Almost 50 years after the 20-day railway workers’ strike in 1974 that shook the then Indira Gandhi authorities, preparations are underway for one other indefinite strike within the sector on the problem of the previous pension scheme (OPS). Trade unions will maintain a secret ballot on November 20 and 21 amongst about 12 lakh Indian Railways workers and 3.9 lakh civilian workers at varied defence institutions, together with ordnance factories, looking for their approval for an indefinite strike to substitute the National Pension Scheme (NPS) with the OPS.
The motion for reinstating the OPS has the support of the (*21*) Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated commerce union, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). The BMS is holding a workers’ rally right here on November 22 with the identical demand. BMS basic secretary Ravindra Himte informed The Hindu that his organisation wouldn’t oppose its members from participating within the secret ballot. “We are demanding restoration of OPS. We will not give any call to participate in the secret ballot, but we will not oppose it,” Mr. Himte stated, including that the BMS would strengthen its protests for OPS parallelly.
The Joint Forum for Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (JFROPS), a platform of about 60 unions working in Central authorities institutions and Central Public Sector Undertaking, is organising the strike ballot. Since Railways and Defence sector institutions are ruled beneath the Industrial Disputes Act, it’s necessary for recognised unions to take a secret strike ballot amongst their members.
The ballot will likely be legitimate provided that 75% members take part in it, and a strike may be referred to as if two-thirds of the votes are polled in favour of it. “This is a demand of 30 lakh Central government employees. We are sure of getting the support of all employees for an indefinite strike,” All India Defence Employees (*20*) basic secretary C. Srikumar stated, including that the unions’ intention is to maintain a authorized strike involving each employee.
The JFROPS will meet in Delhi after the ballot and resolve the date of serving the strike discover to the Centre. The dialogue among the many unions is on starting the strike on February, earlier than the announcement of the General Election.
As nearly 60% of the whole workforce of the Centre is beneath the NPS, the unions anticipate giant support for the strike, particularly from younger workers. “We will not accept anything lesser than the restoration of OPS,” Hind Mazdoor Sabha president Harbhajan Singh Sidhu, who was arrested, jailed and faraway from his job within the Railways job for taking part within the 1974 strike, stated. “This time, the enthusiasm of workers is much more as 7.6 lakh young workers in Railways, who are under NPS, are not ready for any compromise such as increasing the pension amount given under the NPS,” Mr. Sidhu stated.
He stated though there had been three secret ballots for strike after 1974 within the Railways, the federal government had averted the strike with discussions. “This time, the only demand is scrapping of OPS, and the Centre does not have any proposal for us as of now,” he stated.
The workers’ primary grievance is that after retirement, they’d solely get ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 as pension, whereas beneath OPS, 50% of the final drawn fundamental pay is statutorily assured as pension, with compensation for value rise, together with dearness aid.
