Hunger Strike by Defence Men on 29 may 2008

Former defence personnel, protesting the recommendations of the Sixth pay Commission, have decided to go on a hunger strike in Delhi on ( Thursday, 29 may 2008) and later follow up with rallies across the country.

“All veterans have been asked to take part in the hunger-strike. Such an action is necessary to inform the people about the mistreatment of the military and highlight the genuine demands of the armed forces personnel. We are resorting to the hunger-strike as we have been driven to the wall by the Pay Commission and have exhausted most avenues of protest,” said Satbir Singh, a gallantry award winner.

"Till 1972, the armed forces had a separate pay commission. In 1973, we were put in the same basket (along with civil employees). But we want a separate commission," Lt. Gen. (retd) Raj Kadyan told reporters here.

They wanted to stage protest there April 29 too, but the home ministry denied them permission. "This time we have not sought a permission but informed the government about the rally. Last time we acted like disciplined soldiers, and will continue to do so," Kadyan said

Remember that, this hunger strike will be only for the benefit of Indian Forces, not for civilian central Gov employees.

Atomic, Space scientists reject pay structure by SCPC

After Armed Forces personnel, Atomic and Space scientists are now upset with the "very low" pay structure recommended by the Pay Commission and rejected it outright and also sought intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The scientists and technologists said the salary scales recommended by the Sixth Central Pay Commission (SCPC) reflected its "appalling attitude" towards the scientific community not tenable with the growth of the country's high-tech departments. They have sought an appointment with Singh, who is also the Minister-in-charge of their departments, for help in rectifying the "anomalies."

"In any case, the recommendations are no where comparable with IT and IT-enabled sectors and we summarily reject the pay structure recommended by SCPC," President of Confederation of Atomic and Space Scientists and Technologists (COAST), Josheph Winston of Indira Gandhi Centre said in a release.

The COAST met on May 17 and reviewed the Commission's rrecommendatiaons at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu and examined in detail the "anomalies" of the recommendations, he said.

"In the long run, such an apathetic attitude of SCPC would lead to total collapse of scientific and technological base in India along with a complete halt to the indigenous technology," COAST's Vice-President R Rama Varma, VSSC (Trivandrum) said.

Winston said the poor package recommended would not attract the younger scientists and lead to brain drain and remorse amongst those who continue with these organisations. Later, these scientists would try to leave these departmetns and join MNCs or private sectors, he said. source

Security Press of India opposing 6th pay commission recommendations

Nasik's Security Press of India employees opposing 6th pay commission recommendations. A meeting of the Workers Union of the Security Press of India was held at the Gate No 3.

The leaders of the Union also stated that a number of recommendations of the Pay Commission were aimed at disrupting the workers movement in India. The President Mr Arun Badgujar accused that the pay commission had recommended only a paltry rise in the salaries.

However the more damaging effects of the pay commission were the targeting of the Workers Movement which was a more serious issue. The government should not use this forum to disrupt the workers movement. The reduction in the number of vacancies for the Class IV employees and the reduction in Public Gazetted Holidays was strongly opposed. source

6th pay scale is likely to come into force on June 1, 2008 in Goa

Finance Minister of Goa Dayanand Narvekar told TOI, "the government is not in a position to raise the pay scales of the government employees to bring about parity. We have to make provision for the 6th pay commission which is likely to come into force on June 1, 2008."

Goa is facing trouble for Rs 800 crore for sixth pay commission recommended pay scale implementation.

The government has assured to finalise the "parity issue" with the employees association positively by May 25. "Based on their assurance, we have suspended our agitation. Or else, we will strike," Shetkar said.

We are expecting around Rs 100-crore from the mining cess. For the additional amount, government might have to take loans or raise taxes or even divest money from other portfolios, which means cutting down on developmental works."Narvekar said.

Full report is at here.

Postal department employees view

Natural justice has been thrown to bay of Bengal while fixing pay scales to postal class three employee and all the demands and requirements which has required sympathy has clutched and washed away.The abnormal justice for postal class three people who rendered land marked service as reserve trained pool postal assistants for more than 5 years since 1981 to 1986 service has not counted for any thing giving a room to cheating under law preview.

