Minutes of Meeting of NCJCM Standing Committee held on 03.05.2017

Minutes of Meeting of NCJCM Standing Committee held between the staff-side, National Council (Joint Consultative Machinery) and official-side under the Chairmanship of Secretary(P) at 3.00 P.M. on 03.05.2017

Minutes of Meeting of NCJCM Standing Committee held on 03.05.2017

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE HELD BETWEEN THE STAFF-SIDE, NATIONAL COUNCIL (JOINT CONSULTATIVE MACHINERY) AND THE OFFICIAL-SIDE UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF SECRETARY(P) AT 3.00 P.M. ON 03.05.2017

The meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Council (JCM) was held at 3.00 p.m. on 03.05.2017 under the Chairmanship of Secretary (P) at Room No. 119, North Block, New Delhi. The list of participants is at Annexure.

2. In his introductory comments, Secretary(Personnel) while welcoming the participants, mentioned that the agenda for the meeting included the action taken statement on the 31 items discussed in the last meeting held on 25.10.2016 and 26 additional items received from the Staff Side.

3. (i) In his opening remarks, Secretary, Staff-Side thanked the Chairman for convening the meeting and urged that as per the JCM Scheme, the meetings of the National Council should be held on quarterly basis. He also pointed out that the meeting of the National Council under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary has not been held since 2010 which, he emphasized, was against the spirit and the basic principle of the JCM Scheme. This view was seconded by other representatives of the Staff-Side.

(ii) Secretary (Staff-Side) further requested to know the present position on the basic demands made by the Central Government employees about minimum wages, fitment formula, reversion to the old pension scheme and the report of the Committee of Allowances. He recalled that when a notice for strike was given in 2016, the senior Cabinet Ministers in the Central Government had met the staff side representatives and assured a positive decision on the aforesaid demands.

Although that strike was deferred on this assurance, the central govt. employees are still waiting. Consequently, it is getting difficult to make the central government employees understand the reasons for delay in fulfilment of the assurances then given by the Senior Cabinet Ministers.

(iii) Hence Secretary, Staff-Side requested the Chairman to convey to the Cabinet Secretary and Chairman, National Council (JCM) the duty to meet the Government employees in accordance with the JCM Scheme to avoid an atmosphere of confrontation.

(iv) He stated that a number of agenda items proposed by the Staff-Side have been deleted and no formal communication has been sent to them on the reasons for deletion. He requested that the views of official side on this may be communicated to them.

This sentiment was echoed by other members of the Staff Side. He also mentioned that the senior Cabinet Ministers had issued a statement about constitution of a High Level Committee to look into the aforesaid basic demands made by the Staff Side while giving the strike notice. However, even after more than 10 months, nothing has happened and only one meeting was taken by Additional Secretary in Department of Expenditure.

(v) On allowances, he informed that there is a lot of uncertainty on whether the allowances would become admissible prospectively or from 01.01.2016 i.e., the date of implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission.

(vi) The following points were also raised by Leader JCM (Staff-Side): Click to Read More about the points raised : Minimum Pay, Fitment Factor and Allowance effect date issue

4. Chairman, in his reply, said that no agenda points had been deleted and, in order to ensure that discussions are complete in a meeting, it was decided in consultation with the Secretary(Staff-Side) to limit the number of agenda points for today’s meeting. He further stated that if the Staff-Side insists that the remaining points which have been left out should also be taken up for discussion, they would need to be circulated to the concerned Departments in advance for their comments.

He emphasized that the Government attaches the highest priority to the Staff-Side and the concerns expressed over the assurance given after the strike call would be conveyed to the concerned authority. On the issue of the Allowances Committee’s report not being shared with the Staff Side, the Chairman stated that the sentiment would also be conveyed to Ministry of Finance along with the concerns over pay revision etc.

5. After these opening remarks the Action-Taken-Note on the minutes of the last meeting held on 25.10.2016 was taken up for discussion.

S. No. 1— Item no. 5(i) of the Standing Committee meeting of 25.10.2016

S(Admn and JCA) mentioned that as desired by the Staff Side, the minutes of the earlier meetings held on 07.05.2014, 25.02.2015 and 09.10.2015 had been circulated to the Secretary and members of the Staff-Side. It was decided that the item may be closed.

S. No. 2 – Include Grameen Dak Sewaks within the ambit of 7th CPC [Click to Read ]

S. No. 3 — Settle all anomalies of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.[Click to Read]

S. No. 4 — No privatisation, PPP or FDI in Railways and Defence Establishments [ Click to Read ]

S. No 5 — No corporatization on Postal Services.

Department of Posts has informed through their letter dated 07.02.2017 that there is no proposal of corporatization /privatization at this juncture. The said Department has further stated to be making efforts to give better and competitive services to the customers specifically in the areas of insurance, banking and parcels.

The Staff-Side representative confirmed that D/o Posts has communicated to them that there is no proposal to corporatize the postal services at this juncture. It was decided that the item may be treated as closed.

