Tamil nadu Government announced revision in pay and allowances to chief engineers

The Government on Monday announced revision in pay and allowances ranging from Rs 1400 to Rs 19510 per month across various cadres in TNEB from Mazdoors to chief engineers. The revision will take effect from December 1, 2007 ( it is due from December 1, 2006) and a formal wage accord for four years will be signed with the unions soon.

The State Minister for Electricity board, Arcot N Veerasamy said the revision will benefit about 76,000 employees and officers, 84,000 pensioners and 10,000 contract workers. While the board will have to shell out Rs 1200 crore towards arrears payment, the revision will entail an annual additional expenditure of Rs 625 crore.

A revised work norm will also be implemented along with the revision in wages and allowances, the Minister said.
Despite the EB suffering a loss of Rs 7000 crore and struggling to cope with the power shortage, it has been forced to go in for a wage revision. It is expected to be bailed out by the State Government by stepping up the subsidy or providing other financial accommodation.

While there are 18 trade unions in TNEB, a majority of the workmen are represented by the unions affiliated to LPF, the DMK’s TU wing, CITU, AITUC and an independent federation.Though the two left parties ( CPI and CPM) are in the opposition camp and fought the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with AIADMK, even the leftist unions are pleasantly surprised by the liberal wage revision in TNEB. More surprising is the good deal given to pensioners.

Sources in CITU said while the contract workers were expecting their daily wage to be fixed at Rs 250, it has been raised by Rs 50 to Rs 120 per day. The sources also wanted the Government to give a fair deal to about 3500 part time staff by extending them the salary being paid to noon meal staff. The EB had issued an order to this effect in 1997 but not implemented so far.

Political circles viewed the wage revision in TNEB in the context of the ruling DMK’s game plan to retain the vote bank of Government employees and the working class at the time of assembly election due in May 2011.

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Government’s new pension system for public sector banks

All persons who join public sector banks on or after April 1, 2010 would come under the government’s new pension system (NPS).

Public sector banks are set to hire 30,000-40,000 employees in the next two years, with about 35 per cent of the total staff set to retire by 2011.

“All new recruits would come under the NPS, the move would also give a push to the new system,” a senior finance ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.

Despite several incentives that were announced by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Union Budget, there have been few takers for the NPS.

Trade unions have opposed the move to bring new employees under the NPS. “We are trying to find a solution,” CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association, told Hindustan Times. “We are holding talks with the government and the bank managements… to ensure that their rights are fully protected.”

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill needs to be reintroduced in Parliament, as it had lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha before the general elections.

The government had made it mandatory for all central government employees who joined on or after January 1, 2004 to be brought under the NPS. Several public sector undertakings have also switched to the NPS for their employees.

Government officials say the bill is likely to be taken up in the forthcoming Parliament session, and that even though financial sector reforms are critical,the government would go ahead with them only when there is consensus among all coalition partners.

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Gujarat government announced the revised Sixth Pay Commission for 15,000 teachers

Following protests by college teachers, the state government on Wednesday finally announced the revised Sixth Pay Commission pay scales for 15,000 teachers, but have not gone the whole hog in implementing it in letter and spirit as per the UGC recommendations.This has left a bitter taste among college teachers who have threatened to launch an agitation till all the UGC recommendations are met. They are convening a meeting today to chalk out their future course of action.

The new GR was released by state Education Minister Ramanlal Vora in Gandhinagar on Wednesday. The teachers were initially happy on receiving the news that the government had implemented the new scales as per the UGC recommendations. However, on receiving the GR, they were stupefied to find that the government had conveniently ignored many key recommendations.

Earlier, the Gujarat government had decided to apply the Sixth Pay Commission scales, meant for government officials, to college and university teachers. But as this would not have made much difference in their pay scales, the teachers began agitating saying most states had already implemented UGC scales, and there was no reason why Gujarat government, whose financial condition is better, could not do it.

A senior state official said, "Nearly 10,000 teachers, mainly lecturers, will benefit from the new UGC scales. It will mean a rise of between Rs 5,000 and 7,000 for an entry-level lecturer. It means approximately 20 per cent increase in lecturers’ salaries compared to what they were to get on the basis of 6th Pay Commission recommendations." However assistant professors and professors will not gain much.

"The new scales will mean an additional annual burden of Rs 436.42 crore, 80 per cent of which will be funded by the UGC, and 20 per cent by the state government," said Vora, adding, "State government money with retrospective effect, from January 1, 2006, will be deposited in the general provident fund. They will get the UGC amount in cash as and when it is disbursed." While implementing UGC scales, the government decided not to be guided by UGC for emoluments.

The agitating teachers have however called the decision of the state Cabinet a fraud, as it does away with 80 percent of the UGC’s recommendations, claimed K S Shastri, president of Gujarat Teachers’ Association. Saurabh Choksi, President of Gujarat University College Principals’ Association: "This GR will bridge the salary gap between junior and senior principals. The government has done a great job by taking us into confidence while preparing the GR."

Harshad Patel of University Education Forum: "As the government has accepted the UGC’s recommendations, there is no reason for us to continue with the agitation. The teaching staff will benefit from the GR which has implemented Scale to Scale’ salary structure."

Gujarat University Officers’ Association: "The government while accepting UGC’s recommendation for teachers’ pay scale has ignored the officers including registrar, examination controller and other senior staff. As we are less in number, we can’t launch agitation in a major way like teachers."

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CAT cannot be granted voluntary retirement unless a scheme exists

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has held that a government employee cannot be granted voluntary retirement unless a scheme exists for the purpose.

"In the absence of any VRS, neither any request for voluntary retirement can be made by an employee nor any such request can be given effect to by any employer," the tribunal said.

The CAT, comprising members D P Sharma and N D Dayal, passed the order on the plea of M L Jain, Vice-President of Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) here, challenging the government’s order to relieve him from service.

In its ruling, the tribunal ordered reinstatement of the officer and directed the government to give all his benefits, including arrears and salary.

Earlier, the government had transferred Jain to another city but he requested deferment of the order till the time of his daughter’s marriage, a request which was pending.

Jain then opted for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) but later withdrew the same after his request for deferment of his transfer was granted.

Later, the government did not consider Jain’s withdrawal of the VRS application and relieved him from the service. The tribunal said the order of the government in 2005 of relieving him from service was "vitiated" as no VRS was in operation at that time.

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