7th CPC Report - Equal Pay for Equal Work

Equal Pay for Equal Work – 7th CPC Report

“Equal Pay for Equal Work  – Pay Matrix addresses these issues as well”

One recurrent theme in the representations of various associations relates to ‘equity’ or ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work.’

Ideally, the remuneration package should establish horizontal equity: employees should feel that their pay is comparable with the remuneration structure of similarly placed positions outside their organization. The employees should also feel that the pay structure shows linear progression pattern and thus the notion of vertical equity is also maintained.

The Pay Matrix addresses these issues as well. The Commission has designed the pay structure in such a manner that the pay progression recognises the importance of vertical relativities and also assigns a reasonable basis to such progression. This has been done by assigning a uniform fitment factor of 2.57.

The Commission feels that there is strong need to create a culture of performance in government – from establishing standards of performance, to measuring, and promoting people based on performance. To emphasize on the culture of performance, the Commission has recommended that all the non-performers in the system should be phased out after 20 years.

The Commission has recommended that Performance Related Pay should be introduced in the government and that all Bonus payments should necessarily be linked with productivity.

The various Central Services have contended that this edge given to the IAS and the IFS is iniquitous and violates the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work.’

They have pointed out that the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the UPSC is an examination that is common for recruitment to around 18 Group `A’ Services and that the choice of Service exercised by the candidates is based upon very many factors. It is not necessary that only the top-most go to the IAS. It has also been pointed out that officers of most of the Services are,

in their early years, posted to small places and are subjected to many transfers. Therefore, the grant of the edge is seen as unfair.

Analysis and Recommendations : This Commission has studied the entire issue and deliberated in detail on the issue in the Chapter 7.2. The Chairman has sought not only to retain the two increment edge within the proposed pay matrix for the IAS and Indian Foreign Service but also extended it to the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service. Shri Vivek Rae, Member, Seventh CPC is not in agreement with extension of the edge in pay to the IPS and IFoS. Dr.Rathin Roy, Member, Seventh CPC is not in agreement with the concept of an edge in pay.

Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme

Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its report on implementation of Ex Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) during the year ending March, 2015 has made observations mainly relating to administration of the scheme by Central Organisation of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (CO, ECHS), functioning of the empanelled hospitals, budgetary and manpower matters, bringing out issues such as overcharging, anomalies in submission of bills and non-adherence to Memorandum of Agreement by empanelled hospitals, short supply of medicines in Polyclinics, non-disposal of expired medicines, diversion of ECHS funds for service personnel hospitals and shortage of manpower in ECHS Polyclinics etc.

Corrective steps taken / being taken to overcome the shortcomings / deficiencies include outsourcing of pharmacy, authorization of local chemists, enhancement of financial power of Officer in-charge of ECHS polyclinic to obviate the shortage of medicines, processing of medical bills of all 28 Regional Centres on-line as per rules, appropriate use of ECHS funds by the service hospitals, adherence to the terms and conditions of Memorandum of Agreement by the empanelled hospitals, recruitment of the manpower in ECHS polyclinics, de-duplication of ECHS smart cards etc.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to Shri MD Badaruddoza Khan and others in Lok Sabha today.

Source: PIB News

Healthcare, Education Facilities for NPPS Employees

Healthcare, Education Facilities for NPPS Employees

Facilities for NPPS employees

In respect of employees at the Nuclear Power Plant sites, healthcare facilities are provided to all the employees and their family members through Contributory Health Service Scheme (CHSS) of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) through hospitals established by NPCIL/DAE at the Nuclear Power Plant sites and/or hospitals empanelled for the purpose. The wards of employees are provided education facility upto 12th standard through Atomic Energy Central Schools (AECS) managed by Atomic Energy Education Society (AEES), an autonomous grant-in-aid institution of DAE.

