GTA Casual workers welcome state govt’s salary increase order

9:46 PM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling 29 Feb 2016 The casual workers of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration have welcomed the state government’s decision to increase their salary even as they said their long pending demand for regularisation should also be addressed ahead of the Assembly election. The state government’s finance department has issued Order No.1107-F (P) dated February 25, 2016 to revise the benefits and salary of the contractual workers. More than 5,000 workers in the GTA are working on contract basis and they have long been demanding for regularisation. The workers were initially inducted into the now-defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) on contract basis and were paid meagre amounts as remuneration.

In 2007, workers under the aegis of the Janmukti Asthayi Karmachari Sangathan (JAKS) started an agitation demanding permanent status.

In 2011, the state government came up with a formula and put the casual workers in a pay-band structure that included employees of the A and B categories as well. Accordingly, Grade C and D casual workers who had been receiving a monthly salary of Rs2,500 started getting between Rs7,000 and Rs8,500 from 2011. Now, the state government has proposed to increase the salary of the grade C and D workers to Rs20,000 and Rs22,000, respectively, provided the workers have been working for more than 20 years. This aside, the state government has also decided to enhance the remuneration by 3 per cent every year. Welcoming the order, JAKS spokesperson Deepak Sharma said today, “Our primary demand is and will remain regularisation. But we definitely welcome the state government’s decision to increase our salary because this was the need of the hour.” The JAKS had also filed a petition in the high court seeking regularisation and the appeal has been upheld. The state government was directed to start the process of regularisation but it is yet to be implemented. “We sought the court’s help and received a positive verdict. However, the regularisation process has not yet started and we fail to understand why despite the court’s directive. It appears the state government has some plan up its sleeves and the increase in salary is just a diversion,” Sharma said. At present, the GTA has 5,321 casual workers in its payroll with grade C and D employees comprising nearly 90 per cent of the workforce. The state government’s order mentions these workers, but there are no specifications for Grade A and B employees even though they are also included in the existing pay-band structure. “We want the state government to look into this aspect also as the Grade A and B workers are being left out of the increment. We feel that since there isn’t any A and B grade in Bengal, the state government may have overlooked this aspect with regard to the hills while making the revision,” the JAKS spokesperson said.

(EOIC)

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जीटीएले दिएको अल्टिमेटम पूरा अब हामी आफैले सोच्ने समय आएको छ-जअकस

5:13 PM

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nepali

अस्थायी कर्मचारीहरूको स्थायीकरणको निम्ति जीटीएले दिएको 21 दिनको अल्टिमेटम पूरा भएको छ। 21 दिनभित्र जीटीएले कर्मचारीहरूको स्थायीकरणको निम्ति समपूर्ण कागजपत्र राज्य सरकारलाई पठाउने निर्णय लिएको थियो। गत 11 जनवरीका दिन जीटीए, जममुक्ति अस्थायी कर्मचारी सङ्गठन अनि सरकारी अधिकारीहरूमाझ बसेको बैठकपछि जीटीएले दिएको अल्टिमेटम पूरा भइसक्दा समेत स्थायीकरणको दिशामा ठोस् पहल नभएपछि आज जनमुक्ति अस्थायी कर्मचारी सङ्गठन महकुमा समितिले एक पत्रकार सम्मेलनको आयोजना गर्दै जीटीएले आफ्नो वचन पूरा गर्नुपर्ने माग गरेको छ। पत्रकार सम्मेललाई सम्बोधन गर्दै सङ्गठनका अध्यक्ष केसी राईले भने, यदि सरकारले स्थायीकरण गरेन भने कानून लगाएर भएपनि स्थायीकरण गर्ने जीटीएले प्रतिश्रुति दिएको थियो। अब जीटीएले आफ्नो बचन पूरा गर्नुपर्छ। हामी जीटीएसित आशावादी छौँ।

उनी अनुसार जीटीए प्रमुख विमल गुरूङसित गत 27 जनवरीका दिन पनि सङ्गठनको बैठक भएको थियो। यस बैठकमा राज्य सरकारले स्थायीकरण नगरे जीटीएले नै कानुनी रूपमा गर्ने गुरूङको प्रतिश्रुति थियो। अब 21 दिन पूर्ण भइसक्दा पनि स्थायीकरणको प्रक्रिया शुरू नभएको कारण जीटीएले आफ्नो वचन पूरा गर्नुपर्ने सङ्गठनको माग हो।

Jamukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan members

उनले भने, स्थायीकरणको निम्ति हामीले धरै वर्षदेखि आन्दोलन गरिरह्यौँ, सरकारसित कुराकानी गरिह्यौँ। अब जीटीएले आफ्नो वचन पूरा गरेर हामीलाई न्याय दिनुपर्छ।
यसअवधि उनले जीटीएले स्थायीकरण गर्ननसके सङ्गठनले दल परिवर्तन गर्ने चर्चालाई अस्वीकार गरेपनि आवश्यक परे कालेबुङले आफ्नोनिम्ति केही सोच्न बाध्य हुनपर्ने सङ्केत गरेका छन्। राईले भने, हामी जीटीएका कर्मचारी हौँ। यसैले हामीले जीटीएबाट नै स्थायीकरणको आशा गरेको कारण अहिले दल परिवर्तन गर्नतर्फ सोच बनाएका छैनौँ। तर यदि हाम्रो सङ्गठनको केन्द्रिय समितिले पनि ठिकसित सोचिदिँदैन भने हामीले कालेबुङको निम्ति पनि सोच्नपर्ने बाध्यता आउनसक्छ।

उनले अझ भने अनुसार अस्थायी कर्मचारीहरूलाई न्याय दिलाउँछौँ भन्ने सोच बनाएका कारण नै आज उनीहरूले सङ्गठनलाई नेतृत्व दिइरहेका छन्। तर उनीहरूलाई न्याय दिन नसकेका कारण नेतृत्वपङ्क्तीमा रहेकाहरू आज असुविधामा परिरहेको राईले बताए।

कर्मचारीहरूले नोकरी गर्नथालेको10देखि 13 वर्ष पुगेपछि प्रत्येक तीन वर्षमा 5 प्रतिशत इन्क्रिमेन्ट लागु हुने नियम छ। यसैले जीटीएले इन्क्रिमेन्ट बढाइदिने कुरा गरेपनि इन्क्रिमेन्टको माग सङ्गठनको होइन। सङ्गठन स्थायीकरणको पक्षमा नै अडिक रहेको राईले बताए।

Via Kalimpongpost

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Bengal Invites GTA for Talks on Regularizing Over 5000 Casual Staff

8:01 AM

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West Bengal

Writes: Vivek Chhetri

The Bengal government has invited the GTA for talks at Nabanna on January 29 to discuss the long-pending demand of the regularisation of jobs of over 5,000 causal employees at the hill body.

"We received a communication yesterday saying the state government had called a meeting on January 29. The home secretary, Moloy De, will chair the meeting as he is also in charge of the hill affairs department," Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha as well as an executive GTA Sabha member, said today.

"I will be attending the meeting at Nabanna (Howrah). The regularisation of casual staff is an important issue for the GTA. That is the only agenda of the meeting," he added.

The state's invitation to the GTA for the bipartite meeting has come a few days after the Morcha rejected chief minister Mamata Banerjee's call for talks on any issue.

Mamata had said in Siliguri on Thursday that if anyone had problems, they should meet her for talks and there should not be agitation in the Darjeeling hills.

The next day, Morcha president Bimal Gurung said he would meet the chief minister only if she declared that she would put an end to the state government's alleged "divide and rule" policy in the hills and agreed to talk on Gorkhaland.

At the moment, there are 5,321 casual employees at the GTA and since 2007, they have been demanding that they be made permanent. According to the Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan, which is an affiliate of the Morcha, the hill body has now 4,011 vacancies.

On May 14 last year, the high court had asked the state government to convene a meeting with the GTA in four months to decide how it would set in motion the process of absorbing the casual employees of the GTA.

In the order, Justice Sanjib Banerjee also told the state to allow two representatives of the JAKS, the sole association of casual employees at the GTA, to attend the meeting on the regularisation.

But soon after, the state filed an appeal with the division bench and the directive was stayed.

On September 17, 2009, following a hunger strike, the state government had given a written assurance to the JAKS.

A fax sent by the then home secretary Ardhendu Sen had stated: "The government has authorised the DGHC to start regularisation process against the sanctioned vacancies in all categories which it is authorised to do as per the existing act and the recruitment rules there under."

The fast was lifted following the assurance. The state government, however, went back on its assurance.

In 2011, the government decided to do away with the six-month contract system for the casual staff.

Source: Telegraph

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Morcha not sincere about the increment and regularization of casual workers - Harka

8:30 AM

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Kalimpong

Kalimpong, Jan. 12: Harka Bahadur Chhetri today alleged that GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung's decision to provide an annual increment of 15 per cent to the 5,000-odd casual employees of the hill body and initiate steps to regularise their jobs lacked sincerity and was nothing but an attempt to pacify an angry work force.

The Kalimpong MLA asked what had prevented the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha from regularising the jobs of the GTA staff in the three-and-half years it had been at the GTA helm.

"If it had the intent and was sincere, it should have been able to do the job by now. In any case, what does the GTA want to do: give the staff a hike or regularise their jobs? If the jobs can be regularised, where is the need for a hike? The Morcha is thoroughly confused," he said.

