All India Trade Union Congress

AITUC Bhawan: 35-36, DDU Marg,  Rouse Avenue, New Delhi – 110002

E Mail: aituchq@gmail.com      Tel: +91 1123217320

Request for coverage in the media                                          Date: 24.04.2020

Following statement was issued by Comrade Amarjeet Kaur- General secretary AITUC to the Press today

AITUC deplores the policy of Central Government to transfer all the burden of its own mis-management of Economy to the Working Class

AITUC protests against the arbitrary decision of the BJP led NDA Government to freeze the Dearness Allowance (DA) due to the Central  Government Employees and DR due to the Pensioners.

Taking shelter under the umbrella of COVID-19 Virus, every day the Govt. is taking one or other decisions to attack the working class of the country who are already in deep crisis, distress after the lockdown in the country. AITUC has made several representations to the Labour Minister in this regard as well as about the violations of the government’s advisories, but in vain.

            The latest attack of the Govt. is the freezing of DA to Central Govt. Employees and its pensioners. The Cabinet already approved during the month of March 2020 to release 4% additional DA to the Central Govt. Employees and Pensioners in accordance with the increase in All India Consumer Price Index(Workers). Instead of issuing the Govt. order to implement the decision, the Ministry of Finance issued an order on 23/04/2020 freezing of DA of Central Govt. Employees numbering 48 lakhs (including Armed Forces) and 65 Lakhs pensioners  which includes 60%, Ex-serviceman who defended the country during their service life. DA is not a gift of the Govt. DA is paid  to the employees only to compensate the cost of living and to protect the  wages  from erosion in the real value on account of  inflation. Govt. has got no moral authority to freeze the DA of the Central Govt. Employees & Pensioners. By not paying the increased DA to the Govt. Employees & Pensioners for 18 months the Govt. is saving more than 50,000 Crores. This savings will go to whom ?, whether to the Corporate Houses or to the suffering workers of this country ?

The government is not contemplating to withdraw any of the tax concessions including the recently reduced Corporate Tax which benefitted them to the tune of Rs One Lakh Forty Five Thousands crores (1.45 lakh crores) given to the Big Corporates. The Government had in the last five and half years written of the loans of these Corporates to the tune of Rs seven lakh and seventy thousands (7,70,000 crores) of crores. Above all that there are more than Rupees  13 lakh crores of pending loans called NPAs to be recovered from these Corporate houses. It is the fact on parliament records that the tax recovery to the tune of Rs 8 lakh and 90,000 crores is pending in which the major defaulters again are these Corporates. This is also on record in parliament that 36 rich business entities left the country in the last 5 years fleecing our banks to the tune of more than one lakh crore rupees.

            The Government has got no programme to curtail the price rise on essential commodities. Instead of freezing the price rise,  Govt. is squeezing the employees. It is the  Central Govt. & State Govt. employees who are in the frontline in the field fighting against the dangerous COVID-19 Virus. They are under severe risk and the Govt. is not able to provide even the required Personal Protective Equipments to them.  When the Private Corporate Houses have gone hiding during this lockdown period, it is the  Govt. Employees in the Health Department, Defence, Railways, Postal, Power, Oil, Coal etc., are in the field to provide services and to prevent the spread the COVID-19 Virus. The Govt. instead of recognizing the services of the Central Govt. Employees and Pensioners have started punishing them economically. The Central Govt. Employees have already contributed their one day wages to the PM-CARES Fund, which is a big amount.  This huge amount will go to whom, whether to Corporate Houses or to the suffering workers of this country. This is the doubt of the people of the country.

            AITUC opposes the arbitrary and drastic decision taken by the Modi Govt. against its own employees and pensioners. The AITUC urges upon the Govt. of India to immediately withdraw this anti labour decision. The AITUC extends its support and solidarity to all the Central Govt. Employees and Pensioners in their protest against the arbitrary and unjustified decision of the Govt.

Amarjeet Kaur

General Secretary AITUC

M: 9810144958