INDEFINITE STRIKE

INDEFINITE STRIKE FROM 17.12.2008 (Wednesday) No agreement reached, talks held between DDG [Estt] and staff side At 15.00 Hrs. on 16.12.2008 however no settlement could be reached. Detailed news from National Postal Employees Federation On the direction of the Regional Labour Commissioner the Department of Posts held a discussion with the Staff Side consisting of the GDS Union and the NFPE with all its General Secretaries at 15.00 Hrs today. The Deputy Director General [Estt] took the meeting. The delay caused by the Senior Officers Committee in not discussing with the Staff Side and not completing its task before the assigned time of 7th December 2008 are protested by us and pointed out that this has caused the resentment at the lower levels. Talks were held for nearly one hour. However no settlement could be reached. The Indefinite Strike decision of the GDS Union stands good. The Federal Secretariat decision to join the strike also stands good. Make all out preparations for the success of the indefinite strike.

No “one rank-one pension” for Armymen

“one rank-one pension”

Rejecting a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen, the government today said it was not contemplating providing “one rank-one pension” to similarly placed officers and jawans after their retirement.Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said the demand was “not found acceptable” due to administrative, financial and legal reasons.

Moreover, Raju said, the pensionary benefits of personnel below officer rank, particularly of the three ranks of Sepoy, Naik and Havildar have been significantly increased by increasing weightage from five years to ten, eight and six years respectively.

They were also allowed pension before January 1996 to be computed with reference to the maximum of the pay scale introduced from January 1, 1996.

With the Pay Commissions increasing the pay of armed forces and men every 10 years, the gap between the pension received by those who retired before the implementation of the respective commissions widened. Similarly placed retired officers (with same ranks and number of years of service) were receiving different amounts as pension, which has been opposed by lakhs of ex-servicemen all across the country and hence the demand from them for “one rank-one pension.”

another reply, Raju said the government had already received representations from ex-servicemen regarding their grievances against various recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.