Air India to pay PLI to all sections of employees on Oct 7

Recent Update{ 30.09.09 at 14.39 Hrs} : Air India Pilots Call Off agitation.

Air India yesterday said that it would pay productivity-linked incentive (PLI) to all sections of employees on October 7.

"Air India will pay the August PLI payable in September on October 7," Air India's Executive Director, Jitendra Bhargava, told PTI here.

September salaries have already been paid to the employees' respective bank accounts, he said.

The PLI will be paid in full, Bhargava added.

The national carrier has cancelled 14 international and 79 domestic flights today, the fourth day of the strike by a section of its executive pilots protesting against the up to 50 per cent cut in their PLIs effected by the management.

Bhargava said that yesterday 116 pilots from Indian Airlines and 72 from Air India reported sick.

Source : PTI

IIM-A accepts new pay structure, but has kept its implementation in abeyance for a month

The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has accepted the pay structure revision as suggested by the Centre but has kept its implementation in abeyance for a month due to some concerns.

"The IIM-A faculty council has accepted the decision on the pay structure revision suggested by the government in principle, but we have some concerns regarding promotion and recruitment policies," IIM-A Director Dr Samir Barua told reporters today, while speaking about major decisions taken at the institute's Board of Governors meeting held last week.

"We have kept the implementation of the pay structure recommendations in abeyance for a month and conveyed our concerns to the ministry (Ministry of Human Resource Development)," he said.

The IIM-A expects that status of their concerns will be clear in a month's time, Barua said.

Source : PTI

Kerala College teachers likely to get revised payscale soon.

If everything goes according to plan, college teachers in the State would get a pay hike of two to three times their present salary.Sources said that the Finance and Higher Education Departments are in the final leg of discussions regarding the recommendations submitted by the pay review committee of University Grants Commission (UGC) on revised pay and allowances for academic staff in colleges.The UGC pay panel has recommended the renaming of the post of lecturer as assistant professor. Other proposals include are the creation of new posts such as senior professor and professor eminence in universities.Education Minister M.A. Baby told `Express’ that the State Government had in principle agreed to implement the revised UGC pay-scale. However, there is need for more discussions to remove certain intricaciesregarding its implementation. The discussions to sort out the intricacies are on, he said. The Central Government will provide 100 percent assistance for the additional expenditure for five years to implement the recommendations.Additional assistance to the extent of 50 percent will be provided for the next five years to only those States which implement the recommendations successfully in toto. The UGC will review the implementation in the fifth year for the additional assistance. All recommendations have to be implemented in toto as a package with effect from January 1, 2006. However, various allowances except DA will be admissible with effect from September 1, 2008.The committee had also recommended multi-source assessment of teachers including self-assessment, assessment by students who have been taught a course by the teacher and assessment by academic heads. UGC should evolve parameters relevant to universities and colleges respectively for carrying out such evaluations throughout the country in a uniform manner.As per the recommendation, ateacher should spend at least five hours everyday for five days a week in the institution for teaching, holding tutorials, guiding research or carrying out co-curricular activities. The committee also recommended leave travel concession for travelling three times in a four-year block, not exceeding once in a year. LTC will be allowed to any place in India once in a block of four years. That is a totalof four LTC in a block of four years, but not exceeding one in any oneyear.The committee proposed that teachers in universities and collegesshould be encouraged to undertake consultancy, directing projects, registeringpatents, research and development projects and technology transfers. If the amount received from consultancy work goes beyond 30 percent of the gross salary, it will be split in the 70:30 ratio between teacher and the institution. PRESENT AND PROPOSED PAYSCALE FOR UNIVERSITY TEACHERS(In the order of present and proposed pay scale) Assistant Professor (presently lecturer): existing Rs 8000-275-13500, new pay band Rs 15600-39100, grade pay Rs 6600 Assistant Professor (senior scale) (presently lecturer senior scale): existing Rs 10000-325-15200, new pay band Rs 15600-39100, grade pay Rs 7200 Assistant Professor (selection scale)/Associate Professor (Presently Lecturer selection grade): existing Rs 12000-420-18300, new payband Rs 15600-39100, grade pay Rs 8000 Professor: existing Rs 16400-450-20900-500-22400, new pay band Rs 37400-67000, grade pay Rs 11000Senior Professor (new post): Rs 37400-67000, grade pay Rs 12000 Pro-Vice-Chancellor: existing Rs 18400-500-22400, new pay band Rs 37400-67000 plus four advanced increments, grade pay Rs 12000. Professor Eminence(new post): Rs 80,000 (fixed) Vice-Chancellor: Rs 25000 (fixed) new pay band Rs 80000 (fixed). PRESENT AND PROPOSED PAYSCALEFOR COLLEGE TEACHERS (In the order of present and proposed pay scale)Assistant Professor (presently lecturer): existing Rs 8000-275-13500, new pay band Rs 15600-39100, grade pay Rs 6600 Assistant Professor (senior scale)(Presently lecturer senior scale): existing Rs 10000-325-15200, new payband Rs 15600-39100, grade pay Rs 7200 Assistant Professor (selection scale)/Associate professor (Presently Lecturer selection grade): existingRs 12000-420-18300, new pay band Rs 15600-39100, grade pay Rs 8000Senior Associate Professor (new post proposed): Rs 37400-67000, Gradepay-Rs 8700 Professor in PG colleges (new post proposed): Rs 37400-67000, grade pay Rs 11000 Principal of UG college: Rs 12000-18300, new pay band Rs 37400-67000 plus two advanced increments, grade pay Rs 8700 Principal of PG college: Rs 16400-50-20900-500-22400, new pay band Rs 37400-67000 plus two advanced increments, grade pay Rs 11000.

