AITUC backs central govt employees' call for strike

Says, minimum wage fixed by the Commission and accepted by the govt is too low for Class III employees

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has extended support to the central government employees who will go on strike from July 11 to protest against a 'meagre' pay hike approved by the Union Cabinet.

"AITUC Secretariat in its emergent meeting has supported the call given by National Joint Council of Action of Central Government Employees Unions including Railways, P&T and Defence etc. To go for indefinite strike from July 11, 2016, against the unilateral announcement of the Central government on implementation of recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission," AITUC Secretary D L Sachdev said in a statement.

AITUC stated that the minimum wage fixed by the Commission and accepted by the government is too low for Class III employees of the government.

It further said that setting up of a committee by the government for streamlining the new pension scheme is also an eyewash.

The committee should actually review NPS by replacing it with the old pension scheme. It is for the first time that pay hike is the lowest in the last 70 years. It is unfortunate that the government did not discuss these recommendations with NJCA and announced its decision unilaterally, it said.

"It is learnt that Group of Ministers led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh had a discussion with NJCA on June 30, 2016 night and proposed setting up of a minimum wage and fitment committee but no notification to this effect has been issued till now and the Central government employees are fully justified in implementing call for strike," it said.

The Central Trade Unions will be meeting on July 7 to chalk out an action plan to express their solidarity with the agitating government employees. AITUC has also given a call for its affiliates to fully support the strike from July 11, 2016, it added.