Full Text of Letter dated 14th March, 2013 to
Prime Minister by Shri Ajay Maken, Union Minister regarding request to early
setting up of Seventh Pay Commission.
March 14, 2013
It is
with a sense of pride that I seek to underline that about 3,2 million Central
Government Employee and an equal number of pensioners inducting
service personnel, hold you in high esteem and think of you as one amongst
them. They look up to you as a leader who would not only empathize with their
concerns but ensure deliverance as well. It was you who had constituted the
Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) in 2005 which should have been set up in
2003 by the NDA Government.
2)
Central Government Employee who are inducted in Government through a process of
rigorous screening and testing as also stringent evaluation of a job performance are
supposed to be the brightest. With globalisation and multi-national corporation
coming into the country, we have at hand a two fold challenge:
(a) do
have a personnel pool with high acumen to deal with these MNCs,
(b)
simultaneously a dress the challenge of high attrition on which in itself is a
result of MNCs having come in. In order to attract as also retain the brightest
minds in Government employment it is but necessary that Central Pay Commission
are set up regularly to look into and evaluate their pay structures and submit
recommendations.
3) Ever
since the setting up of the second Central Pay Commission all pay commissions
have been set up in the 3rd year of every decade baring the one time when the
NDA Government did not do so in the year 2003. The pay commissions are then
required to submit their recommendations/reports in three years time. However,
you had set up the sixth pay commission in 2005 and submitted its report in an
year and half, much to the relief and succour of Government employees. We are
again in the third year of the on-going decade and Central Government Employees
are justifiably looking forward to the Seventh Pay Commission that would look
into their needs.
The
present wage structure of the Central Govt. Employees has been made
on the basis of the Sixth Central Pay Commission’s recommendations, which were
implemented with effect from 11.2006 in the case of Pay and in the case of
allowances with effect from 1.9.2008. The erosion of real wages owing to the
degree of inflation in the economy is hurting these employees very badly. The
retail prices of those commodities, which go into the making of
minimum wage, have risen by about 160% between 1.1.2006 to 1.1.2011, in
comparison to D.A. compensation, which on that date had been just 51%. It is
also an acknowledged fact that the 6th CPC had computed the minimum wage by
suppressing the retailprice of these commodities in the market on the
specious plea that official statistics of the retailprices of these
commodities were not available. They therefore, computed the
retail price by increasing the wholesale price by 20% for
each of the commodity whereas the actual retail price in the market
was 60% more than the wholesale price.
4)
Broadly, one’s -emoluments should be adequate enough to commensurate with
boundless and limitless assignments and to his duties and responsibilities in a
better, effective and honest manner. The same has also to place, an employee to
be in a position to fulfil his social and family obligations, such as education
of children, their marriage, maintenance of a reasonable living standard for
himself and his family members expected of Government servants and also to take
care of his post retirementlife.
5) The
basis of fixing wages in the past was largely a consumer need related, which
was considered at a bare minimum like the minimum nutritional level, minimum
clothing, housing etc. But today life is more complex and living standards are
not based on simple living and the same cannot be restricted to only for the
working class. The producer of wealth being the consumer oriented also requires
consumers, including the Central Government employees.
6) These
employees are also placed in a disadvantageous situation vis-a-vis their
counterparts in Central Public Sector undertakings, in whose case, the wage
revisions normally takes place after every five years through Collective
bargaining. The wage revision of the Central Government employees if not after
five years it must be after every ten years and the Government needs to
consider setting up of the Seventh Centra1 Pay Commission immediately. While
conceding the fact that the Central Pay Commission is founded only in every 10
years, however with the coming of the year 2011, prices of most of
the products needed in day to day life is increasing.
7) In
brief the following decision need to he taken on Priority so that
a positive message goes among serving Central Government Employees,
Pensioners and Service and Para Military Personnels, the decision will also
have bearing upon State Governments Employees:-
A notification
for constitution of 7th Central Pay Commission is the need of the hour, which
is bound to have bearing upon about 20 million employees, which are opinion
makers. Therefore the issues may please be considered by the concerned
Ministries on Priority and appropriate decision is taken.
Sir, I will be extremely obliged
if the above submission is considered favourably in larger interest of
government employees as well as the party.
Source : Hindustan Times