The 5,321 casual employees of the GTA get between Rs 5,000 and Rs 21,000 a month.

Yesterday, Gurung in a meeting with the Morcha-affiliate Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan (JAKS) in Darjeeling had announced a 15 per cent hike in the salaries of the GTA casual staff and also promised to take some positive steps with regards to their demand for job regularisation.

Chhetri said there was no evidence of the Morcha pursuing the matter with any degree of sincerity and this was a desperate attempt to keep its flock together.

"Where is the evidence of the Morcha pursuing the case of the casual staff with the state government? If it has, let it be made public. This (yesterday's announcement) is nothing but attempts to pacify people who are angry. The casual workers are angry and so are the voluntary teachers. It is a decision taken without much thought by someone who doesn't know what to do," said Chhetri.

The Kalimpong MLA, who quit the Morcha in September, has been drawing good crowd in different parts of the hills in the lead up to the formal launch of his new party on January 31.

Source Telegraph

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GTA Promised 15% Increment to Casual Employees and Regularization

8:21 AM

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West Bengal

Writes: Vivek Chhetri 

The GTA has decided to provide an increment of 15 per cent per annum to the 5,000-odd casual employees of the hill body and also promised to step up its efforts to regularise their jobs.

The GTA yesterday held a meeting with members of the Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan, an affiliate of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, where Bimal Gurung made the announcement.

After the meeting, Machendra Subba, the president of the JAKS, said: "The meeting, which was chaired by GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung, was very positive. He has announced an increment of 15 per cent to all ad-hoc employees and more importantly, has decided to take all possible measures to start our regularisation process."

At the moment, the causal employees were getting an increment of 5 per cent annually. "Our annual increment will not be 20 per cent following today's announcement. However, the more important issue of us is regularisation of jobs and the hill body has decided to take positive steps," said Subba.

Gurung reportedly told representatives of the JAKS that the GTA would immediately write to the state government to start the regularisation process. "Bimal Gurung has assured us that the letter will be written within three or four days, after which the GTA will wait for 21-days for a response from the state government," said Subba.

"If the government fails to give any response, Gurung has assured us that the GTA will start the process of regularisation by exploring different avenues," said Subba.

The different avenues, however, was not immediately known.

Technically, the state's concurrence is most important as regularisation of jobs entails financial implication.

"The GTA has also decided to send a delegation to Calcutta to meet state officials on this issue. The delegation will include members of our organisation," said Subba.

The GTA Act has empowered the hill body to recruit employees into B, C and D categories but the recruitment has to be done through a sub-ordinate selection board. The board has not yet been formed.

At the moment, there are 5,321 casual employees in the GTA. The hill body has 4,011 vacancies, according to Subba.

"Even Calcutta High Court has given us a favourable ruling on the regularisation issue and we hope justice will not be denied to us," said Subba.

On May 14 last year, the court had issued a directive, asking the state government to convene a meeting with the GTA within four months to decide how it would set in motion the process of absorbing the casual employees of the GTA. In the order, Justice Sanjib Banerjee had asked the state to allow two representatives of the JAKS, the sole association of casual employees at the GTA, at the meeting to decide the regularisation process.

But soon after, the state filed an appeal with the division bench of the high court against the directive.

The casual workers of the GTA have been demanding job regularisation since 2007.

On September 17, 2009, following a hunger strike by them, the state government had given a written assurance to the JAKS. A fax sent by the then home secretary Ardhendu Sen had stated: "The government has authorised the DGHC to start regularisation process against the sanctioned vacancies in all categories which it is authorised to do as per the existing act and the recruitment rules there under."

The fast was lifted following the assurance. However, the government backtracked and said the promise had been given under duress.

In 2009, when the DGHC existed, there were 3,472 sanctioned posts but none of the casual employees had been made permanent. The fate of the remaining workers - there were around 6,800 workers at the DGHC then - was to be decided later.

In 2011, the state government decided to do away with the six-month contract system from August 1 and included employees who had completed 10 years of services under a "pay- band", where they would serve till the age of 60 and would be entitled to Rs 1 lakh on retirement.

The salaries of staff in all four categories, A, B, C and D, were almost doubled. For those who had not completed 10 years in service, the salary was increased by 75 per cent.

Subba said at the moment, the lowest salary of a contract worker was Rs 5000 while the highest salary was Rs 21000.

Source Telegraph

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Harka Bahadur to launch new party by January 10

7:56 AM

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Politics

Writes Rajeev Ravidas for TT

Kalimpong, Dec. 31: MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri today said he would float the new party by January 10 and discussions were on to frame its constitution, manifesto and policies as he received a shot in the arm with 24 primary school teachers forming a new outfit and extending support to him.

