Friday, April 24, 2020

NCCPA Circular

NATIONAL COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS

13C, Feroze Shah Road, New Delhi 110001

Shiv Gopal Sharma                                                                                                    K.K.N.Kutty

 President                                                                                                                   Secretary General

Dear Comrades!

DA/DR Impounding by the Central Government

The Government of India has issued an unilateral order on 23.04.2020 vide No.1/1/2020-E.II(B) of Ministry of Finace, Department of Expenditure to freeze the DA/DR of CG Employees and Pensioners up to 30.06.2021 and that not to pay any arrears even after the lifting of the freezing with effect from 1.7.2021. The authoritative and unilateral action of the Government has received widespread condemnation from different organizations of Central Government Employees and Pensioners.

NCCPA as the apex organization of various Pensioners Associations at National level and CGPA affiliates at State level expressed its strong condemnation to the Government over this unilateral impounding of DA/DR. The Government have not taken the facts that even before the said impounding, the NCCPA and its affiliates have been donating to the cause of fighting corona to either the PMNRF or State Chief Ministers’ Relief Funds. In addition there had been a wage cut on the CG Employees and the Pensioners also were requested to offer willingness to recover from Pension towards the relief. The unilateral action of impounding of three installments due from 1.1.2020; 1.7.2020; and 1.1.2021 without any arrears on restoration will be acting very severely on the Pensioners whose livelihood is based on Pension and periodical Dearness Relief to offset the cost of living rise. Recovery of pension from 4% to around 12% Pension for a period of 18 months will be excessively harsh on the senior citizens.

NCCPA has therefore written to the Prime Minister to intervene to cause to rescind the orders of the Finance Minister dated 23.04.2020. The copy of letter addressed to the Honourable Prime Minister is enclosed for the information of our affiliates. Any inaction on the part of the Government will be discussed in our National Executive after the restoration of normalcy and organizational decisions will be taken. All our affiliates are requested to send an identical letter of protest to the Honourable Prime Minister on behalf of their respective organizations.

Registration of NCCPA

The important work related to registration of NCCPA under Trade Union Act as decided in our 4^th AIC at Jaipur is facing delay due to corona pandemic and the resultant lockout. A preliminary discussion to prepare necessary documents was held at Delhi but due to lock down I could not undertake any journey to Delhi in the middle of March, 2020. Comrades K.Ragavendran Deputy Secretary General; M.L.Gupta Vice President; H.L.Sidhu Treasurer; and K.D.Khera Chief Advisor of PNB Pensioners Welfare Association met and attended some initial work of preparing documents for the registration. I will go to Jaipur after the lockdown at the appropriate time to complete the process of registration. CHQ Vice Presidents Comrades S.K.Sharma and M.L.Gupta are directly involved in this important task

National Executive of NCCPA

The National Executive of NCCPA scheduled to be held at Ernakulam on 25^th April could not be held due to corona and lockdown. The exact date of the meeting will be later intimated in consultation with the General Secretary of AIBDPA who are hosting the event. Sufficient advance notice will be given to all for facilitating journey reservation.

Comradely Yours,

                              Sd/-

(K.K.N.Kutty)

Secretary General

Encl: Copy of Email to Prime Minister.

NCCPA Email to Honourable Prime Minister on DR Freezing

National Coordination Committee of Pensioners Association

13C, FEroze Shah Road, New Delhi 110001

Shiv Gopal Mishra                                                                                                 K.K.N.Kutty

   President                                                                                                      Secretary General

To

The Honourable Prime Minister,

Government of India,

South Block,

New Delhi. 110 001

Dear Sir,

Sub: Freezing of dearness allowance to Central Government Employees and dearness relief to Central Government Pensioners at current rates till July, 2021.

                Please refer to the O.M. No. 1/1/2020-EII (B) dated 23^rd April, 2020 issued by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance in view of the crisis arising out of the pandemic Covid -19. ordering that the dearness relief to Central Government Pensioners will be freezed at the current rates till July, 2021. In this connection, we on behalf of the Central Government pensioners submit the following for your kind consideration.

The  Central Government pensioners, immediately after your appeal for donation to combat the spread of the pandemic Covid-19  had voluntarily contributed to the Prime Minister Relief Fund  or the respective Chief Minister’s Relief fund to the best of their capacity.   Pensioners, as you are aware Sir, being senior Citizens are mostly inflicted with several diseases and physical debilities and are presently directed by the authorities to be confined to their homes.  They are prohibited to go out and are depended upon others for their dire needs.   Pension being 50% of the last drawn salary or even less, they  are seldom able to make the both ends meet.

