EXCLUSIVE : NCOA Approaches Judiciary To Challenge Freezing Of DA For Executives of CPSUs

DPE had issued OM on 19th Nov, 2020 for freezing the DA for the next 3 quarters for CPSEs for “executives & non-unionized supervisors”. As per DPE guidelines “the wages (i.e. Basic Pay & DA) of unionized workmen are to settle through wage negotiation / tripartite the settlement, which cannot be in conflict with that of Pay Revision of Executives”. Accordingly, the DA freeze conveyed by DPE on 19th Nov 2020 was automatically for unionized workmen also to avoid conflict and almost all the CPSEs have implemented accordingly.

However, considering the threat of agitation from workmen unions of CPSEs, most of which are affiliated with left-wing political parties, management of CPSEs have started reversing the decision for workmen. This has created huge frustration among executives of such CPSEs. Executives are asking one simple question to their management, why this disparity within the staff, whereas executives are holding more responsibility and are also held accountable as compared to workmen. They say that the rules of freezing or not freezing  Dearness Allowance should be equal for one and all.

In past few CPSEs like Coal Indian and SAIL had revised the Pay of workmen with 5 years periodicity whereas the same foe Executives of Coal India has been revised with 10 years periodicity. The executives of SAIL are still waiting for Pay Revision (last revised w.e.f. 2007 only) in view of affordability. Similarly few CPSEs like BHEL, IOCL, GAIL, etc had given much higher fitment to workmen compared to executives while revising the Pay w.e.f. 2007. The current decisions on DA are putting further salt on the wounds of executives.

NCOA, on 22nd November 22, last, had requested the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises to withdraw the OM of DPE and had later appealed Prime Minister for intervention.

www.indianpsu.com had, some days ago, contacted Sri Alok K Roy, President of NCOA  and enquired regarding any agitation plan by NCOA against this order of freezing of DA and he said “the economy and the citizen of the country has suffered a lot due to the Covid19 pandemic and any agitation plan in this situation has serious risk to cripple the state of affairs. We have a full confidence that considering the criticality, Government will withdraw the same based on the strong logic given in our appeal to Sri Prakash Javadekar Ji,. Further, in case the same would not be withdrawn, we will approach Hon’ble Prime Minister and we have full faith to get it withdrawn”.

As per our sources, in view of no response from DPE or other sources from Government , NCOA has approached the Hon’ble High Court of Guwahati for legal recourse.