NFPE NEWS : THE MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR AWAKE, ARISE, UNITE

The 9th Federal Council of NFPE held at Hyderabad from 9^th to 13^th June 2013, gave a clarion call to the five lakhs Postal and RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) to be ready for an indefinite strike, in case our demand for setting up of seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC) and merger of DA with pay is rejected by the Central Government. The conference in one voice also demanded the Government to withdraw the Contributory Pension Scheme and scrap the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill. It further decided that even if Pay Commission is appointed, if the Government refuse to include the revision of wages and service conditions of GDS in the term of reference of the CPC and grant the DA merger benefit to GDS, entire employees shall go on indefinite strike.

The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, the united fighting organisation of Central Government Employees, in its 24^th National Conference held at Kolkata from 4^th to 6^th May 2013 has taken a historic decision to go on indefinite strike demanding constitution of seventh CPC, DA merger, scrapping of New Pension Scheme and the settlement of the 15 point charter of demands. The decision of the Confederation clearly reflected the aspiration and commitment of about 28 lakhs of Central Government Employees and about 40 lakh Central Government Pensioners. Unlike in the past, this time, the Confederation has rightly decided to project the GDS demands as one of the main demands and in the 12^th December 2012 strike the GDS participated in the strike en-masse as per the call given by NFPE, even though the so-called recognized union of GDS has not even given strike notice.

Finally, as in the past, as a logical corollary, the Railway and Defence employees Federations have also decided to go for an indefinite strike raising the 7^th CPC and DA merger demand. Due to conscious and persistent effort made by Confederation, especially its versatile and undisputed leader Com. S. K. Vyas Ji, a joint meeting of AIRF, AIDEF and Confederation was arranged on 29^thJuly 2013 and Joint Council of Action (JCA) is formed, the JCA decided to organize various campaign programmes, culminating in indefinite strike. As a first step it is decided to submit a letter to the Government listing out the demands and also its time-bound settlement. The seven point charter of demands includes setting up of 7^th CPC, DA merger, compassionate appointment, regularization of GDS and Casual Labourers, Scrapping of PFRDA Bill, removal of bonus emolument ceiling, functioning of JCM and implementation of arbitration awards. Even though in the past, the dominant leadership of the National Council JCM has taken a stand that as GDS do not come under JCM, their demand cannot be included, this time the Confederation and NFPE leadership could convince them and they agreed for inclusion of GDS demands also.

Thus a situation has emerged wherein the entire Central Government employees stands united and determined to realize just and genuine demands. The message is loud and clear. Now it is the duty and responsibility of each and every one of us to carry the message to the grass-root level workers and build up broadest unity among the rank and file. Once such a rock-like unity for struggle is achieved, no Government can reject our justified demands. Time is short. Let us awake, arise and unite.