The above cited order of the Government of India has been a bolt from the blue for many pensioners.  Since they are depended upon others for every of their needs, the procurement of medicines, visiting hospitals, collecting groceries et all, have  become costlier than what it was a few months back.  In fact presently they are in dire need of extra allowances to pull on.  They along with the millions of  people all over the world wanted the pandemic to end and therefore, support every decision of the Government especially the restrictions imposed on their movement. 

The decision of the Government to freeze the Dearness allowance which had become due on 1^st January, 2020 is an unprecedented one.   We earnestly feel that the country’s economy has not reached such a situation that the Government needs to curtail the meager pension income of the old people.  Never in the political history  of the country, even when its very existence was threatened by external aggression or during the worst financial crisis of 1990s the Government has resorted to confiscate the pension income of senior citizens.   No doubt our country like many other Nations of the world is fighting  to wipe out the pandemic  and the lock down has halted all economic activities.  We are certain that you will be able to note that no other country has decided to confiscate the income of pensioners.  We feel that our country’s economy is robust and is capable of facing the challenges without resort to pauperizing the pensioners.  While benefit packages are extended to considerably well to-do segments in the society, the denial of the due entitlements to the pensioners is extremely painful.

From the order it is seen that the Government has not only decided to freeze the DR entitlements but would not also release the arrears even after the normalcy in the economic activities is brought about.  We can only characterize it as the unkindest cut.  We also would like to point out that an appeal from your good-self for donation  would have elicited  greater response  and the pensioners who are  comparatively well off would have responded admirably and the Government might have collected more than what it would receive by the operation of the above cited order.  That would have helped immensely the comparatively low income pensioners, especially the family pensioners.

It would, therefore, be appropriate that the pensioners are excluded from the purview of the O.M.cited .  The decision to impound the arrears of Dearness relief  in July,2021  is extremely harsh on low income pensioners and family pensioners especially.  Impounding the Dearness relief, in our opinion is not legally tenable without the consent of the concerned pensioner.  The Finance Ministry is well aware of the rule that the entitled pension cannot be curtailed.    Whoever has advised the Government that the Dearness Relief on pension should not be construed as pension are wrong and their interpretation is not at all tenable. 

We, therefore, appeal to you that for the reasons  stated by us in the preceding paragraphs, the order issued by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure  cited, may be directed to be withdrawn forthwith. 

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Sd/- 

K.K.N.Kutty

Secretary General.

May Day 2020: The current situation and our duties

20 Apr 2020

MAY DAY

The World Federation of Trade Unions, on the occasion of May Day 2020, salutes the workers in all continents; all those whose work continues to move the gears of life even in difficult conditions such as the Coronavirus Pandemic and keeps producing all the necessary goods so that life may continue and the needs of workers and popular strata can be met.

We honor the millions of employees in public healthcare systems around the world: doctors, nurses, all healthcare workers, who amidst the Coronavirus pandemic struggle every day to save the patients from the pandemic without even having the necessary protective and medical equipment, risking their own health and lives. They are at the frontline of struggle, with courage and self-denial, lifting the burden of care and treatment in a middle of a pandemic that already counts millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths, in a public healthcare system deteriorated by underfunding and discredited by the policies of all capitalist governments, which consciously undermine the public healthcare system and privatize its neuralgic activities to enhance the speculative profitability of multinationals.

The workers and the popular strata, we unite our voices with those of the militant healthcare workers, we stand in solidarity with their struggle and we demand immediate coverage of the vacancies, adequacy of public health infrastructure and materials to serve the permanent and temporary needs of the people; Requisition of the private sector and abolition of the commercialization and privatization of Health and Welfare. Free public universal and high-quality health services. Workers’ health over profit!

We salute the workers in production and distribution of food and basic necessities, in supermarkets, in pharmaceutical sector, in cleaning services, in energy sector and other services, who through their work ensure the access of workers and peoples to everything necessary for their survival.

At the same time, on the occasion of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, we denounce the huge attack on workers’ labor rights through layoffs, lack of payment, undeclared work and the restriction of trade union freedoms.

The long-term unemployed, the uninsured workers, immigrants, refugees, those who suffer from other diseases, are literally left at their fate, without being able to earn a living or ensure the necessary monitoring of their health, which can cause its deterioration.

Complaints are expressed from all over the world from employees in companies that do not produce basic necessities, but continue to work with their employees squeezed into production lines and offices, without any compliance with the necessary protection measures, so that multinationals can increase their profitability; As a result, the pandemic spreads rapidly, as was the case in northern Italy, in the US, Turkey, and elsewhere.

Facing all these issues, we stay strong and active, we put forward our militant demands, the workers’ demands for public and free healthcare for all, for jobs with decent wages, the right to full employment for all the unemployed, the substantial support of those who are unable to work or suffer from the coronavirus or other diseases. Take back all the layoffs and adverse changes that took place during the Pandemic!