Source Expressbuzz.

(By mistake the report was published in relation to Tamilnadu earlier. Thanks to our viewer for pointng this silly error. We are are grateful to him. We do apologize the mistake.)

Govt doctors to resign en masse in Karnataka tomorrow

Nearly 4,000 government doctors in Karnataka would resign en masse tomorrow in protest against the government's refusal to accept their demand on salary hike they sought.

President of the Karnataka Government Medical Officers Association, H N Ravindra, told PTI that one or two doctors would, however, be on duty at taluk and district-level hospitals even after resigning to maintain health services.

The Association has set October 14 as the deadline for the Government to accept its demand. "If the Government does not accept our demand, we will not come to work from October 15," he said.

Government doctors at the "beginners level" get a monthly pay of Rs 18,500 which the Association has demanded be raised to at least Rs 35,000.

The government has offered a pay hike ranging between Rs 3,000 and Rs 8,000 which the Association has rejected.

Source : PTI

Ex-Servicemen Seeks Better deal for Havildars and Sub-Majors

Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh has sought a better deal for Havildars and Sub Majors from the Centre Govt.

Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal, president of league in his memorandum faxed to Defence Minister, A.K. Antony, has asked the govt. to change the Pay-Band for Havildars and equivalent ranks from PB-I to PB-II and for Sub. Majors and equivalent ranks from PB-II to PB-III since the Sixth Pay Commission have not done justice with these ranks.

League stressed upon the govt. that the soldiers of the rank of Havildar form the real back-bone of Defence Forces and Sub. Major acts as a Chief executor of the strategy in the war. These two ranks have been virtually crushed by the partial recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission and further faulty implementation of the recommendations regarding their pay scales. The Havildars have been virtually equated to class-IV civilian such as Peons, Chowkidars, Mali and Dhobi etc. in respect of pay.

League has further asked the Minister to release immediately the orders for promised ONE RANK ONE PENSION for Junior Commissioned Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and other ranks which was announced by Finance Minister in Union Budget on 6 July 2009, and then by the Minister him self in the Parliament and finally by Prime Minister on Independence Day but the order regarding the same has not not been issued so far.

League has further reminded the Minister that the govt. has also promised to give pension to soldiers up to the rank of Hav. @ 70% and to JCOs @ 60% of the last pay drawn to compensate for their early compulsory retirement, but to the great disappointment of the soldiers, these orders have also not seen the light so far whereas orders regarding change of Pay Band from PB-III to PB-IV for the Lt. Col. have been issued long ago although these recommendations were made by the same group of ministers in the same report. With this partial treatment given to lower ranks, a great resentment is prevailing in the Defence Forces and among the veterans which is not good for nations security.

League has further demanded two pensions for the widows of ex-servicemen who drew two pensions during their life time. Because of early compulsory retirement, most of the soldiers have to seek employment in civil deptts. to compensate their meager pension which they draw by virtue of their service in the Defence Forces. Such veterans draw two pensions after their retirement from civil deptts. but their widows are not entitled for second pension as per the present pension policy of the govt.

Along with this, League has gone further to demand befitting alternate re-employment for the soldiers up to the age of 60 years like their civilian counter parts since about 90% among the soldiers are compulsory retired prior to their superannuation to keep the forces young.

League has vehemently stressed upon the govt. to fulfill the demands of veterans at the earliest lest they may come on the roads like civilian counter parts and the govt. will be in a critical position to handle that volcanic situation.

Last but not the least, the league has forcefully demanded of the govt. not to use the term PBORs for Junior Commissioned Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and other ranks as they feel much humiliated by being referred as such.

Source : Punjab Newsline

IIT Pay : Sibal signalling fresh efforts to break a deadlock over salaries.

“If the IIT faculty walk two steps, I am willing to walk a mile,” the minister said.

IIT boards may be allowed to tweak a controversial new pay regime if it suffocates attempts at hiring top teachers, education minister Kapil Sibal today hinted, signalling fresh efforts to break a deadlock over salaries.

In a subtle but clear shift in his stance, Sibal today stressed that the new pay regime was meant only to lay down guidelines and could be interpreted by individual IIT boards according to their needs.

In an interview to a television channel, HRD minister Sibal said he was keen to extend the autonomy enjoyed by the boards of governors that head IITs.

He said he had called a meeting of the IIT council – the highest executive body of the institutes — where increasing their autonomy would be on the agenda.

“If the IIT faculty walk two steps, I am willing to walk a mile,” the minister said.

