FCI wage pact can't be revised midway to raise perks: Thomas

With FCI employees threatening to go on strike again, Food Minister K V Thomas today said it will not be possible to implement one of their key demands on enhancing fringe benefits for class III-IV categories by revising the existing wage pact midway.

On other demands for pension scheme and medical benefits, Thomas said the Food Ministry has moved a Cabinet note in this regard for inter-ministerial comments.

Demanding higher perks and better retirement benefits, employees of state-run Food Corporation of India have been agitating for last two months after the working hours.

Last week, two trade unions comprising about 15,000 employees went on a day-long strike forcing the agency to cancel its golden jubilee celebrations to be held on January 14. They have now threatened to go on 2-day strike, starting January 24.

Asked if the government is working on their demands, Thomas told PTI: "Two months back, we resolved the FCI workers issue. They have given a list of demands. We are looking into some of them seriously.

"Their main demand is enhancement in fringe benefits to class III-IV categories by changing the existing agreement. This is not possible. We have taken opinion from the concerned ministries."

The current wage agreement is valid for 10 years till December 2016. The memorandum of agreement (MoU) and memorandum of settlement (MoS) agreeing to all perks for 10 years till 2016 was signed between the FCI trade unions and the management.

Department Public Enterprises, which administers 40-odd Central public sector enterprises, has disfavoured amendment to the wage agreement midway.

"The wage agreement signed by trade unions and the FCI management is for a specific period and the agreement is not reopened during the currency. Moreover, there is no provision in the current agreement between the management and trade unions of FCI to reopen the MoS," DPE said.

"Therefore, this Department is in favour of adhering to the periodicity of the agreement as decided by the parties at the time of signing the MoS," DPE clarified to the Food Ministry through an internal communication.

On other demands of FCI employees, Thomas said that Food Ministry has moved a cabinet note on new pension scheme and medical benefits for inter-ministerial comments.

Meanwhile, the Chief Labour Commissioner has already started conciliation proceedings to break the logjam between FCI and its employees.

FCI, the government's foodgrains procurement and distribution agency, has a sanctioned strength of 37,000 across the country.