Sunday, March 1, 2009

CGHS strike and arrest of its leaders

 

INCOME TAX EMPLOYEES FEDERATION,

Manishinath Bhawan,

A/2/95, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi 110 027

                                   Telephone No : 2510 5324 Telefax 2513 1593

Mobile 98110 48303

e-mail : itef@sify.com

Website: itef.blogspot.com.

 

Itef/03/2009

Dated: 28.2.2009

 

 

 

Dear Comrade,

 

            We send herewith copy of the Confederation Circular No. D-11/28 of  28.2.2009.  As you are aware the CGHS employees are on strike along with the other Hospital workers since 23rd Feb. 2009.  The Main issue that has compelled them to go on strike was the unilateral withdrawal of Patient Care Allowance on the basis of the VI-CPC recommendations by the Govt. of India w.e.f. 31.3.2009.  The Govt. has decided to replace the said allowance with risk insurance scheme which is yet to be formulated.  Today, the Govt. of Delhi negotiated with the representative of the workers in the Hospitals run by the State Govt. and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and brought about a settlement by which the workers were granted the PCA at double the rate of what they were getting till date.  The Govt. of India instead of negotiating and settling the issue with the employees, resorted to Police action and arrested the leaders of t6he All India CGHS employees Association.  This being the most condemnable act on the part of the Govt. to break the morale of the striking workers, we are duty bound to react and express our solidarity with the striking employees.  The Confederation circular direct all affiliates and its units to send the prescribed telegram to the Health Minister.  We advise you to hold Lunch Hour Demonstration along with other participating organizations in the COC.

 

With Greetings,

 

Yours fraternally,

 

 

Ashok Salunkhe,

Secretary General.

                                                                        ……………….

Conf.D.11/28/2009

Dated: 28th February, 2009

Dear Comrade,

 

Express solidarity with the

Striking Hospital workers and

CGHS employees.

 

            As you are aware the CGHS employees alongwith the other hospital workers are on indefinite strike from 23rd Feb.2009.  The  strike call was given by the All India Health Employees and Workers Confederation, which include the CGHS employees, employees and workers of the hospitals under the Central Govt. and the Hospital run by the Govt. of  Delhi and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.  The main demands on which the strike is organized are:

  1. Payment of HPCA/PCA at par with the Nursing Allowance to all Health staff and should be treated as a part of pay for all health staff including nursing personnel.  It should be extended to all health staff, whosoever is working in a health organization.
  2. The recommendations of the 6th CPC placing Para-medical staff in PB I is not acceptable to health staff.  It is demanded that all Para-medical staff should be placed in PB-II.
  3. The outsourcing and Contractualisation under health organization is jeopardizing the health service. It must be stopped and must be replaced by the regular staff wherever it has been done already.

 

The patient Care allowance which had been granted to the employees after prolonged discussions and negotiations and continued to be drawn at the rates revised from time to time for the last  more than 20 years is sought to be withdrawn from 1.4.2009 to be replaced by an insurance scheme, the details of which are not made known to the staff side till date.  Com.  Ram Kishan, convenor of the confederation  in his communication to the Director (Admn & Vig.) DGHS has rightly pointed out that the PCA was evolved after merger of dietary allowance, night weightage allowance and risk allowance and the proposed insurance cover has in its ambit only  the  risk allowance.  This apart he had also written to convey that the replacement of an allowance by an insurance scheme is not only conceptually incorrect but also not acceptable to the staff side as it would result in the loss of emoluments and reduction in wages.

 

While the Delhi Govt. has entered into discussion with the leaders of the striking employees of the hospitals run by the MCD and the Govt. of Delhi, the representative of employees of the hospitals run by the Govt. of  India (i.e. RML, Safdarjung etc)  and the CGHS were not invited to any discussion whatsoever by either the health Secretary or  the Health Minister of the Govt. of India.  Settlement was reached with the representatives of the hospital employees of institutions run by MCD and the Delhi State Govt. and  the  Delhi State Govt. agreed to double the PCA and consequently  the striking employees resumed duty forthwith.

 

The leaders of the All India  CGHS Emplopyees Association, Com. Ram Kishan and Com. Jaidev were arrested on 27th at 11.00PM  and were not produced before the court until 8.00PM on 28th.  Ultimately we were informed that the leaders were produced before an Executive Magistrate and they were  remanded to judicial custody and were  sent to Tihar Jail in violation of all norms, rules and regulations.  While expressing our solidarity with the striking employees, we should condemn this high handed action on the part of the Govt. and the police authorities which is reminiscent of the  emergency days.  We call upon all affiliates/COCs to immediately send the following telegram/savingram to Shri  Anbumani Ramdoss, Hon'ble Minister of Health, Govt. of India. Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.

 

      We condemn the arrest and detention of the President and General Secretary of the All India CGHS Employees Association by the Delhi Police at the instance of your Ministry to break the morale of the striking workers.  Settle the genuine and just demands of the striking employees as was done by the Delhi State Govt.                                                                  Name of the President…………………………

                                                                  Name of the Orgn. ……………………………

 

      With greetings,

 

Yours fraternally,

 

 

K.K.N.Kutty,

Secretary General.

 

Copy to Com. Ram Kishan, Convenor of All India Health Employees & Workers Confederation, K-45, Shrinivaspuri, New Delhi- 110065.