NGOs' Association organises Evening Dharna at Tiranga Park

          At the call of the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, New Delhi, the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has organised an Evening Dharna at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazar, Port Blair from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.  today (19th September, 2014).  Inaugurating the Dharna, Shri B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU, A & N State Committee said that the NDA government which came to power during May, 2014 is also following the same anti-working class policies which were followed by the UPA government. Addressing the gathering, Shri KG Das, former General Secretary of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association briefly explained the disastrous consequences of the wrong economic policies followed by the successive central government during the last more than two decades which,   he said, has led to the widening of gap between the rich and the poor in the country.   He called upon the government employees in the islands to remain united under the banner of the NGOs’ Association in order to fight against the anti-working class policies of the government and also to achieve their various demands. 

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Hira Lal Prasad, Acting President of the Association emphasised the need to go for agitation in order to press the government to settle the demands.   Addressing the Dharna, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Association criticised the government for not considering any of the major demands of the central government employees’ organisations. He said that Mass Dharna has been organised by the Association and Unions affiliated to the Confederation all over the country today.  Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary addressing the gathering in the Dharna said that issues and demands of government employees working in various departments under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration are being neglected by the authorities in the Administration.   Shri GP Mondal and Shri BN Mondal   also addressed the participants in the Dharna. 

          The 12-point charter of demands are (1)  Merger of DA with pay for all  employees w.e.f. 01.01.2014 including Gramin Dak Sevaks   and Pensioners (2)  Grant of Interim Relief to all employees including Gramin Dak Sewaks and pensioners  (3)  Inclusion of Gramin Dak Sewaks under the purview of the 7^th Central Pay Commission (4) Scrap PFRDA  Act and grant statutory defined pension to all including those appointed on or after 01.01.2004 (5) Date of effect of 7^th Central Pay Commission recommendations should be  01.01.2014 (6) Regularisation and Revision of wages of casual labourers and contract workers  (7)  Removal of 5% condition for compassionate appointment (8) Fill up all vacant post and creation of New Post wherever justified (9) stop downsizing, outsourcing, contractorisation and privatisation of government functions  (10) Grant Productivity  Linked  Bonus to all without ceiling, compute bonus  as weighted average of PLB for those not covered by PLB agreement (11) Revise OTA and Night Duty Allowance  and implement arbitration awards  and (12) Settle all pending anomalies   of 5^th and 6^th Central Pay Commissions.   

Mass Demonstration by Part-B deprived teachers

A mass demonstration was held in front of the Directorate of Education today (9^th September, 2014) from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. by the affected categories of teachers and miscellaneous teachers who have been denied the upgraded pay under Part B of the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008.  The mass demonstration was organised to protest against the delay in extending the upgraded pay under Part B to teachers and miscellaneous teachers like Headmasters, Physical Education Teachers, Librarians, Primary School Resource Teachers, Craft Instructors, Lab Assistants, etc. numbering about 850 working under the Education Department of Andaman and Nicobabr Administration. 

          While inaugurating the Mass Demonstration, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association said that on implementation of the 6^th Central Pay Commission recommendations in these islands during September, 2008, the above categories of teachers and miscellaneous teachers were excluded from the upgraded pay under Part B on illogical grounds. He said that teachers of the above categories working under the Govt. of NCT of Delhi,   UT Government of Puducherry and other UTs and central government schools have already been given the upgraded pay under Part B at par with Post Graduate Teachers, Graduate Trained Teachers, Primary School Teachers, as the case may be.  Instead of settling the issue in these islands, the Administration referred the matter to the Govt. of India where it is lying for the last six years.  He blamed the A & N Administration and Education Department for lack of initiative to pursue the matter with the Govt. of India.

 Shri HL Prasad, Acting President of the Association called upon the affected teachers to continue their struggle. Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary while addressing the participants assured them that the Association will continue to pursue their demand.  Shri R. Surendran Pillai, Secretary, South Andaman Teachers’ Branch, Shri SL Vinjit, Joint Secretary, SATB, Shri SP Bagchi and Shri Jogeshwar Lal addressed the gathering.  The Mass Demonstration was led by Shri Venkat Rama Rao, Vice President, SATB, Shri Mohammed Iqbal, General Secretary, A &N Physical Education Teachers’ Association and Shri Hemant Rao, General Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Library Association.  A large number of teachers and miscellaneous teachers, among them a good number of women, attended the mass demonstration despite unfavourable weather condition.   

Confederation submits Memorandum to Cabinet Secretary

The   Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, New Delhi  has  submitted a Memorandum to the Cabinet Secretary, Govt. of India  today (11.09.2014)  urging him to  settle the  Charter of Demands  containing 12 issues concerning the government employees.   At the call of the Confederation, central government employees’ organisations all over the country have submitted Memorandum to the Cabinet Secretary through the Departmental Heads concerned. In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a delegation of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association consisting Shri HL Prasad, Acting President, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary and Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary today (11.09.2014) submitted a Memorandum including the 12-point Charter of Demands to the office of the Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Administration to be forwarded to the Cabinet Secretary, Govt. of India, New Delhi. 

          The Charter of Demands   included  (1) Merger of DA with pay for all employees w.e.f. 1.1.2014 (2) Grant of Interim Relief to all employees including Gramin Dak Sewaks  (3)  Scrap PFRDA Act  and grant statutory  defined pension to all including  those appointed with effect from 1.1.2004,  (4) Date of effect of  7^th Central Pay Commission  should be  1.1.2014,  (5)  regularisation  and revision of wages of casual labourers and contract workers  (6) removal of  5%  condition for compassionate appointment,  (7)   fill up all vacant posts and creation of new posts wherever justified,   (8) revise OTS and night duty allowance and implement arbitration awards, etc.       

          The Memorandum was submitted to the Cabinet Secretary as part of the proposed agitation by central government employees.  

NGOs Association changes the Demonstration programme due to Prime Minister's interaction programme on Teachers' Day

The proposed mass demonstration in front of the Directorate of Education on the Teachers’ Day on 5^th September, 2014  by the affected categories of teachers and miscellaneous teachers who have been denied the upgraded pay under Part B of the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008, has been postponed in view of the interactive session of the Hon’ble Prime Minister with the students on the said date.  The Steering Committee of the affected categories of teachers which met at Port Blair on 2^nd September, 2014 has decided to postpone the Mass Demonstration to 9^th September, 2014 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.  

 On the implementation of the recommendations of the 6^th Central Pay Commission, about 850 teachers and miscellaneous teachers like Headmaster, Physical Education Teacher, Librarian, Craft Instructor, Primary School Resource Teacher, Lab Assistants, etc. were denied of the upgraded grade pay under Part B.  The above categories of  teachers and miscellaneous teachers whose scales of pay  were  at par with the PGTs, GTTs and PSTs  as the case may be,  till the  implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission in 2008, have been denied of the  benefit of  upgraded Pay under Part B of  CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 on the plea that the above posts have not been specifically mentioned in the  said rules.   Since 2008, the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association   has been pursuing this matter with the A & N Administration and Govt. of India.