At the same time, the antagonisms of capitalist countries and imperialist powers that are stealing the natural and produced wealth of peoples and leading to bloody conflicts and wars continue unabated even in these conditions, in a frantic effort to safeguard their economic interests against the workers’ needs. The US economic sanctions against the peoples of Cuba, Venezuela and Iran, the imperialist interventions against Syria, Palestine, Yemen, the weapon production and trade, the conflicts and antagonisms continue.

The speculation in hygiene and essential materials against coronavirus, the competition to find a vaccine that will bring huge profits to the respective companies in the country that will find it are intensified.

Against capitalist antagonisms and speculation, the workers and peoples raise our solidarity and proletarian internationalism, following the example of Cuba, which has sent specialized doctors to fourteen countries affected by the Pandemic, the example of the workers of Italy who organized a general strike in support of doctors and workers, following the example of workers in all countries who do not remain silent, who counter fight also this crisis with militant slogans in solidarity to all peoples.

The migrant workers in Chicago, who struggled and sacrificed their lives in May 1886 for the establishment of the 8-hour working day, paved the way of the world working class for the continuous claim of its rights.

The international class-oriented labor movement through the lines of WFTU honors the legacy of their struggle and continues under any circumstance, despite the difficulties, to struggle for the coverage of the workers’ modern needs and the abolition of exploitation. For the emancipation of the working class and its liberation from capitalist barbarism.

OUR URGENT DUTIES

Brother and sisters workers, employees and unemployed, retirees, immigrants and refugees, young scientists, indigenous people, women and men, in front of the complex difficulties we are faced with, we must once again stand at the forefront of the struggle, combining our ability to fight for the abolition of social exploitation with immediate and urgent requests:

1. The states and governments should allocate the necessary funds for the support of the Public Healthcare Sector, so that all peoples have access to free, full and decent health coverage.
2. Prohibition of privatizations in the strategic health sector.
3. The International Organizations should stop good wishes and descriptions and live up to their founding principles.
4. Safe and free vaccine for all.
5. Prohibition of dismissals.
6. Respect of all salary, insurance and employment rights of the employees.
7. Defending democratic and trade union freedoms.
8. Defending the right to strike.
9. Strengthening of the internationalism and solidarity between workers and peoples.
10. Stop speculation and high prices.
11. Repel racist and neo-fascist phenomena.

Dear Colleagues,

Honoring the 75 years of WFTU, let us strengthen our class struggles, putting into practice our slogan: “NO ONE SHOULD BE ALONE!” All workers, together, we can struggle for the satisfaction of our modern needs.

The WFTU has been and is at the forefront for 75 years. It is our duty to continue and we will do so.

Long live proletarian internationalism

Long live May Day

The struggle goes on!

VIEW THE ORDER->RENEWAL OF MEDICAL CARD.

It has been intimated by Com. Sanjib Banerjee, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, Kolkatta Telephones, that an  amount of Rs.2,45,000 has been collected towards Contract Workers Relief Fund by Kolkata Telephones Circle. Out of this Rs.1,95,000 is from Kolkata Telephone District Branch.

Hearty Congratulations Kolkata Comrades and Circle Secretary Com. Sanjib Banerjee!

Reports have been published in todays’ papers that 8003 aged persons have died in old age homes in U.S. due to COVID-19 and that necessary treatment is not being provided. This is very sad. Aged persons are more prone to Corona attack due to their weak body and weak immune system and require special assistance.

Kerala Government has announced relief to the BSNL contract workers in Kerala during the period of corona virus. The sad plight of the contract workers without getting wages for about one year and the difficulty to manage the family during the COVID period was brought to the notice of the Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and the Labour Minister Com. T.P.Ramakrishnan, who himself is a leader of the CITU by Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, All India President, BSNLCCWF and Com. Santhosh Kumar, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU.

The Chief Minister has assured that the matter of payment of wages and arrears to the contract workers will be brought to the notice of the government of India for favour of necessary action. We thank the honorable Chief Minister for his support to the BSNL Contract workers!

19 APR 2020 12:38 PM by PIB Delhi

It has come to the notice of the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare of the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension that in the wake of the current pandemic, Covid-19 and the ensuing economic scenario, many rumours are afloat that the Government is contemplating a reduction/stoppage of Pension which has become a source of worry for the Pensioners.

As clarified earlier, it is being reiterated that there is no such proposal for reduction of pension and no action is contemplated by the Government in this respect. Instead, the Government is committed for the welfare and well being of the pensioners.

It has been intimated by Com.N.Guruprasad, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, Kerala that Rs.15 lakhs have been remitted to Kerala Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund. A few comrades have donated one month’s pension. The donations have been made as per the call of General Secretary AIBDPA. 

Congratulations to Kerala Comrades.