At leasts the Govt of India should act in accordance with supreme court judge-ments on the specific topic and to implement the same on par with departmental promotes in the postal department who had gained the same.

Never late to implement the justice on orphan, never show the love, intimacy to officer cadres as the machinery is operating.

This pay commission is purely for officers cadre no new to clerk except to bear extra burden. Justice required.

Murali Postal assistant Walt air RS HO VISAKHAPATNAM 530004 MOBILE 9290016534 E MAIL MURALI_VISWANADH@REDIFFMAIL.COM

(This post is from the comment of other post)

Revised pay package for Army

It is time for cheer for Army personals because a revised pay package for the armed forces personnel including enhanced Military Service Pay for those below officer rank would be finalized today at meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekar.

Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Air Chief Marshal F H Major and Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor would attend the meeting.

The meeting would also be attended by other secretaries in the empowered group of secretaries set up by the government to go into anomalies in the pay packages of armed forces personnel.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Monday that there was no ''large scale'' departures from the services despite the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations not coming up to their expectations.

''Army personnel are allowed to leave service on account of various reasons like suppression, extreme compassionate grounds, low medical category and failure to acquire minimum educational qualification,'' the minister said in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha.

He put the number of officers who were permitted to leave services due to various reasons during the last five years at 3474.

What non-army employees say about 6th cpc

1. 6th Pay commission submitted its report. which complicated whole affairs. Report washed away all efforts made by previous pay commissions.

2. GP "B" employees merger in the pay scale with other gp C employees has put them in great constraint.

3. Accounts officer's (in organized accounts department) pay scale upto 4th pay commission was one step more than the (entry grade2200-4500) ie 2375-3500 which was put to 7500-12500 in 5the pay commission i.e. one step below the entry grade ie 8000-13500.these Accounts officer upto 5th pay commission were treated equal to major rank in the ARMY and were accommodated in the officers Mess. With implementation of 6th pay commission they will be placed equal to the rank of sub major in army and Shall be accommodated in jco, S messes. please think what will be the efficiency of these officer when presently saluted by upto captain rank officers will be treated as JCO of the ARMY.

4. Reduction of scales to four scales with the span of 35 to 52 years is useless as no one is going to serve for 52 years.

5. Increment at 2.5 % is less than the present benefit. We are happy if one master scale is given to all ranks .

6. raising of pay for scales of 26000/- and 30000/- with the multiplier of 3 to 80000/- and 90000/- created discrimination and proved that poor will remain poor and rich will remain rich. Is proportion of 1:20 reasonable between lowest and the highest?

7. It is there fore requested that every ones Basic pay should be multiplied by three and fixed in respective existing scales multiplied by three without reducing the scales to 4 scales as proposed.

we should be favorable to our Army but not surrender to them Army is within the masses and masses is not within the Army. they should be paid much higher allowances in the field and operations and normal in the peace type location. There should not be any comparison with the civil servant. More you give, more they will demand and there will be no end to it.

(This post is the comment of other post of this blog)

Army need double Military Service Pay (MSP)

Since there is so much hue & cry over the loss of moral among army officers due to low salaries, I think it is appropriate time that actual nature of 'military' job may be identified for each category of post and posting.

The Military Service Pay is a misnomer and it should be renamed as Hardship Pay because every military rank is not necessarily a hard posting. Every jawan or officer working in so identified hardship posting, say at Siachin, must be entailed to equal Hardship pay, irrespective of whether he is a jawan or officer. More so, because officer still enjoys some facilities even at these postings but the condition for jawans is really bad. So, a hardship pay of Rs. 6000 must be payable to all those posted at hard postings, so identified.

Regarding the claim of other officers/jawans for MSP (Hardship Pay), their actual working environment should considered. For eg. persons posted in Delhi or any other major city, working in offices, having accommodation nearby, are no no way different from his counterpart in a civilian service.

It would therefore, be quite absurd to pay MSP (Harship pay) to persons posted in Ministry of defense or defense HQs, as they do no suffer any hardship in that posting, though they are in forces, but in fact they are better than civilian counterparts at these postings. (This post is from the comment of other post)