IMPORTANT NEWS = 7th Pay Commission – Second meeting on Allowances on 01.09.2016

7th Pay Commission – Second meeting on Allowances on 01.09.2016 will be held at Room No. 72 North Block, New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Finance Secretary and Secretary (Expenditure). Committee will seek views of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA).

7th Pay Commission – Second meeting on Allowances on 01.09.2016 will be held at Room No. 72 North Block, New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Finance Secretary and Secretary (Expenditure). Committee will seek views of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA).

Brief of the meeting held today between the Government of India and the National Council JCM Staff Side

Shiva Gopal Mishra

Secretary

National council (staff Side)

Joint Consulative Machinery for Central Government Employees

13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi-110001

E-Mail : nc.jcm.np@gmail.com

No.NC/JCM/2016                                                                       Dated: August 30, 2016

All Constituents of National Council(JCM)

Dear Comrades!

Sub: Brief of the meeting held today between the Government of India and the National Council (JCM) (Staff Side)

The Government of India has constituted a committee, under the Chairmanship of Addl. Secretary(Exp.) with J.S.(Pers.), JS(Estt.) and JS(Imp.) as members, to deal with the pending issues of our memorandum, submitted to the Empowered Committee, of which prominent are “Minimum Wage and Multiplying Factor”.

The first meeting of the said committee with the National Council(JCM) Staff Side was held today, i.e. 30th August, 2016, which remained almost introductory. Apart from the Official Side members, Shri M. Raghaviah, Shri M.S. Raja and I myself(from the Staff Side JCM) attended the said meeting.

We raised vehemently the issues of “Minimum Wage and Multiplying Formula” and made them very clear that; the VII CPC has accepted Dr. Aykroyd Formula for fixing Minimum Wage, but has not implemented the said formula in full sense, so, that is not acceptable to the Staff Side(JCM), therefore, Minimum Wage from Rs.18000 must be enhanced and accordingly Fitment Formula should also be changed.

It was agreed by the committee that, since we are again meeting on 1st September, 2016 with the Committee on Allowances, the next meeting of the said committee will be fixed in consultation with the Staff Side(JCM).

Thereafter, we also met the Cabinet Secretary(Government of India) and there also we shown our anguish about the inordinate delay in resolving those issues which were agreed to. The Cabinet Secretary said that, orders for the gratuity have been issued for the NPS covered employees, and orders for the PLB and arrears have also been issued. Many of the issues raised by the Staff Side(JCM) have been accepted and implemented and the remaining issues would also be pursued and settled.

Comradely yours,

sd/-

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

Secretary (staff side)

NC/JCM & Convener

Government hikes minimum wage for workers as union strike nears

New Delhi August 30, 2016

The Centre today announced a hike in minimum wage for unskilled non-farm workers of the central government to Rs 350 a day, from the current Rs 246, in an attempt to mollify trade unions that have threatened to go on a nation-wide strike on Friday. 

Interacting with reporters here, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the bonus for 2014-15 and 2015-16 will be paid to central government employees based on revised norms. The Bonus Amendment Act will be implemented “strictly”.

He gave an assurance that the government will also take necessary steps to resolve the cases on payment of bonus pending in high courts and the Supreme Court.

The likely financial implications of the bonus move translate into Rs 1,920 crore per annum.

“In the last one and a half years, the inter- ministerial committee had meeting with central trade unions. Trade unions placed various demands. Some were labour related and some economic policy issues related. The government has taken some decisions with regard to those on the basis of their recommendations,” added Jaitley.

Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya were also present.

Jaitley said it has been decided to fix the minimum wages at Rs 350 per day for unskilled non-agricultural workers for ‘C’ category areas keeping in view the modalities of fixing minimum wages.

The decision was taken following deliberations at the meeting of the Minimum Wage Advisory Board under the chairmanship of the labour minister for revising the basic minimum wages in the central sphere.

The registration of the contract workers and their staffing agencies is mandatory and states will be advised to strictly implement the same, the finance minister said.

Errant contractors will face appropriate action for any violation, he warned.

The issue of giving social security benefit to the unorganised sector (like Anganwadi, mid-day meal, Asha volunteers) will be examined by a committee which will give its report at the “earliest”.

Asked about the strike call, Jaitley said: “I think we have responsible trade unions.”

On the opposition to the government’s plans to merge associate banks of SBI with the parent bank, Jaitley said “the merger is not subject of trade unions”.

“Their service conditions are not being hurt adversely or affected at all. There will be no impact of merger on service conditions of any employee. If government decides that we need strong banks, then unions would have to change their approach to the whole issue,” he asserted.

Dattatreya has held meetings with central trade unions wherein detailed discussions were held with regard to their charter of demands.

The issues have been taken up by inter-ministerial committee haded by the finance minister.

As many as 10 central trade unions have given a call for a one-day pan-India strike on September 2, 2016, to protest against the government’s labour reforms and “not paying heed to their demands”.

PTI NEWS

Minister of State for Labour and Employment (I/C) held meetings with Central Trade Union leaders on charter of demands of one day strike on 02.09.2016

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Labour & Employment

30-August-2016 18:05 IST

Basic Minimum Wages for Central Sphere Workers Revised 

Minimum Wages to be Rs.350/- Per Day for Unskilled Non-Agricultural Workers for ‘C’ Category Areas .