His comments are significant because they suggest the HRD ministry may allow the boards of the IITs to relax regulations on appointments placed on the institutes under the new pay regime.

The new pay notification requires that at least 10 per cent of all faculty at an IIT must be hired on contract at salaries that faculty say are too low to attract fresh talent.

Sibal’s comments have triggered hope in the faculty that the IITs may be allowed to hire brighter PhD graduates as teachers at a higher salary as an assistant professor rather than on contract.

“These are positive signals. We look forward to further developments in this direction,” M. Thenmozhi, the president of the All India IIT Faculty Federation, said over phone from Chennai.

The faculty has argued that a condition capping the number of professors eligible to a higher pay at 40 per cent could stall the growth of younger professors – as the cap would be filled by senior professors.

In response to a question during the interview today, Sibal hinted the government was willing to relook at the cap in years to come if such stagnation wasreported from the IITs.

Source : The Telegraph.

IIT Vs HRD : War continues, Sibal for autonomy but with a rider

Disapproving HRD Minister Kapil Sibal's statement that its stir was aimed at higher salary, the IIT faculty today said the agitation over pay structure issue was intended to secure greater autonomy for the elite institutes.

The teachers of all IITs observed fast on Thursday in support of their demand for withdrawal of 40 per cent cap on promotion of professors to senior grade and abolition of contractual appointment at entry stage.

The IIT faculty has been saying that such restrictions would curtail the autonomy given by an Act of Parliament to the elite institutes.

Sibal had yesterday said the agitation was not for autonomy, but for money.

Alleging that the university education system is crumbling under government control, the faculty of the premier technology institutes said the Centre is considering another regulator for the university system.

Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal yesterday said he was flexible to the idea of giving more autonomy to elite institutes provided they chalk out a roadmap for generating funds from outside.

"They (premier institutions) have to give us a roadmap for generating wealth to create surplus income," Sibal said here after inaugurating an academic block at the Punjab University here.

Citing examples of Harvard, Princeton and Oxford Universities, he said, "these institutions don't rely on the government. Education is a serious issue. We want to initiate dialogue between academia and the government for which we will have to do some ground work first".

Expressing concern over the Gross Enrolment Ratio (number of students going to colleges from high schools), which stood at just 12.4 per 100 in India, Sibal said, "Education is not about autonomy alone, but taking the country forward.

Source : PTI

UGC scale for Karnataka teachers, retirement age raised to 62 years.

The pay revision along the lines of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations will benefit an estimated 18,630 university and college teachers. The beneficiaries of the retirement age enhancement will, however, be much less.

Announcing the Cabinet decisions, Home Minister V S Acharya said the revised pay scales for teachers would be implemented with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006.

The hike for teachers will range between Rs 10,000 and Rs 35,000 per month depending on the seniority and the positions they hold. The Cabinet also met the long-pending demands of junior doctors, who had threatened to go on indefinite strike.

Nearly 4,000 doctors are employed with the health department. The Cabinet approved allowances between Rs 4,000 and Rs 12,500 a month for the government doctors.

The hike for doctors (ranging between Rs 3,000 and Rs 8,000 per month) would be with immediate effect. The decision to hike the pay scale of university/college teachers is in line with the UGC-constituted Chaddha Committee recommendation.

The Chaddha committee had recommendations implementation of the revised UGC scales for college teachers. According to education department sources, a total of 18,630 lecturers, including 6,740 faculty members in government colleges, 9,650 in private aided colleges and 2,360 in university colleges, will benefit from the decision.

The teachers’ wage bill for the government will shoot up from the present Rs 590 crore to Rs 815 crore per annum, sources added. The Centre will bear 80 per cent of the revised salary bill from January 1, 2006 to March 2010. Later on, the State Government will have to foot the entire bill.

Acharya said the arrears of Rs 954 crore would have to be paid as the difference for a period of 51 months from January 1, 2006, to March 31, 2010. The Union Government will bear 80 per cent (Rs 763 crore) of the salary bill, and the remaining 20 per cent (Rs 191 crore) will be borne by the State Government from January 1,
2006, to March 2010. The date of release of the first instalment of arrears as well as the revised salary will be announced later.

Source : Deccan Herald.

Sibal rules out "world Class' pay for IITs. **** IIT directors pitch in to solve pay structure issue

About 1,500 faculty members from the Indian Institutes of Technology participated in a protest fast on Thursday to express dissatisfaction over the government’s refusal to consider their demands on pay and autonomy. However, classes were not affected. Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said he was open to having any kind of dialogue with the protesting faculty members to discuss their demands, but ruled out world-class salaries due to lack of resources.“India has to work under some constraints and it cannot afford the same kind of freedom or salaries which other developed countries like the US can,” he said. “If the IITs can financially become more independent, they can be given freedom to decide their salaries and other matters,” he said.“I am ready to give them any autonomy they want,” Sibal said. However, he made it clear that he was upset by the October 1 ultimatum set by the faculty to address their grievances.Criticising the agitation, Sibal said it was only about pay structure. In a statement, the faculty said, “This protest of ours is not merely about salary hike of IIT teachers but also about upholding their dignity and morale.”The IIT teachers are demanding withdrawal of 40 per cent cap for the promotion of professors and abolition of contractual postings at entry stage. Justifying the cap, Sibal said it was an incentive and would not remain so if the benefits were extended to all.“Our fast was very successful. We are yet to get any response from the HRD ministry to our demand for a joint meeting with the representatives of the ministry and IIT directors. We hope the ministry will get back to us,” All-India IIT Faculty Federation president Prof M Thenmozi said. Directors of most of the IITs stayed away from the protest. Prof Thenmozhi said, “Directors in places like Delhi and Roorkee did come for the fast for sometime.”

