Rail, defence, postal unions serve notice for strike from July 11

Rail, defence, postal unions serve notice for strike from July 11

New Delhi, June 9:  

 

Following the call by the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), railway unions – Northern Railwaymen Union and Uttariya Railway Mazdoor Union – served a strike notice to the Northern Railways General Manager on Thursday, threatening to go on indefinite strike from July 11.

 

The strike is part of the protest action planned by about 32 lakh Central government employees, including railways, defence, telecom and postal departments, who have decided to go on indefinite strike from July 11, for which they served strike notices to their respective departments on Thursday, as required under the Industrial Disputes Act.

 

Shivagopal Mishra, Convenor of NJCA, had earlier stated that there had been no action on the Seventh Pay Commission report even six months after its submission.

 

The NJCA charter of demands calls for speedy resolution of issues related to recommendations of pay panel and had been sent to the Cabinet Secretary on December 10, 2015.

 

It has also called for scrapping of the PFRDA Act and the new defined contribution pension scheme – National Pension Scheme – (NPS) as also restoration of the defined benefit schemes of pension/family pension rules. Since 2004, all Central government employees, except defence personnel, covered under the defined benefit pension scheme, have been shifted to the NPS.

 

NJCA is a joint body of federations and unions representing 32 lakh employees in Central government departments. Indian Railways is the largest government employer with 13 lakh employees.

 

Earlier this year, in February, almost 95 per cent of 9.69 lakh railway employees had voted in favour of an indefinite strike from April 11, which was deferred at the request of the Cabinet Secretary due to the elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.

 

Source : http://www.thehindubusinessline.com