S. No. 6 — No ban on recruitment/creation of posts. [ Click to Read ]

S. No. 7 — Scrap PFRDA Act and reintroduce the defined benefit statutory pension scheme.[ Click to Read ]

S. No. 8 – No outsourcing, contractorisation, privatisation of governmental function; withdraw the proposed move to close down the printing press, publication, form store and stationery departments and medical stores depots.[Click to Read]

S. No. 9 – Regularise the existing daily rated/casual and contract workers, and absorb trained apprentices. No labour reforms should be carried out which are not in the interest of workers. [Click to Read]

S. No. 10 – Revive JCM functioning at all levels as an effective negotiating forum for settlement of demands of the central government employees [Click to Read]

S. No. 11 – Remove the arbitrary ceiling on compassionate appointments. Chairman recapitulated the discussion held on this issue on 25.10.2016 [ Click to Read]

S. No. 12 — Ensuring five promotions in the service career.[Click to Read]

S. No. 13 – Non-implementation of the decision taken in the 46t h National Council (JCM) Meeting held on 15 th May 2010 with regard to Item No. 20. [Click to Read]

S. No. 14 – Reduction of one day Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) to the employees of OFB & DGQA under Department of Defence Production against Cabinet decision and Government orders.[Click to Read ]

S. No. 15 – Grant of one time relaxation to the Central Government employees who have availed LTC-80 and travelled by air by purchasing ticket from authorities other than authorised agents.[Click to Read More ]

S. No. 16 — Grant of House Rent Allowance to the employees who have vacated government quarters.[Read More]

S.No.17 — Restoration of interest-free advances withdrawn by the Government based on 7th CPC recommendations.

JS(Personnel) informed that the issue had been considered by the Cabinet but not agreed to.

It was decided that the item may be treated as closed.

S. No. 18 — Grant of entry pay recommended by 6t h CPC to the promotees under the provisions of CCS(RP) Rules- 2008.[ Click to Read]

S. No. 19 – Grant of 3rd MACP in GP Rs.4600 to the Master Craftsmen (MCM) of Defence Ministry who were holding the post of MCM in the pre revised pay scale of Rs.4500-7000 as on 31/12/2005.[Read More]

S. No. 20 – Carrying forward of Earned Leave by Defence Industrial Employees on transfer / appointment from non Industrial to Industrial Establishment.[Read More]

S. No. 21 – Reimbursement of actual medical expenditure incurred by the employees in recognized hospitals.[Click to Read More]

S. No. 22 – Dental Treatment in private hospitals recognized under CGHS / CS(MA) Rules, 1944 for CS(MA) beneficiaries.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had vide their O.M. No. B-12014 / 01/ 2016-JCM dated 05.04.2017 informed that the requirement of No Objection Certificate had been dispensed with vide O.M. No. S.14025/ 41 / 2015-MS dated 07.12.2016.

It was decided that the item may be closed.

S. No. 23 – Review of the income criteria for the dependent parents of government employees in the wake of the recent legislation of “Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007”.[Click to Read More]

S. No. 24 – Amendment to the definition of anomaly as notified by Government in the orders of constitution of anomaly committees at various levels

JS (Admn and JCA) informed that the definition has been modified and will be further looked into on receipt of the recommendations on allowances. It was decided that the item may be closed.

S. No. 25 – Withdraw the stringent conditions unilaterally imposed by Government on grant of Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) in promotion and grant of MACP on promotional hierarchy.[Click to Read More]

S. No. 26 – Removal of ambiguity in fixation of pay of re-employed exservicemen and grant of the same benefit extended to commissioned officers to personnel below officers rank also.[Read More]

S. No. 27 – Permission to opt for pay fixation in the revised pay structure on a date after the date of issue of CCS(RP) rules 2016 notification (25.7.2016) in case of employees whose promotion becomes due after 25.7.2006.

Department of Expenditure (DoE) had through their letter dated 09.01.2017 informed that references have been received from various Ministries/ Departments for switching over to revised pay scale after 25.07.2016 and the matter is being examined. Decision in the matter will be communicated in due course.

{Action: D/o Expenditure}

S. No. 28 – Extension of the benefit of bonus calculation ceiling enhancement of Rs. 7000/- to Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) of the postal department also.

Department of Expenditure had through their letter dated 24.01.2017 informed that it had conveyed its approval for enhancement of calculation ceiling to Rs.7000/- for the purpose of payment of PLB in respect of GDS w.e.f. the accounting year 2014-15 vide ID no. 7/31/12006-E.III(A) dated 27/10/2016.
The Staff-Side expressed their satisfaction over the decision. It was decided that the item may be closed.

S. No. 29 – Regularise the services of casual labourers by absorbing them against vacant posts of MTS as one time measure.[Click to Read More]

S. No. 30 – Fill up all vacant posts including promotional posts in a time bound manner.

Establishment Division of DoPT had through their note dated 19.02.2017 informed that vide OM No. 22011/1 /2011/Estt. D dated 27.10.2016 instructions had been issued to Ministries/Departments to ensure strict compliance of guidelines by following model calendar for DPC so as to grant timely promotions. It has been further informed that DoPT (Establishment Division) is in the process of further fine-tuning the model calendar.

Staff-Side stated that the situation has arisen because of DoPT OM dated 30.09.2016 following a hearing in the Supreme Court. As such no promotions in any level are taking place and UPSC has also not accepted any DPC proposals for want of further clarification from DoPT. JS(Admn. and JCA) informed that the department is seized of the concerns of the Staff Side and the matter is under active consideration and a decision is awaited

S. No. 31 – Abolish and upgrade all posts of Lower Division Clerks (LDCs) to Upper Division Clerks(UDCs)Staff-Side stated that as the LDC cadre is losing its relevance, the posts may be upgraded to UDC.[ Click to Read More]