Source : Express Buzz

IIT directors pitch in to solve pay structure issue

IIT directors today pitched in to resolve the stand-off between teachers and the government over pay issue by holding consultations with the faculty members in an effort to come up with a solution by October 15.

The directors of the IITs met here to discuss a way out of the impasse which prompted 1500 professors to resort to the unprecedented step of hunger strike yesterday.

A decision was reached that each director will talk to the faculty member individually to discuss their grievances and find a solution to it, an IIT director said.

The directors will also speak to the board of governors of each IIT as part of efforts to evolve a solution before October 15.

Source : PTI

(Due to some technical reason, this post had to be rewritten. As a result a comment of Mr Prem had to be deleted. We apologize the inconvenience.)

Rajasthan govt announces employees' bonus for 2008-09

The Rajasthan government today announced annual bonus for its employees for fiscal year 2008-09, an official spokesman said here.

Non-gazetted employees in the grade of Rs 8000-13,500 and Grade pay of Rs 5400 would be eligible for the bonus, the spokesman said quoting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's order.

The beneficiaries would get bonus around Diwali, which will be equivalent to their basic pay of one month, he said.

Bonus will also be paid to employees working with Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti.

Source : PTI

Talks with IBA on 24-09-09 : Not conclusive, Next round of talk awaited.

Talks with IBA on 24th Sep did not come to any conclusion.Bipartite talks were held today with the IBA in Mumbai. IBA was represented by Mr. M. V. Nair, Chairman and other members of the Negotiating Committee. From staff side representatives of all unions participated in the talks.

All issues like quantum of wage increase, option to join pension scheme by employees in PF, extending the option to retirees, Compassionate Appointment / Financial Compensation Scheme, etc were discussed in the meeting. IBA took up their issues like outsourcing, streamlining the special pay posts, etc. Issues like accounting the cost of pension, introducing new pension scheme etc was also taken up by them. Discussions were held to take the issues forward with amicable solutions. While some progress has been made to sort out the various issues during today’s talks, there are also some hurdles and difficulties which are needed to be overcome.

It was decided to discuss these issues further in next round of meeting and endeavor to resolve the issues at the earliest to reach broad understanding on the issues and to expedite the final settlement.

The date of next meeting with IBA is not yet fixed.

Update as on 07.10.09 {information received later}

Still no date has been declared for the next round of negotiations. However, some further details about the negotiations held on 24/09/2009 have come to our notice, which we would like to share with our readers:-

(a) IBA is not agreeable for further improvement over the offer of 17.5%. Rather IBA wanted to make a provision for performance related incentive (within the overall limit of 17.5%. It has come to notice that IBA was insisting that 1.75% of the load should be earmarked for introduction of variable pay concept in Banks. However, UFBU appears to have rejected the same.

(b) IBA confirmed that as regards pension option they are willing to go by the understanding reached on 9th June, but wanted introduction of the new pension scheme for the new recruits in the industry, including SBI. IBA informed that NPS date will be 1.4.2010 and is firm on this. Unions wanted change in IBA’s stand to make the date open for future discussion.

(c) On outsourcing IBA expected unrestricted power to outsource non core function by Banks. Unions refused to accept this in the format proposed by IBA, but agreed that they are open for discussion on the issue.

(d) In respect of compassionate appointment / ex-gratia payment, IBA said that they are awaiting clearance form the government. However, UFBU wanted immediate implementation of the scheme already agreed upon

(e) Allowance Carrying Posts: IBA proposed some changes looking to the present day needs of the industry. UFBU expressed openness to sort out the issue.

However, the talks remained inconclusive

Madhya Pradesh University staff to get 6th pay scale

State government has issued due orders to grant benefit of sixth pay commission to officers and employees of all the seven Universities on Wednesday. Government has authorised university administration to give the benefit of pay scale to the employees. Due to this there will be no additional financial burden on the Government.
According to the orders issued by Higher Education Department conditions have been fixed to grant pay scale to professors in the university. Department has clarified that the University will bear the additional burden of finances though its sources. Barring grant State government will not give any other financial help. Higher Education Department has made it clear that University will be able to give benefit of new pay scale to its employees after making estimate of its financial resources by consent of competent officer.
It is worth mentioning here that in all the seven universities of State officers and employees were agitating for sixth pay scale. Due to this work of universities was stalled.
After continuous strike of 10 days government has accepted the demand of university staff. Although the government had decided earlier about giving the pay scale and throughout the day on Tuesday concerted efforts were made in Mantralaya regarding this. Finance Department had given its formal approval on Tuesday only. On Wednesday after the approval of Higher Education Minister orders were issued.

