Showing posts with label ARUN JAITELY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ARUN JAITELY. Show all posts
New Delhi: Air India unions are likely to meet next week in the national capital to discuss their strategy amid the government going ahead with the disinvestment process.
People familiar with the matter say efforts are on to bring all staff unions of Air India including those of the pilots and engineers on one platform and work out a strategy to deal with the situation arising out of the government’s decision to offload its stake in the flag carrier.
Air India, which has over 20,000
employees on its roll, has as many as six recognised unions, representing
ground and commercial staff, pilots, cabin crew and engineers, among others,
besides, several unrecognised unions.
To revive the loss-making state-run
carrier, which also has a debt burden of over Rs 50,000 crore, the government
has decided to go for its strategic disinvestment and the modalities are being
worked out by a Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs (CCEA) had on June 28 given in-principle nod for strategic divestment
of Air India and five of its subsidiaries. The government has already
invited applications for engaging up to two advisers, a legal adviser and asset
valuer for the strategic disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries/ joint
venture.
The finance ministry, which has been pumping small doses of money every year into Air India, seems reluctant to spend more. The airline had landed up in this situation because of the loans it had taken to add some 111 aircraft to its ageing and depleted fleet.
Earlier this month, Tata conglomerate showed interest in bidding for Air India as the group needs to increase the sizes of its aviation business.
According to media reports, some companies including low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, ground handling company Bird Group and Turkey’s Celebi Aviation Holdings have expressed an interest in buying some of Air India’s various businesses.
The finance ministry, which has been pumping small doses of money every year into Air India, seems reluctant to spend more. The airline had landed up in this situation because of the loans it had taken to add some 111 aircraft to its ageing and depleted fleet.
Earlier this month, Tata conglomerate showed interest in bidding for Air India as the group needs to increase the sizes of its aviation business.
According to media reports, some companies including low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, ground handling company Bird Group and Turkey’s Celebi Aviation Holdings have expressed an interest in buying some of Air India’s various businesses.
The Sen Times
New Delhi: Salaries and allowances of central government employees have seen hikes in 2016 and 2017 respectively but raising the minimum pay has remained static ever since the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations was approved one and a half years ago.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had promised to hike minimum pay for the central government employees day after the cabinet approval of the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations, June 30, 2016.
“The minimum pay of central government employees Rs 18,000 was made on recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. But government will consider hiking it after discussions with all stakeholders,” Finance minister Arun Jaitley had earlier said in a meeting with the central government employees’ unions leaders on June 30, 2016.
This announcement had thrilled the central government employees for getting more hike in pay but it’s almost now like rubbing salt into the wounds of millions of central government employees.
The cabinet had given nod overall 23.55 percent increase in salaries, allowances and pension in June, 2016 but shockingly, minimum pay Rs 18, 000 of the central government employees have been unchanged.
The central government employees unions have been demanding minimum pay Rs 26,000 and asked to raising fitment factor 3.68 times from 2.57 times. However, the government has never refused to budge, pretext financial crunch etc but has not accepted till date.
Unwilling to tolerate the government insensitivity any longer, the central government employees unions have now decided to observe Dharna today.
“After a full month’s work, we get just Rs 18,900 including dearness allowance as pay. so we can’t even feed our children properly through that. So how can we celebrate Diwali? It’s only politicians and bureaucrats who can celebrate the festival,” said one of the low paid central government employees.
So far, the plight of central government employees has failed to move the government. However, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has done little to support the employees’ demand to form National Anomaly Committee (NAC) headed by Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in September, 2016 to look into pay anomalies arising out of the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations.
“The NAC meeting is likely to be held in this month. And the government has asked the NAC to go ahead for hike in minimum pay Rs 21,000 from Rs 18,000 from the existing 2.57 to fitment factor 3.00,” a top official of the finance ministry told The Sen Times on condition of anonymity.
“The Union Cabinet will take up the proposal for hike in pay with fitment factor 3.00 in January,” the official assured.
“If the 2.57 fitment formula is tinkered with, then salary and pension in general for all segments of employees will go up,” the official confirmed.
The government is still dithering over whether to hike pay of its employees, hence, Diwali this time will be a dark one for the central government employees.