Ahead of the launch of a cleanliness drive organised here today by the Kalimpong District Demand Committee, of which Chhetri is the chief coordinator, he said he would form his new party by early next month. "We are holding discussions. We will have to discuss what its policies will be, its constitution and manifesto and identify priorities...the new party will be formed not later than January 10," he said.

In another development, a group of 24 primary school teachers from the Kalimpong subdivision has formed the Kalimpong District Primary Teachers' Organisation.

Prem Dorji Sherpa, a teacher at the Munsong Primary School, said all the 24 members of the new organisation were from the rural areas of the subdivision and almost all of them were previously associated with Janmukti Primary Teachers' Organisation, a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliate. "We have formed the organisation by taking Harka Sir into confidence. We will support him," he said.

The organisation was formed on December 26.

Asked if the organisation would operate under the umbrella of Chhetri's new party, Sherpa said it would probably operate independently, but supported the new outfit from outside.

Observers said the formation of the new teachers' organisation was a definite boost to Chhetri at the cost of the Morcha. "Apart from teachers, members of other Morcha-affiliate organisations like the Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan are showing signs of restiveness. The possibility of some of these disgruntled elements leaving the Morcha cannot be ruled out. Any fissures in the Morcha can only work to Chhetri's advantage," said an observer.

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JAKS raised 'murdabad' slogans against Roshan Giri and Binay Tamang,

8:08 AM

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Roshan Giri

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, Dec. 11: The Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan today apologised for alleged slogans raised against two GTA executive sabha members by some workers at a procession here two days back after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had expressed its displeasure over the verbal attack on the party leaders.

The Sangathan, an association of GTA casual employees owing allegiance to the Morcha, however, refrained from offering apology for its leaders lashing out at the party and the hill body at the march here on Wednesday. The association had held the procession and a meeting to demand the immediate regularisation of the jobs of over 5,000 casual employees at the GTA.

Deepak Sharma, the spokesman for the Sangathan, today issued a written apology. "The workers who have been facing administrative discrimination right from the days of the (erstwhile) Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration had organised a rally-cum-public meeting on December 9 to demand the regularisation of their jobs. In the process, the party (Morcha) leadership has claimed that members of the JAKS raised 'murdabad' slogans against Roshan Giri, GTA Sabha member in charge of education, and Binay Tamang, GTA Sabha member in charge of personnel and administration department, during the rally."

"Since the party (Morcha) leadership has expressed grievances against the alleged sloganeering, the JAKS in principle accepts the charge and expresses apology," the statement in Nepali reads.

Asked if such slogans had indeed been raised at the rally, Sharma said: "We did not hear any slogan against the two leaders but in the course of the rally, some might have raised it. That is why we have accepted the allegation in principle and accepted it."

Source - Telegraph

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Over 5,000 GTA casual staff threaten halt, demands regularization

9:00 AM

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Kalimpong

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, Nov. 19: Over 5,000 casual employees of the GTA today launched an agitation demanding immediate regularization of their jobs with a poster campaign and threatened to bring the hill body to a halt.

The agitation has come when over 500 voluntary teachers are seeking regularization of their jobs, their protest hampering classes in several educational institutions in the hills.

Deepak Sharma, the spokesman for the Jamukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan, which is affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said: "Calcutta High Court had issued a directive to the state government on May 14 to convene a meeting with representatives of the GTA within four months to decide how it would set in motion the process of absorbing the casual employees. However, instead of starting the process, the government filed an appeal against this directive in the high court in August."

Deepak Sharma and Kisan Gurung in Darjeeling on Thursday. Picture by Suman Tamang 

The casual employees, who are the workforce of the GTA, said their patience was running out. "We have decided to launch an agitation. From today, we started plastering posters across the hills demanding job regularisation. In the days to come, we will intensify our agitation and will not hesitate to bring the GTA to a grinding halt," said Sharma.

The 5,000 GTA casual employees make up almost 80 per cent of the hill body's workforce.

Kisan Gurung, the general secretary of the organisation, said: "We want the state government to immediately withdraw the appeal in the high court and announce its decision to regularise our jobs at the next bipartite meeting scheduled to be held in Darjeeling on December 15. Until that meeting, we will continue to intensify our agitation."

He did not list out the details of the agitation.

The Janmukti Insecure Secondary Teachers' Organisation (JISTO), the body of voluntary teachers in the Darjeeling hills, has also decided to launch a relay hunger strike at Lal Kothi here from tomorrow. "We will also meet state education minister Partha Chatterjee in Kalimpong tomorrow to discuss the matter," said Vivek Newar, the secretary of the organisation.

The organisation is demanding the regularisation of jobs of 515 voluntary teachers who have been working in various schools.

Source Telegraph

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