Amendment to Payment of Wages Act – Only through cheque or accounts transfers – Clarification

Government Clarification on Amendment to Payment of Wages Act

Press Information Bureau 
Government of India
Ministry of Labour & Employment

21-December-2016 13:41 IST

Government Clarification on Amendment to Payment of Wages Act

It is seen from the media reports that there is a general impression that is being created that the Government is bringing an amendment to the Payment of Wages Act to make mandatory the payment of wages to the workers only through cheque or accounts transfers. This is not the correct position.

It is clarified that the government proposes to bring an amendment to Section 6 of the Payment of Wages Act which will further provide crediting the wages in the bank account of the employees or payment through cheque along with the existing provisions of payment in current coin or currency notes.

This is being done to facilitate the employers from making payment of wages using the banking facilities also in addition to the existing modes of payment of wages in current coin or currency notes.

Also, the appropriate Government (Centre or State) will have to come up with the notification to specify the industrial or other establishments where the employer shall pay wages through cheque or by crediting the wages in employees’ bank account. It is, therefore, clear that the option of payment through cash is still available with the employers for payment of wages.

It may be understood that the Payment of Wages Act was passed in the year 1936 (eighty years ago) and the situation prevailing at that point of time has completely undergone a technological revolution. Most of the transactions now take place through the banking channels. The proposal of Ministry of Labour and Employment to bring an amendment to Section 6 of the Act is an additional facility of crediting the wages in the bank account of the employees or payment through cheque along with the existing provisions of payment in current coin or currency notes.

The above proposed amendment will also ensure that minimum wages are paid to the employees and their social security rights can be protected. Thus the employers can no longer under-quote the number of employees employed by them in their establishments to avoid becoming a subscriber to the EPFO or ESIC schemes.

It is also pointed out that the states like Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana have already come out with notifications to provide for payment through banking channels.

Inclusion of Aadhaar number (Unique Identification issued by UIDAI) in Service Book of Government servants

Inclusion of Aadhaar number (Unique Identification issued by UIDAI) in Service Book of Government servants

RBE No.145/2016

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
RAILWAY BOARD

No.E(G)2016/FR 1-6

New Delhi, dated 02/12/2016

The General Manager(s),
Zonal Railways &
Production Units, etc.

Sub: Inclusion of Aadhaar number (Unique Identification issued by UIDAI) in Service Book of Government servants.

As Railway administrations are aware, in terms of extant rules/instructions every event in a Government servants' official life must be recorded in his Service Book and each entry is to be attested by the Head of office.

2. An extract of Paras 1234 and 1235 of the 'Indian Railway Administration and Finance Code' which provides that the Heads of offices are to obtain signatures of the Railway servants in token of them having inspected their Service Books annually is reproduced below:-

"1234. Scrutiny by Employees: It shall be the duty of every Head of Office to initiate action to show the Service Books to railway servants governed by pension rules under his administrative control every year and to obtain their signature therein in token of their having inspected the Service Books. A certificate to the effect that he has done so in respect of the preceding financial year should be submitted by him to his next superior officer by the end of every September. The railway servants shall inter-alia ensure before affixing their signature that their services have been duly verified and certified as such. In the case of a railway servant on foreign service, his signature shall be obtained in his Service Book after the Accounts Officer has made therein necessary entries connected with his foreign service.

1235. The scrutiny of his Service Book by the railway servant concerned, must be made in the presence of a responsible official. As a token of his scrutiny and acceptance of entries in the Service Book, the railway servant should sign in the relevant column of the Service Book and the official who supervised the scrutiny will also endorse his signature as evidence that scrutiny was conducted under proper supervision and the supervising officer is satisfied that it was bona fide and no unauthorized changes were made in the entries in the Service Book in the course of such scrutiny."

3. Furthermore, Rule 47 of the Railway Services (Pension) Rules 1993 provides for issuing a communication on completion of 18 years of service and five years before retirement, as part of preparatory work for sanctioning pensionary benefits.

4. Besides aforesaid directives, pursuant to Government of India's instructions, it has also been decided that Aadhaar numbers of all Railway Servants should be included in their Service Book.

5. Therefore, all Zonal Railways/Production Units etc. are directed to ensure that the Service Book of all the employees have an entry of the employee's Aadhaar number. Immediate necessary action in this regard may please be taken and the number of employees whose Service Books have been seeded with their respective Aadhaar number may be intimated to Board's office within a month's time.

6. In this connection, attention of Zonal Railways is invited to Board's letter No. 2015/ED/ERP/UIDAI/01 dated 21/7/2016 wherein Railways/Production Units were directed to arrange for Aadhaar numbers and field units are expected to have taken action already.

7.This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Dte.

8.Please acknowledge receipt.

9.Hindi version will follow.

sd/-
(D. Joseph)
Dy. Director Estt. (Genl.)

