on this day, the government employees and various sections of the working people of the country went on strike in support of postal employees' strike which was commenced by Group–D, Peon and E D employees on 11 th July defying opposition of the then established Trade Unions in Postal Department. The strike was a complete success which unnerved the British imperialists. This was not the first ever government employees' strike in the country but also it unfolded a movement in which all sections of people including students and peasants participated. On this the city of Calcutta witnessed the entire on the street. The British Government had built up its might on the lines prescribed by Lord Macaulay in 1825 to spread English language and create a class of employees who may be Indian outwardly but completely British in their outlook. That myth was shattered and the employees, known as ‘Babus' by the British, rose in revolt, throughout the country.
JPA has been observing this day every year, not just to mark the historical event in a formal manner but also to add vigour to the Trade Union movement amongst the government employees. With this spirit JPA first observed this day on 29 th July 2002 when thousands of government employees throughout the length and breath of the country including in Calcutta and Delhi took to the street in response to its call of ‘Nationwide Work Boycott' in protest against anti-employee and anti-employment policy of the Central and the State Governments. It must be noted that today the entire working class in general and employees in government sector in particular face severe attacks from the big business that seeks to grab everything for maximising their profits. They have found a very obliging partner in Government which has embarked on privatisation of some of the most vital sectors of our economy including the social sector that inter alia includes health and education.
Employment opportunities in the government sector have dried up. If anything, in place of regular appointments the government is engaging people on contract, or worse, even the jobs of perennial nature are being outsourced to private agencies on contract. These agencies make huge profits at the cost of taxpayer; pay a pittance to its poor employees, exploit them thoroughly, deny them normal democratic and human rights. The government collusion in the conspiracy becomes apparent in the clear refusal to recruit its own employees.
The Sixth Pay Commission increased the gap between the minimum and maximum pay; abolished Group-D posts; recommended extensive coverage of government sector and functions by contract service; recommended replacement of Patient Care Allowance with risk insurance scheme; proposed health insurance instead of strengthening CGHS. Its recommendation for PRIS is to set employee against employee and break the Unionism among employees. The Sixth Pay Commission following the foot steps of Fifth CPC recommended everything that helps private sector and curtails employment and rights of the employees.
As if it were not enough, even the appointments on compassionate ground are informally and practically banned. There are rules that virtually foreclose any possibility of such appointments.
Things have deteriorated, especially after the sixth Pay commission Report. In fact both the Fifth and the Sixth CPC can be legitimately described as the “Retrenchment commission”. JPA is on systematic and continuous movement against the anti-employee, anti-employment and pro-establishment recommendations of these commissions including some other commissions, committees and state pay commissions which have also been implemented by the state governments irrespective of political affiliation. During this period at the fore of JPA's struggle had remain the issue of Attacks on government sector, employment, job opportunities and hard won rights including right to strike and social security.
To intensify struggle in the above direction we appeal to you to observe the 29 th July this year with rallies, seminars, dharnas and all other means of protests that suit conditions in your area highlighting the following demands:
• Stop attacks on government sector, job security, job-opportunities, and hard won rights;
• Appoint regular staff on all vacant posts in government sector and create equivalent number of posts that have been abolished since 1991;
• Stop appointments on contract and regularise all employees engaged on contract or through contractors, part-time, daily rated, irregular and all those who are working under various schemes run by Central and State Governments;
• Stop outsourcing of jobs and contracting out of services which have so long been performed by the government departments or which can be performed by strengthening and developing adequate infrastructure;
• Ensure 100% percent unconditional recruitment of deserving candidates on compassionate grounds;
Add state level and department- specific burning demands which are complementary to the central issues as have been mentioned above.
With warm greetings,
(Achintya Sinha)
All India President
28.5.10
