The National Committee of the IFTU condemns the circular issued by Govt. of India on 28th August 2020. It is a concerted move to firstly, selectively prematurely retire or at least frighten into compliance those Class A and B who have completed 50 years of age if they were appointed before attaining 35 years of age i.e. having completed 15 years or more of service, or 55 years of age (as applicable). Obviously it will be applied on those who are not politically compliant to the RSS-BJP Govt. The circular clarifies, of course, that “this is not a punishment unlike compulsory retirement.” However it is very clear from the circular that this is not a measure to be taken across the board to prune workforce etc. which it could explain away by citing financial constraints. It clearly is a pruning, by putting together committees which will point out who are to be retired and by specifying that choice could be due to ‘lack of integrity’ or “incompetence” or that the reason may even be ‘locatable in the personal file’. It is crystal clear that this is to be a compulsory retirement for the politically non compliant Group A and B employees and is part of the putting together of a fully homogenized administrative machinery for the Hindutva project. It should be remembered in this context that the Govt. has already opened the way for lateral entry directly into Group A and B through orders passed last year. Thus the road map is clear for complete homogenization of political opinion along with free placing of RSS functionaries at key positions. IFTU National Committee condemns this additional sinister step to strengthen the fascist machinery.
Secondly, this circular, as far as Group C employees are concerned stipulates premature retirement after 30 years of service, is going to be both a tool to attack non compliant and pro worker union leadership, discourage pro worker trade union activity and also allow faster contractualization and casualization of workforce on a huge scale as a significant number of the permanent workforce in govt. service will fall into this age category. Combined with changes in labour laws including in Contract Labour Act, this is paving the way for further diluting the numbers of organized workforce and for attacking wages and rights of working class. It is yet another blow on the workers by RSS-BJP Govt.
IFTU calls on all Central Trade Unions and all organizations of Govt. employees and officers to unequivocally demand withdrawal of the Central Govt. circular dated 28th August 2020 and to come together to build forceful struggle to force revocation of this absolutely sinister attack.
Aparna (President) B.Pradeep (Gen Secretary)
Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU)
4th Sept 2020.
