Confederation June'14 Indefinite Strike - Draft Resulution

The National Secretariat of the Confederation places on record its appreciation and gratitude over the massive and magnificent participation of the largest number of our members in the 48 hour strike on 12thand 13th Feb. 2014. It was a great manifestation of the confidence, the members had reposed in the organization and their determination to win the demands through struggles. The reports, the Confederation CHQ received both from the affiliates and the State Committee indicate the massive participation of the employees in the strike action throughout the county. In some of the affiliates, the participation had been cent percent. This must embolden the Confederation to pursue the issue with determination and organize further action programmes to ensure that the demands are got settled.

The Secretariat has noted that the Government had pretended to ignore the massive action of the employees. There had been no response from them so far. In the wake of the strike action, it announced the composition of the 7th CPC disregarding the united demand raised by the Staff side of the JCM National Council for the inclusion of a labour representative. The Government also chose not to convene the meeting the staff side to discuss the draft terms of reference submitted,. It did not make any announcement on the question of merger of DA, Interim Relief, inclusion of GDS within the ambit of the Commission and rejected the demand for making the recommendation of the Commission effective from 1.1.2014. 

On every issue, which is included in the 15 point Charter of demands, the Govt. continued with its nugatory attitude. In the last session of the Parliament, they ensured that the PFRDA bill becomes an Act despite the strongest objection and resistance of the employees by eliciting and receiving the support and patronage of the dominant opposition party, the BJP. Even on comparatively smaller issues like compassionate appointments, no positive response emerged. The period witnessed increased outsourcing of governmental functions. Almost a third of the workforce is presently casual and contract workers with abysmally poor wages taking advantage of the acute unemployment situation in the country. There had been no settlement of any issue raised by the Staff Side in the National Council JCM. In fact no meeting of the council was convened and no issue discussed or settled during this period.

The plight of the three lakh Gramin Dak Sewaks of the Postal Department is highly deplorable. They constitute almost half of the Postal workforce. But for them, the functioning of the Postal system will come to a grinding halt. Their service conditions are presently worse off than even a causal/daily rated worker. Despite the Supreme Court’s decisions that they are holders of Civil Posts and consequently are entitled to the benefits and privileges of a civil servant, there had been no improvement in their service conditions worth mentioning. In spite of repeated presentation of their case both inside and outside the Parliament by people from all walks of life irrespective of party affiliation, the Government had been silent to the pleading for bringing them within the ambit of the Pay Commissions. Confederation is duty bound and determined to change the situation and to bring them within the purview of the 7th CPC.

During its five year tenure, the UPA II was in power, it intensified the neo-liberal reforms, phased out all welfare measures introduced to benefit the poor by the previous Governments; accentuated the unemployment situation by various job killing devices; divested the PSUs; allowed unbridled entry of Foreign capital to subjugate the Indian people; ruined the indigenous industry, destroyed the livelihood of the farmers and agricultural labourers, allowed the prices of all essential food items to soar, privatised education and health care services, ensured that each of its decision was to favour the rich, granted huge tax concessions to the corporate, indulged in large scale corruption, squandered away the national wealth, siphoned off the poor man’s earning into the hands of a few rich in the country, sided with the entrepreneurs in all labour disputes, took each and every political decision to sub-serve the interest of the imperialist powers, especially the USA. The pursuance of the neo liberal policies at the behest of the advanced capitalist countries drove the majority of Indian population to be below the poverty levels. In the comity of nations, our country became the poorest and the last ranking in all fields. Our youth were driven to be beggars at the doors of transnational corporations and developed countries.

Those who were responsible in driving our country men to unprecedented deprivation has to now seek mandate, for their tenure is to end shortly. No different is the approach of the major opposition party, BJP. There is nothing to chose from these two political dispensations. They were hand in glove together to demolish the sovereignty of the country; pauperisation of the people and supported every legislation to intensify the neo liberal exploitation of the common man. They supported to the hilt the corporate houses. But for the support extended by the BJP, the PFRDA would never have been made into a law. The Act now provides for the extension of the new contributory pension scheme to those who were recruited prior to 1.1.2004 and the existing pensioners. Despite the refusal of the Government to accept their suggestion to guarantee minimum pension, the BJP unashamedly supported the Bill, for they were the proponents of the neo liberal economic policies. They supported this Government to increase the FDI and FII in all sectors of economy and announced that they would intensify the reform process if elected to power. The conglomeration of Corporate in the country has now appointed the leader of that party to be the next CEO to run the country. They have no use for the discredited UPA howsoever subservient it could be. They know in a democratic system demagogy can play a vital role. They are certain that BJP and its allies if elected to power will be much more pliant and compliant.

It is in this background that the workers must assess the political situation. In the forthcoming electoral battle, every worker must discharge his salutary responsibility. Since the present state of affairs is the product of the neo liberal policies and since both the UPA and the NDA are the proponents of those policies, he must have clear vision and exercise the franchise effectively to ensure that a pro worker, pro people combination of parties is in governance. He must discharge that responsibility for his own sake and for the sake of this great nation. 

The Secretariat came to the inescapable conclusion that the settlement of the demands in the charter will only be possible through intensification of the struggles. It recognised the need for larger unity. It will strive for bringing about such a united platform for joint action. The inevitability of an indefinite strike action has to be emphasised. The Confederation and its affiliates must prepare its members for such an eventual and unavoidable action, if the proposed 7th CPC is to really revise the wages. It is needed to ensure the withdrawal of the pernicious contributory pension scheme. It only will ensure that there are no casual or contract system of employment in Government service. The Government employees must be bestowed with democratic rights and above all must enjoy the facility for collective bargaining and right to strike. The Gramin Dak Sewak system is a colonial legacy and no civilised country must endure such brutal exploitation. All is possible through united and sustained action. The Confederation has proved beyond any iota of doubt that it has built up an organisation capable of carrying out such an action. Such action must be planned to take place after the electoral battle is over. Every active worker of the Confederation must fan out and reach out the rank and file of the workers. Since the task is stupendous, the endeavour and effort must also be equally persisting.

The meeting of the National Secretariat of the Confederation has decided to call upon all its affiliates, the State Committees, District Committees and units to work in consonance with the understanding depicted in this resolution; mobilise the rank and file for the eventual indefinite strike action in June, 2014 and strive to bring about a revolutionary change in the governance of our polity.