Source: http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/

Modernization of government offices

Modernization of government offices

The modernization, computerization & digitization of paper based records is a continuous ongoing process in the Government of India. The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions does not maintain any centralized data/information relating to it. However, as part of an overall process of administrative reforms, the DAR&PG has been implementing a scheme for ‘Modernization of Central Government Offices’ based in Delhi since year 1987-88. Under the scheme funds are released by DAR&PG for financing 75% costs of the modernization projects, which involves civil & electrical works and acquisition of furniture, computers & electronic office equipment. Till date DAR&PG has extended financial assistance of Rs.72.40 crore for 453 modernization proposals.

The DAR&PG has the mandate to implement e-Office in all Central Ministries/Departments. As on 15.11.2016, 9 Central Ministries/Departments are on 100% e-Office platform, 14 additional Ministries/Departments are going to be 100% e-Office by 31.12.2016 and further 32 Ministries/Departments by 31st March, 2017. This also is a continuous ongoing exercise.

This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question by Shri M. Chandrakasi in the Lok Sabha today.

Confederation NEWS - India Working Class Unitedly Demands Change of Policy

India Working Class Unitedly Demands Change of Policy – Confederation

2015 SEPTEMBER 2nd ONE DAY STRIKE

INDIA WORKING CLASS UNITEDLY DEMANDS CHANGE OF POLICY

On 26th May, The day Modi Government at the Centre completed one year in office, Workers National Assembly at the Mavlankar Auditorium in the National Capital, New Delhi, in one voice condemned BJP-led NDA Government’s anti worker, anti-peasants, anti-people and pro-corporate, pro-MNC one year’s rule and declared country wide united protests and resistance through General Strike on 2nd September 2015 against these policies and to pursue 12 points charter of demands.

The unanimous declaration of the National Convention, organized by All the eleven Central Trade Unions and National Federations of Employees of all sectors and services condemned the Modi Government for bringing sweeping changes in the Land Acquisition Act permitting forcible acquisition of land from the farmers and drastically curbing farmer’s justify to land and agricultural worker’s justify to livelihood, bringing sweeping changes in the labour laws in favour of the employers, attack on the existing social securities like EPF, ESI benefits, cutting budgetary allocations to scheme which benefit the poor like MNREGA, dismantling of the Public Distribution System, disinvesting profit making public sector undertakings, Not implementing tripartite decisions of the successive Indian Labour Conferences (ILCs), Ignoring the 10 point demands submitted earlier by the Central Trade Union pending since UPA Government etc.

The Central Government Employees are the worst sufferers due to the policy offensives of the Government. No DA Merger, No Interim Relief, No retrospective date of effect to 7th CPC from 01.01.2014 as demanded by JCM Staff Side, refusal to include Gramin Dak Sewaks under 7th CPC, denial of revision of wages and regularization of casual labourers, non implementation of Cadre Restructuring agreement signed by Postal department and Postal federations, 5% condition on Compassionate appointment, non revision of bonus ceiling, non implementation of arbitration awards, non convening of JCM National Council are the one year balance sheet of the Modi Government in the Central Government employees sector. Over and above this, policy offensives like Task Force Committee Report on Postal Corporatisation, Bibek Debroy Committee Report on Railway privatisation, corporatisation of the 41 Ordinance factories in the defence sector, move to close down printing, stationery and publication department and Medical store depots, non filling up of vacancies, downsizing, outsourcing, contractrisation, privatisation, are also being implemented in an aggressive manner.

The atrocious attack on the working people of the country including Central Government employees should be combated resolutely. The anti worker character of the neo liberal policies and the capitalist class interest behind these policies must be thoroughly exposed. It is to resist and repulse these attacks on the working class that the united trade union movement gave a call for a country wide general strike on 2nd September 2015.

From 1991 onwards, when the Congress government started implementing these policies, Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers has been opposing it and had joined the main stream of the working class in resisting the onslaught of imperialist globalization policies. Confederation National Executive had decided to join the one day strike on 2nd September 2015.

This strike must act as a strong warning to the BJP-led Government that the working class of the country, which has a great history of struggles and sacrifices, is not going to let these attacks pass. We call upon the entire Central Government employees to join the strike en-masse and make it a grand success.

Source: Confederation

Outsourcing Policy – Engagement of consultants and outsourcing of services

Outsourcing Policy – Engagement of consultants and outsourcing of services

Outsourcing Policy

The fundamental principles applicable to all Ministries/Departments regarding engagement of consultants and outsourcing of services are provided in General Financial Rules, 2005. As per GFR, 2005, the Ministries/Departments may hire external professionals, consultancy firms or consultants for a specific job which is well defined in terms of content and time frame for its completion or outsource certain services in the interest of economy and efficiency.

The vacant posts of permanent employees in the Central Government are to be filled up as per the provisions of the Recruitment Rules.

The term of the existing contract to engage outsourced persons in the Central Information Commission has already expired. However, the existing engagement of outsourced persons has been allowed to continue for the smooth functioning of the Commission, till the fresh contract is awarded. The Government has decided that fresh tender may be invited at the earliest, following due procedure and the Government has not given any directions to reduce the pay of the existing outsourced persons to the minimum wages.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in Prime Minister’s office Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri Ravindra Kumar Pandey in the Lok Sabha today.

Source: www.7thpaycommissionnews.in