NJCA WILL REVIVE THE DEFERRED INDEFINITE STRIKE IF ASSURANCES ARE NOT HONORED BY GOVERNMENT WITHIN TIME FRAME

Communications and IT Ministry has been split with Manoj Sinha  taking the charge of the telecom ministry

The high-profile Communications and IT Ministry has been split with Manoj Sinha today taking the charge of the telecom ministry, which is all set to conduct the largest-ever spectrum auctions in the country.Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is the new Minister for Law and Justice, will continue to look after Department of IT and Electronics. So far, Prasad was handling both Communications and IT portfolios."I will share my views (on telecom) day after tomorrow," Sinha told reporters after assuming the charge at his new office as Minister of State (Independent Charge).He is aLok Sabha MP from Ghazipur constituency of Uttar Pradesh.Sinha, an M Tech in civil engineering, will have his hands full as the new minister for the telecom sector which boasts of the world's second largest mobile subscriber base and the lowest tariffs, and where the biggest corporate houses - RIL, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular - are slugging it out for market dominance While on the one hand, Telecom Department is gearing up for the mega spectrum auction, where airwaves worth Rs 5.66 lakh crore will be up for bidding, on the other, Sinha will have to address issues such as call drops wherein the Supreme Court has struck down telecom regulator Trai's plans of making operators compensate mobile phone users for call dropsIn fact, to check call drops, Trai has demanded more teeth, including imposing fine of up to Rs 10 crore on operators and jail term of up to two years for their executives, prompting the telecom companies to term such powers as 'draconian'.Sinha will also have to handle framing of regulation on the much-debated net neutrality issue, where battlelines are already drawn between telecom operators and internet based content providers. As such, Trai has started pre-consultation process on net neutrality, and has already got written comments from industry stakeholders and members of civil societyFormer telecom minister Prasad had earlier said that the government will take a view on net neutrality after receiving Trai's recommendation.Sinha will have the challenging task of protecting consumer interest for affordable telephony services while maintaining investor confidence in the sector.The IT-BHU pass-out Minister will also look after the Department of Posts which is undergoing massive reforms to start 650 payments bank branches by September 2017.

It is after 20 years, the telecom ministry has been handed over to an MoS (Independent Charge). Before this, former telecom minister Beni Prasad Verma, also from UP, handled the ministry with independent charge between 1996-98.

NJCA PRESS STATEMENT….

The Press Release by the Government today (06-07-2016) is reproduced below: 

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Finance

06-July-2016 20:50 IST

Government assures Representatives of Unions representing employees of the Central Government that the issues raised by them relating to the pay scales and other recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission would be considered by a High Level Committee.

Representatives of Unions representing employees of the Central Government had met the Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, the Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley and the Minister for Railways Sh. Suresh Prabhu in the evening of 30th June, 2016. 

They had requested that certain issues raised by them in relation to the pay scales and other recommendations of the Pay Commission be allowed to be raised before a Committee of Secretaries looking into different aspects of grievances of employees in relation to the Pay Commission recommendations. 

The Ministers assured the Union leaders that the issues raised by them would be considered by a High Level Committee. 

NJCA UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVES TO DEFER THE INDEFINITE STRIKE 

After the meeting with the Home Minister today by the NJCA and further developments leading to issue of a Press Release by the Government of India assuring consideration of the issues raised by the Staff Side relating to the pay scales and other recommendations of the Pay Commission by a High Level Committee. The NJCA has decided to defer the Indefinite Strike in the background of meetings with the Ministers and the assurance by the Government of India.

Details of NJCA Meeting

The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) met at the Staff Side office, JCM, New Delhi today (06/07/2016) at 11:30 AM as scheduled. During the discussions, the Convener received an invitation from the Honourable Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh. The following members of the NJCA met the Home Minister in a delegation.

1. Dr. M. Raghavaiah (NFIR), 2. Shiv Gopal Misra (AIRF), 3. Rakhal Dasgupta (AIRF), 4. Guman Singh (NFIR), 5. K. K. N. Kutty (Confederation), 6. C. Srikumar (AIDEF), 7. M. Krishnan (Confederation), 8. Ashok Singh (INDWF), 9. R. Srinivasan (INDWF), 10. M. S. Raja (Confederation), 11. J. R. Bhosale (AIRF), 12. Bhatnagar (NFIR), 13. R. N. Parashar (NFPE), 14. Giriraj Singh (NFPE), 15. Satish Chander (FNPO), 16. Shiv Kumar (FNPO), 17. N. Kannaiah (AIRF).

The issues in the Charter of demands were discussed with special reference to the 7^th CPC related demands. The delegation brought to the notice of the Honourable Home Minister that the NJCA has not received a communication from the Government over the assurances held out on 30^th June, 2016, when the NJCA delegation met the Honourable Home Minister, Finance Minister and the Railway Ministers. On 30^th June 2016, the Government had assured to refer the revision of Minimum wage and fitment formula to a Committee. The Finance Minister has also clarified that the Government has taken the decision to implement the recommendation of the 7^th CPC to bring about parity between the past and present pensioners. They added that such a communication in confirmation of the assurances will enable them to take a decision over the strike action which is to commence from 11^th July, 2016.

The Honourable Home Minister assured the delegation that the Government will honour the assurances held out to the NJCA leaders on 30^th June, 2016 and accordingly the Honourable Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitly will issue a Press Statement today, with copy to NJCA.

NJCA decided to deferred proposed strike on July 11..details will follow....

         JOHNSON AVOKKARAN  

(Circle Convenor)

NFIR clarified that there is no change on Indefinite Strike decision of NJCA.

NFIR

National Federation of Indian Railways

3, Chelmasford Road, New Delhi – 110 055

No.IV/NJCA/(N)/20l4/Part II

Dated: 02/07/2016

The General Secretaries of

Affiliated Unions of NFIR

Brother,

Sub: Charter of Demands – Indefinite Strike from 11th July 2016-reg

Ref: (i) NFIR’s letter No.II/95/PartlX dated 30/06/2016

(ii) GS/NFIR’s letter No.IV/NCJA (N)/2014/Part II dated 01st July 2016

It has since been learnt from some of our cadres that reports appeared in the Media (Thiruvananthapuram etc.) that a union/Federation has withdrawn from the strike decision. This report is not only false but also misleading. It is reiterated that the NJCA in its meeting held at New Delhi on July 1, 2016 has decided to meet on 06th July 2016 at New Delhi for taking appropriate decision.

It is hereby clarified that there is no change on Indefinite Strike decision of NJCA.

Yours fraternally,

sd/-

(Dr.M.Raghavaiah)

General Secretary

JCA CIRCULAR