Shri Arun Jaitely, the Union Finance Minister, the Union Minister of State(IC) for Labour and Employment Shri Bandaru Dattatreya and Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy & Mines had a joint Press conference here today on charter of demands of the Central Trade Unions. 

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment (I/C) has held meetings with Central Trade Union leaders wherein detailed discussions were held in regard to their charter of demands. Thereafter, the issues were discussed by the Inter- Ministerial Committee headed by the Finance Minister. The following decisions have been taken by the Government: 

1. The Bonus Amendment Act will be implemented strictly. The Central Government will pay Bonus for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16 based on revised norms. A government notification in this regard is being issued immediately. 

2. The Central Government will take necessary steps to resolve the cases pending in High Courts/Supreme Court with regard to payment of Bonus. 

3. It has been decided that, based on the deliberations in the meeting of the Minimum Wage Advisory Board under the Chairmanship of Minister for State for Labour and Employment (I/C) for revising the basic minimum wages for central sphere, the Government has decided to fix the minimum wages at Rs.350/- per day for unskilled non-agricultural workers for ‘C’ category areas keeping in view the modalities of fixing minimum wages. 

4. The registration of the contract workers and their staffing agencies is mandatory as per law and states will be advised to strictly implement the same. Erring contractors will face appropriate action for any violation in this regard. 

5. The issue of giving social security benefit to the unorganised sector (eg., Anganwadi, Mid-day meal, Asha volunteers etc.) will be examined by a committee which will give its report at the earliest. 

6. Advisories will be issued to all the States Governments to ensure that registration of Trade Unions takes place within 45 days. 

7. The Central government has reiterated its commitment towards tripartite consultation process. 

8. Sector specific meetings will be held to resolve issues relating to respective industries. 

Later interacting with media Shri Bandaru Dattatreya appealed to Trade Unions to reconsider their call for strike, in national interest. 

PLB ceiling enhancement to Rs.7000/- applicable to year 2014-15 - Calculation

7/4/2014/E-IIIA

Grant of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) and non-Productivity Linked Bonus (Ad-hoc bonus) in case of Central Government employees for the accounting year 2014-15- enhancement of the calculation ceiling- Regarding

Grant of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) and non-Productivity Linked Bonus (Ad-hoc bonus) in case of Central Government employees for the accounting year 2014-15- enhancement of the calculation ceiling- RegardingEnglish (980 KB)

Trade union strike on Sept 2:

Narendra Modi govt faces biggest strike since coming to power

New Delhi |  August 30, 2016:

  

women in garment industry A fixed minimum wage between Rs 15,000 and Rs 18,000 per month has been on top of the CTUs’ 12-point charter of demands. (Reuters)

The government’s effort to dissuade 10 central trade unions (CTUs) from going ahead with the September 2 strike did not succeed on Monday as the minimum wage advisory board (MWAB) meeting remained inconclusive.

A fixed minimum wage between Rs 15,000 and Rs 18,000 per month has been on top of the CTUs’ 12-point charter of demands. A positive outcome of the MWAB meeting, which was preponed from the earlier scheduled on September 6, could have saved the government from the embarrassing labour stir.

With the meeting failing to reach a consensus, RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which unlike 10 other CTUs is yet to give their strike call, may also join the stir. This would make it the biggest-ever labour strike since the new government under Narendra Modi assumed office in May, 2014.

Talking to FE earlier in the day, BMS general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said the trade union would take part in the strike if the government gives orders and not just written assurances on majority of their 12-point charter of demands that includes a minimum wage of Rs 15,000 per month.

At its three-day Kendriya Karya Samiti (KKS) meeting in Bhopal earlier this month, BMS had resolved to declare the strike on September 2, but left the onus of taking the final call on its president B N Rai and Upadhyay.

Currently, minimum wage for an unskilled worker in the central sector is Rs 211 per day or Rs 5,486 a month.

FE had earlier reported that the government has proposed a steep 60-95% hike in the minimum wages for its contract/temporary workers in 45 scheduled employment categories, ranging from agriculture to construction and mining, to Rs 9,150 per month. The minimum wage in a state is fixed by the state only.

AITUC national secretary D L Sachdeva, who attended the MWAB meeting, said the unions demanded that there should be uniformity in the minimum wage across the country for all workers — be it domestic help or the industry worker, and the amount should not be less than the monthly starting pay of Rs 18,000 for the central government staff as per the 7th Pay Commission.

“We have demanded that a national minimum wage should be fixed below which no state will fix the minimum wages. Developed states can fix higher wages than the national minimum wage. The strike call stands,” he added.

Another official who was present during the meeting, said employers’ representatives also agreed to the idea that the minimum wages should be hiked, but there was resistance from their side on making it as high as Rs 15,000 since that will cost them dearly.

A government official said on the condition of anonymity that the central government does not have the legislative power to fix the minimum wage for a state since labour is in the concurrent list. The proposed monthly minimum wage of Rs 9,150 for an unskilled farm worker in Class C areas (as against Rs 211 now) has been arrived at after taking into account his four-member family’s energy need for 2,700 k cal a day as well as clothes, fuel, power, educational, medical and rental expenses, the official added.

Meanwhile, though CTUs ruled out postponing the strike, they were expecting some favourable outcome from the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya late on Monday.

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