AN ARTICLE BY COM. K.R. EX- SEC. GENL. NFPE ON TWO STRIKES !

Two Strikes that were expected to shake the Central Government are deferred and the Government got the reprieve! The indefinite strike by the entirety of CG Employees that was much anticipated after the strike ballots of Railway and Defense Employees Federations as well as the Confederation and the declaration of the National Convention of all JCM Organisations stand deferred to November 2015! 

The much awaited declaration of strike at the rally of the CG Employees on 28th April before the Parliament was not rousing the employees as it contemplates the strike only on 23rd November 2015, when the 7th CPC would have already submitted its recommendations to the Government. Any issue of Interim Relief, Merger of DA from 1.1.2011, Inclusion of GDS to 7th CPC etc would have been obsolete by that time as the pay commission is going to merge the DA beyond 100 points from a prospective date. The issues at hand and the issues that may come to the fore after the recommendations of the pay commission may not be identical always.                                        

Secondly the proposed indefinite strike by Postal JCA from 6th May also stands deferred after the meeting with the Communications Minister on the eve of the commencement of strike that resulted in deferment of the action. 

The assurances from the Minister are accepted in good spirit by the Postal JCA. Let the Government understand that it has to take the simmering discontent among the CG Employees as well as among the Postal Employees seriously. Instead of breathing safe due to taking back of the industrial action by both the sections and as usual ignore the assurances, it should try to settle the contentious issues urgently as the two and a half lakhs of GDS in the Postal Department are on the verge of frustration! 

It is ironical that this Government also blindly follows the interpretations and stand of the earlier Governments on the question of status of GDS. The fast track action by Modi Government to remove the thorns around the land acquisition act to help the corporates is absent in the question of removing the hardship perpetrated to GDS for more than 100 years!

 Com. K Ragavendran

Ex- Secretary General, NFPE

( Through facebook - AIPRPA CHQ )