CITU for withdrawing notification for revising pay scales of employees

The Himachal Pradesh State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) has strongly opposed the state government’s notification regarding revised pay scale that was issued on September 6. The union has demanded that the government should immediately withdraw the notification.

Terming the notification as anti-employee and direct attack on the fundamental rights of thousands of workers, the CITU stated that the decision violates Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution.

Vijender Mehra, state president, CITU, said this move of the government would cause severe financial loss to employees who could lose upto Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. He said principles of natural justice and several judicial verdicts in India established that financial benefits once granted cannot be curtailed. The High Court had also directed the state government to ensure equal pay and benefits for all employees, he said.

Mehra accused the state government of flouting the court orders and described the decision as both anti-worker and unjust. “First, the government violated the law by hiring workers on contract instead of regular posts, and now it is attacking the legitimate financial rights of these employees,” he said.

He further alleged that the state government was following the neo-liberal economic policies of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and lavishing resources on its favoured officials and board members, but when it comes to provide rightful benefits to employees, workers, farmers, and the common people it talked about the financial crisis.

Mehra also criticised the state government for trying to take undue credit for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which, he said, was won by employees through their own decisive struggle. The CITU has called upon all employee unions to unite against the neo-liberal and anti-employees policies of the state government, while terming it as the replica of the central government’s approach.