Source : Central Chronicle.

IIT faculty on their first-ever hunger strike tomorrow

With the HRD Ministry and IIT faculty refusing to budge from their respective stand, the teachers of prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology will stage a hunger strike tomorrow for the first time on the issue of pay structure.

The IIT faculty has submitted a memorandum on its charter of demands, including withdrawal of 40 per cent cap on promotion of professors to senior grade. However, the HRD Ministry has not responded to the faculty's demands.

"We had asked for a meeting with the HRD Ministry representatives on the issue. But there is no response. Hence, will go on fast tomorrow," Prof M Thenmozi told PTI.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, however, said the government wants to give more freedom to the elite institutes provided they come up with futuristic vision to achieve excellence.

"IITs are brand institutes. We respect them. We want to give them more freedom to achieve excellence.

Source : PTI

IIT Faculty rebuts Sibal's views

New Delhi, Sep 23 On the eve of their hunger strike tomorrow, IIT faculty tonight issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the views by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on the issue of their protest against "anonalies" in the pay structure.

The All India IIT Faculty Federation, which has given the call for the hunger strike, said it was open to talks with the Ministry on the issue.

"It would have been preferable had the Minister agreed to a direct discussion. But since his response has been made through the press, we are also responding through the press and also to the Honorable Minister directly," a statement issued by Federation President Prof M Thenmozi said.

On Sibal's argument on contractual position at entry level, the Federation said all faculty members spend one year on probation at every level of faculty.

Source : PTI

Why protest like unionists, Sibal asks IIT faculty

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday questioned the rationale of IIT faculty protesting like “trade unionists” against their revised pay scales.

“Pained” at their decision to observe a token fast on Thursday, he said the Ministry was in no way trying to interfere with the autonomy of the Indian Institutes of Technology as was made out by the faculty.

In a point-to-point rebuttal of the issues they raised, Mr. Sibal wanted to know how the provision for a Ph.D with first class at the preceding degree for the posts of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor could be seen as an attempt to dilute merit or autonomy. Further, this was a recommendation made by the Fifth Central Pay Commission.

As for the decision to set aside 10 per cent recruitments in a year at the Assistant Professor level on contract for Ph.Ds from the IITs, Mr. Sibal said this was part of the government’s effort to retain some of the IIT products within the system.

Given the opposition to the move, he pointed out that individual IITs were free to write to their boards for relaxation of this provision if they could not meet the 10 per cent requirement.

Referring to the IIT faculty comparing their pay scales with that of university and college teachers and those in certain government departments such as Atomic Energy, the Ministry’s contention is that they were picking and choosing only aspects that suited their argument.

“The fact is that an IIT faculty member can become an Associate Professor within six years, while under the University Grants Commission scales, this transition takes double the time,” Mr. Sibal said.

Defending the 40 per cent cap on the post of Professors at the grade of Rs.12,000 per month, he said a new pay band had been created for senior professors. The cap was much higher for the IITs than UGC institutions, where 10 per cent of the sanctioned posts of professor were placed in the senior grade. At the National Institutes of Technology, the cap was at 20 per cent, and the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences had a 25 per cent cap on the senior professor grade.

Borrowing a line from the All-India IIT Faculty Federation that the “issue is not just about a higher pay scale,” Mr. Sibal said: “I am happy that for them, salary is not the issue.” Drawing attention to their earnings from consultancies, he described their salary as the “icing on the cake,” adding the actual teaching time was kept very low in the IITs to facilitate research and consultancy work.

Source : The Hindu.

IIT teachers call for a 45% hike in starting salary, IIT Bomaby joins the nationwide faculty fast on Sep 24

Faculty members of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on Monday demanded that their pay be linked to performance and entry level salary raised by at least 45%.

“At a time when private engineering colleges are offering much higher salaries, it would be very difficult to attract young talent unless salaries are raised,” said M. Thenmozhi, a professor of management studies at IIT Madras and president of the All India IIT Faculty Federation.

The federation has been protesting a new pay structure for Centrally funded technical institutes—which includes the IITs and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)—that has been notified by the human resource development (HRD) ministry, which oversees these premier institutions.

Representatives of the grouping, who met in Kolkata and prepared a charter of demands related to pay, said that some 3,000 teachers in IITs across the country would observe a hunger strike on 24 September, which they clarified will not disturb the holding of regular classes.

The federation has demanded that entry level salary be raised to Rs38,000 a month from Rs26,000. It has also said that pay of faculty should be linked to performance to the extent of 20-40% of basic salary.

In a related development, Press Trust of India reported that IIM Ahmedabad’s board of directors will meet on 25 September to discuss the implementation of the new pay structure along the lines of the Sixth Pay Commission, which has been opposed by faculty members. A spokeswoman for the institute declined to confirm the agenda of the board meeting.

