Parity under 7th CPC

‘Our Govt. More Regressive than British!’

‘Even while the Government is inviting foreign universities to set-up shop in the country, what about looking after its own employees?’ demanded SC Joshi, General Secretary of the Delhi University & College Karamchari Union. He led a few hundred disgruntled employees working in different departments in Delhi University in a demonstration to remind the central Government to release the funds that have been commissioned to Central Government employees under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC).

( Lorry that works like a mobile podium )

Pushpa Rawat and Anju Bisht working in different libraries in Delhi University for over two decades said it was sad that the Government didn’t recognise their participation at par with other central government employees.

( Pushpa Rawat and Anju Bisht, librarians, Delhi University )

‘Delhi University is 100% UGC (University Grants Commission) funded, so why the discrimination?’

( Sonelal & Baleshwar Prasad, lab assistants, Gargi College )

In response to the petition the Employee Union submitted in the Delhi High Court last year, the Ministry of Finance had been directed in May 2018 to provide a satisfactory response to the employees as to why their CPC bonus was being withheld. The Court had also given an eight week time stipulation to the Ministry to issue the response ‘so as the petitioners may avail of the remedies as available in law, as need be,’ read the Court order.

‘The response was that the Government was facing a financial crunch and employees of autonomous bodies like us should be compensated by self-generating income raised by the University itself; but, it is a 100% government funded body, what ways are there to generate funds? That the Ministry has not indicated!’ says Joshi.

( SC Joshi, General Secretary, DUCKU )

Now, the Employees Union has presented a request to the Ministry for Human Resource development, under which Delhi University falls, to release the funds, as well as submitted another petition in Delhi High Court, whose order is awaited in Feb. 2020.

( Participants at the rally )

‘If nothing comes out of all this still, then we will start looking at joining up with other autonomous body employees affected like us to launch a stronger campaign,’ says Joshi.

( Vidyasagar Giri, National Secretary, AITUC )

Vidyasagar Giri, National Secretary, AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress) also addressed the employees at the demonstration. He urged them to look at their distress as part of a larger national trend, ‘There is a double-speak by the Government in what it says about protecting national interests, and then selling the country part by part. It is blatantly clear, yet so many in the country cultivate an illusion about the government. We must not allow Unions like this to be weakened, but remain strong and fight a war for our rights if we have to,’’ he thundered.