With regard to people living in the vicinity of Nuclear Power Plants, NPCIL has been contributing in the areas of education, healthcare and infrastructure & skill development through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Neighborhood Development Programme (NDP). NPCIL is running primary health centers through NGOs and providing Out Patient (OPD) services. It also runs Mobile Medical Vans and conducts free medical camps. It has also upgraded several primary health centers and provided medical equipment, ambulances, prosthetic aids etc. A multi-specialty hospital is being set up at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu under the Neighborhood Development Programme. In respect of education, school buildings have been constructed, improvements made in existing buildings, provisions for drinking water and toilet blocks made, educational aids including books, computers, bags & uniforms distributed and scholarships provided for meritorious students in neighborhoods of nuclear power plants.

NPCIL extends support for infrastructure around nuclear power plants like construction of roads, bridges, school buildings, drinking water schemes, water tanks, bore wells, community centres, crematoria, multi-purpose halls solar street lights etc. In the last two years and the current year, infrastructure projects totaling to about Rs. 67 crore have been planned.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in a reply to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha today.

Source: PIB News

Tax on Provident Fund withdrawn

Tax on Provident Fund withdrawn

The Centre has withdrawn its proposal to impose tax on Employee Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals.

From the very beginning, Central Government Employees unions all over the country have been opposing the government’s decision to impose tax on the money that they had been saving during their entire careers. After the Union Budget, the Central Government workers unions vehemently opposed the plan.

On February 29,  Arun Jaitley, the Finance Minister, presented the Union Budget for 2016-17 in the Parliament. It was announced that tax will be imposed on 60 percent of the EPF. The decision was met with stiff opposition all over the country. The opposition parties demanded that the tax on Provident Fund be withdrawn.

Arun Jaitley informed that decision in this regard will be made during the debates on the Budget. Accordingly, during the Parliamentary debate yesterday, Arun Jaitley voluntarily announced the decision to withdraw the taxes on Provident Fund. He added that tax exemption for Rs.1.5 lakhs will be given for the contribution made for pension funds.

The decision to exempt 40 percent of the PF funds from taxes stays. When the government made the announcement to impose taxes, the opposition parties and trade unions all over the country accused it of imposing new taxes whenever it faced cash crunch.

The government had clarified that the decision to impose tax on PF savings was not meant for increasing the revenue of the government, but to encourage workers to join pension schemes. But, it has now announced that the tax has been withdrawn.

Members of the Parliament have welcomed the government’s decision to withdraw the taxes on PF savings. It has to be mentioned here that Arun Jaitley, in his statement, had said that the taxes will encourage people to save more.

Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi said that the government has succumbed to the pressure from the people and has withdrawn the taxes on PF savings.

NJCA has decided to defer strike date to 11th July, 2016 due to elections in five states

NJCA has decided to defer strike date to 11th July, 2016 due to elections in five states

National Joint Council of Action

4, State Entry Road, New Delhi – 110055

No.NJC/2016/7th CPC

March 7, 2016

To

All Constituents of NJCA

Dear Comrade,

The NJCA met today and reviewed the discussion in the meeting of Empowered Committee of Secretaries presided by the Cabinet Secretary on 1st March 2016 where-in the Cabinet Secretary had requested for more time to arrive at conclusions on the charter of demands raised by the Staff Side.

The meeting also considered the situation in the aftermath of the coming into effect of the Code of Conduct with the declaration of election schedule in 5 State Assemblies and the fact that there will be polling on 11th April 2016 in West Bengal and Assam.

The meeting, therefore, came to the conclusion that it will not be feasible for us to stick to the date of strike as 11th April 2016. Considering the fact that as per section 22 of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 with regard to the validity of the strike notice which is not more than six weeks from the date of serving the strike notice, it was also felt that we may have to revisit the issue of serving the notice for strike afresh.

Considering all the above aspects, the meeting took the following decisions”

I. The indefinite strike shall commence from 6 am on 11th July 2016

2. The strike Notice would be served on 9th June 2016.

3. Massive demonstrations shall be held in all work place on 11th March 2016 in support of the charter of demands and strike decision.

4. The decision of the NJCA would be communicated to the Cabinet Secretary.

Detailed mobilization programmes would be given later on.

With greetings

Yours faithfully,

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

Convener

Source: www.ncjcmstaffside.com