The IIT teachers’ federation said in Kolkata that it would place their demands with the HRD ministry on Tuesday and expects a settlement on pay revision by the end of this month, failing which it would intensify its protests.

The teachers are also opposing a rule that stipulates only 10% of the faculty of an IIT could be hired as assistant professors. Under the current norms, assistant professors are hired on contract and offered permanent jobs only on completion of three years of service. Teachers say they should be offered permanent jobs from the beginning.

They are also opposed to the government’s stipulation that an IIT could only hire people as professors if they have taught at an IIT, IIM or Indian Institute of Science for at least four years.

“We do not accept the ministry’s interference in selection policies,” the All India IIT Faculty Federation said in a statement. “Specifying things such as one should be an assistant professor for at least four years… to be considered for the post of a professor is absolutely unacceptable.”

The teachers are also opposing a 40% cap on professors drawing the highest academic grade pay (AGP) of Rs12,000 a month. Only professors with six years of experience are entitled to AGP of Rs12,000 a month. Currently, AGP for associate professors and professors with less than six years of experience is Rs9,500 and Rs10,500, respectively.

The faculty wants the cap removed and say the entitlement to monthly AGP of Rs12,000 should be decided only on merit. Those who meet stringent criteria for advancing to higher AGP should be given higher pay. There shouldn’t be any cap on such promotion, the federation said.

Even students, some teachers claimed, were supporting their demands. “Many students have been voicing their concerns through blogs,” said Sanjoy Ghosh, a professor of biotechnology at IIT Roorkee.

Fearing a move by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to push IITs to the University Grants Commission (UGC) category, IIT Mumbai will join other faculty members across the country for a day-long fast.

The strike is to protest against the recent notifications of the Ministry, especially on the 40 per cent cap on the promotion of professors among other discrepancies.

Source : Live Mint and Hindushtan Times.

IIT faculty to go on hunger strike on Sep 24, IIM-A board to decide on govt's pay structure on 25th Sep.

Around 1,500 teachers of 13 IITs today decided to go on a hunger strike on Thursday to protest the anomalies in the recently announced pay structure.The Faculty Federation, which met at IIT Kharagpur, decided to take the action against the pay structure that puts restriction on promotions and lacks performance-based incentives for them.Classes at the premier institutes will, however, not be affected during the strike."We will observe strike on September 24. But we will not boycott work. The classes will go on. We will protest the pay structure that puts a number of curbs on the IIT's system," Prof M Thenmozhi, president of the federation, told PTI after the meeting.

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) board will meet on September 25 to take a decision on the implementation of a new government order on pay structure that has been opposed by the faculty members, sources said.The IIM-A faculty council during its meeting held on Saturday last had opposed the new government order on pay revision and asked IIM-A director Samir Barua to delay its implementation by a month."IIM-A board meeting has been convened on September 25, and the issue of implementing the new government order on pay revision shall be taken up for discussion then," a top official at IIM-A told.

Source : PTI

Earlier News : IIT, IIM joins hand in pay issue, demand autonomy

The faculties of IITs and IIMs are working on a joint charter of demands to be handed to Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal that includes better hikes and more autonomy. "It is for the first time that IIT professors and IIM professors are sitting down together to discuss what is there in the Sixth Pay Commission and how it is affecting us," according to Dr Bharat Sheth, a professor at IIT Mumbai. The IIM-A faculty council has already met in Ahmedabad on Saturday and opposed the HRD ministry's order on pay structure and asked the institute director to delay its implementation by a month, before future course of action is decided by them. "Faculty council has termed the recent Union HRD ministry orders on pay structure as infringement on academic freedom, and has asked the institute director to postpone its implementation by a month," a senior faculty council member and IIM-A professor said after the council's meeting voicing disappointment. The Council voiced its disappointed at the response of the HRD ministry to the memorandum seeking a pay hike that IIM and IIT professors had earlier submitted to the ministry. IIM (A) also decided to take up the issue with other IIMs and IITs and premier institutions like the IISc Bangalore.

Source : The Times of India.

Clarification on grade pay of Rs.5400 to Group B Officers in CBEC

In line with the clarification issued by CBDT, Central Board of Excise and Customs has now issued clarification on grant of grade pay of Rs.5400 to Group B Officers in Central Excise and Customs

As per this clarification Group B Officers of CBEC, who have completed 4 years of service as on 1.1.2006 are entitled for grade pay of Rs.5400/- in PB-2 with effect from 01.01.2006. Earlier, these officers were given this non-functional upgradation only from the year 2008 on the notion that the pay scale of Rs.7500-250-12000 was attained by these Officers only during the year 2008

It was also clarified that the non functional grade pay of Rs.5400 in PB-2 will not be granted to Group Officers who have got the grade pay of Rs.4800 on upgradation under the ACP Scheme.

CBDT (Income Tax Department) had already issued clarification in similar lines which is applicable to the Group B Officers in CBDT.

View the CBEC Clarification.

View the CBDT Clarification. (Issued Earlier.)

In cost-cut times,bureaucrats hike their own pay !

In a season of austerity, some top bureaucrats have quietly yanked up their take-home pay.

