Employees unions strike militant posture

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 30. The ``anti-employee'' policies of the Central and State Governments like privatisation, downsizing, ban on recruitment and curtailing of facilities came in for sharp criticism by employee leaders at a State-level convention here on Saturday.

The day-long convention jointly organised by the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGF) and the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, (CCGEW) adopted a ``declaration,'' asking Central and State Government employees to fight these policies through ``militant action'' and join the nationwide strike of employees on July 25 and observe July 18 as ``anti-privatisation day.'' The declaration was read out by Mr. Prabhakar Nair, secretary of the State unit of CCGEW.

The declaration criticised the Central Government for undertaking a ``massive'' downsizing of Government departments, suspend LTC facilities, increasing the rent of Government accommodation, reducing the rate of interest on Provident Fund and amending the Industrial Disputes Act empowering employers to retrench employees without prior permission. It also referred to the Expenditure Reforms Commission's interim report suggesting off- loading of many Governmental functions to the private sector and restructuring of various departments, rendering thousands of employees surplus.

The situation in the State Government was no better, the `declaration' said referring to the downsizing, corporatisation, contracting of services, abolition of vacant posts, ban on recruitment, curtailment of DA, bonus and LTC. All these policies were ``dictated'' by the World Bank and the IMF.

Mr. S. K. Vyas, secretary-general of the CCGEW, said it was surprising that a party which swore by swadeshi, was now adopting policies facilitating MNCs' entry in a big way. The downslide in the country's share in exports, during the last eight years, showed that the economic reforms were a failure.

Mr. R. G. Karnik, chairman of the AISGEF, said from demanding hike in payscales, employees were forced to fight for their survival in service. Almost all State Governments were following similar anti-employee policies. The Maharashtra Government had frozen payment of DA since July 2000, and unleashed a propaganda saying 73 per cent of the State revenue expenditure on employees. Other central leaders who spoke were Mr. M. R. Appan, honorary chairman, AISGEF, and Mr. Desh Raj Sharma of the All India Postal Employees.

Mr. T. Narasimhan, president of the State unit of the CGEW, said the BJP came into power by promising one crore jobs but ended up rendering one crore people jobless by its policies. The leaders always talked about downsizing the strength of employees but never the Ministerial posts, as recommended by the Administrative Reforms Committee.

Mr. G. Purnachandra Rao, president of the APNGOs Association, criticised the State Government for not taking action to fill 1.50 lakh vacancies. This was despite the fact that 40 lakh youths had registered with the employment exchanges. Mr. T. Sudhakar Prasad, general secretary of the APNGOs Association, spoke.

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Section  : Southern States
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