Senior bureaucrats have given themselves a massive, second salary hike just a year after their pay was revised under the Sixth Pay Commission — at a time when the government is cutting costs, swearing by austerity.

Additional secretary-level officers, second in the nation’s babudom hierarchy, have been placed in a pay scale that starts over 80 per cent above the range in which they were placed under the pay commission.

The new pay range means the basic salaries of senior additional secretaries could be more than that of vice-chancellors of central universities or directors of the National Institutes of Technology (NITs).

The personnel ministry has amended the Indian Administrative Service (Pay) Rules to place additional secretaries at a pay scale starting at Rs 67,000 a month, up from a pay band starting at Rs 37,400 a month. The Telegraph has a copy of the amended rules.

Ironically, the amended rules were notified just five days before the government snipped proposed salaries for IIT and IIM faculty, citing a shortage in central funds to meet demands of the teachers.

The amendment also comes in the middle of a drought-like crisis that has prompted the Congress party-led UPA to launch an ostentatious austerity drive with ministers vying to publicise steps they are taking to cut costs.

Sonia Gandhi has taken economy class flights, Rahul Gandhi braved stone-pelting miscreants in travelling by a Shatabdi train, and junior foreign minister Shashi Tharoor has faced reprimand for allegedly ridiculing the austerity drive.

The human resource development ministry yesterday issued a notification to all IITs, IIMs, central universities and other bodies under its control to cut expenses, minimise travel, and reduce subsidies offered to students.

Additional secretaries were sanctioned salaries starting at Rs 37,400 a month with a one-time rank-based increment — called a grade pay — of Rs 12,000 a month under the Sixth Pay Commission.

But under the amended IAS (Pay) rules, bureaucrats of this rank have been pushed up to starting basic salaries of Rs 67,000 a month.

They are to receive annual increments at 3 per cent, and their basic salaries — at this rank — are bound by a ceiling of Rs 79,000.

The basic salary of a central university vice-chancellor or the director of an NIT is fixed at Rs 75,000 a month.

Source : The Telegraph.

IITs turn to 'Gandhigiri' to persuade government to increase pay

Instead of holding protests, taking casual leave or going on a strike again, the staff has decided to draw inspiration from the movie Munnabhai MBBS and send a mail to the HRD ministry every day, outlining the work it does, including research, teaching and industry work. Occasional videos will also be part of this exercise.

“We have decided not to accept the latest amendments. We are asking for small things which are minimum for an education institution. We will write again to the HRD ministy to reiterate our needs,” said M Thenmozhi, president, IIT-M Faculty Association. She added that once other institutes held their internal discussions, a joint meeting comprising IITs, IIMs and other institutes would be held over the next few days to decide the course of action.

“We have to establish the fact that the faculty has exemplary capabilities,” said B K Chakravarthy, professor at IIT-Bombay, adding that there is a communication gap between the institutes and the HRD ministry which needs to be bridged to reach a consensus. “We are, in all of our intellectual capabilities, ahead of most scientists in the country. And the HRD ministry does not realise that the faculty at these institututions does not just teach, but also does work on a variety of platforms, including research and other avenues,” said Chakravarthy.

Chakravarthy reiterates that the fight is not about money, but about losing integrity by being at par with the faculty of local universities under the University Grants Commission (UGC).

“It was a real shock to us when our salaries were expected to be as low as that of faculty from local colleges, when we are no less than any professor teaching in the universities of US. There are many like me who have left leading companies to work as a faculty at IIT because of the value attached to the institute,”he says.

Chakravarthy added that the IITs also do a lot of research work for the government without charging money. The demand is not money here, but prestige, which the hit rock bottom with the HRD’s directive.

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have expressed similar sentiments but are yet to decide on a course of action.

“The only issue that has been sorted has been of the assistant professors who will be allowed a pay increase after they complete three years of service. Other than that, the ministry has done nothing about the requirements raised by IIM-A, IIM-Calcutta and other IIMs. We are yet to take a view on what to do about it now,” said IIM Ahmedabad, Director Samir Barua.

Meanwhile, the HRD ministry has issued a directive asking all the IITs, central universities and IIMs to generate additional revenue by increasing fees. Central universities and institutes have been asked to revise the fee structure, reduce costs related to infrastructure, seminars, travel and even purchase of chemicals for labs and books for the library, advertising and publicity, to name a few.

The ministry’s directive also asks universities to make a 10 per cent cut in plan expenditure in current financial year. The remaining portion of non-plan expenditure excluding salary and pension will be subjected to a mandatory 5 per cent cut.

Source : Business Standard.

Ministry order kills pay rise hopes for IIT, IIM faculty

The Centre’s modified order dated September 16 has only allowed for a pay increase for assistant professors after they complete three years of service but has ignored most other demands.

For the last few years, the IIT faculty associations have been disgruntled about their pay structures being too inadequate to attract quality faculty and had held protests earlier this month demanding higher compensation. The IITs had hoped that the Goverdhan Committee report submitted this February — which recommended higher salaries for all technical education teachers — would help resolve the issue.

However the notified revised pay structure announced by HRD in early August was much lower than expectation. The remuneration for directors was fixed at Rs 80,000 for the IITs, IIMs, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISc) in Bangalore and the National Institute of Industrial Engineering, which did not go down well. For, unlike the IIM professors who earn through consulting assignments, salary is an IIT professor’s only income.

Faculty associations were also unhappy with an HRD clause that said there would be a 40 per cent cap on professors who are eligible to receive higher pay after six years in the post. Also, at assistant professor level, the ministry had notified qualifications of a minimum three years work experience and a PhD.

This meant that IITs were not be able to take fresh graduates or doctorates as permanent faculty members.

The IITs also found disparities in the pay structure between the University Grants Committee (UGC) system and the IITs. While a BTech-level assistant professor could start on Pay Band 3 in a university, at the IITs only PhDs joined this band on a contract basis and had to work for three years to become an associate professor.

The institutes also protested that the Central Pay Commission had given all employees of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), Defence Research and Development Organisation have been given special additional pay ranging from about Rs 2,000 per month to about 10 per cent of basic pay as a special grant for special achievements. Premier educational institutions, on the other hand, had not been granted any such special treatment for the highly-valued brands they have created, including mentoring new IITs.

Other demands included that the professional development allowance of Rs 300,000 (for international/national conferences, contingencies, membership fees) be increased to Rs 500,000 for a block of three years; that the ‘lecturer’ position be abolished and lecturers re-designated ‘assistant professors’ at an appropriate scale; and that the recruitment of faculty with PhD degrees with less than three years of experience start with a minimum pay of Rs 30,000 and academic grade pay of Rs 8,000.

The IITs had also demanded a scholastic pay of Rs 15,000 per month to attract fresh PhD scholars into the teaching profession. This special pay is expected to compensate the IIT faculty for the “notional” financial loss they incur compared to people of comparable qualifications in other sectors.

Discontent over pay packages have been building up for some weeks. In early September, faculty at some IITs staged protests — including going on mass casual leave — against the new pay regime passed by the Union Cabinet last month based on the recommendations of the Goverdhan Mehta Committee report which was submitted in February.

The All India IIT Faculty Federation (AIITFF) temporarily suspended its agitation on September 5 after a meeting with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal suggested that the issue would be resolved, though there were no assurances from ministry.

Faculty members of the institutions view the ministry’s failure to consider lifting the 40 per cent cap on tenured faculty members as a major lapse.

“There has been hardly any modification in the current notification as none of our major demands have been met. At least the ministry should not have overlooked the pay rise for senior faculty members as they will eventually be at par with the faculty of other universities which fall under UGC,” rued a senior faculty member at IIM-A, which had submitted a memorandum to the ministry earlier this month.

“We reiterate the fact that IIM and IIT professors spend more years working to get to these premier institutes and deserve a better pay based on their performance. This way, we will only lose better faculty to the industry,” he added.

Today, the faculty association at IIT Madras held a meeting with its members to decide the next course of action. “We were a little relieved that the demand for the pay of assistant professors has but many other factors were not considered. After discussing with our faculty members we will speak to other IITs and take the necessary steps,” said a faculty member at IIT Madras.

The IIMs, meanwhile, are yet to react, but the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore faculty association has decided to hold a meeting, probably on September 22, to discuss the issue. “We had submitted four or five major issues in our memorandum to the HRD ministry of which one has been tackled. We will take a decision on what to do next in consultation with our members,” said J Nagaraju, president of the IISc faculty association.

View the Govt. Order

Source : Business Standard

In a festive bonanza to more than 36,000 government employees of the state, Sikkim has approved the recommendations of the fourth pay commission from January 1, 2006, but the enhanced allowances will be applicable from April 1 this year.


Pawan Kumar Chamling-led government took the decision to implement the pay commission award at the state cabinet meeting held on Thursday evening at chief minister's official residence in Mintokgang, an official release said on Friday.

While the time frame for the payment of arrears to the employees was not immediately known, the government has decided to release an interim amount of Rs 25,000 to each employee ahead of Dusshera festival later this month, it said.

The release also did not specify the total financial burden on the state exchequer following the implementation of the report.

Sikkim had in its annual budget provisioned a sum of Rs 824 crore for payment of 40% arrears to the government employees.

ource : Times of India.

Govt raises pay for IIT faculty

The human resource development ministry has revised controversial pay scales for IIT and IIM teachers, increasing salaries for assistant professors but ignoring other key demands and bypassing the Union cabinet that approved the contentious regime.
The revised pay notification, issued by the ministry late today evening, allows assistant professors to leap into a higher pay range after three years, but is silent on other demands made by teachers.
Assistant professors were entitled to a starting salary of Rs 30,000 a month with a rank-based increment of Rs 8,000 a month, under the contentious notification issued on August 18.
Under the revised notification, assistant professors will jump to a starting salary of Rs 37,400 a month with a rank-based increment — called the academic grade pay — of Rs 9,000 a month three years from now.
The revised notification was issued without approaching the cabinet which had earlier approved the contentious pay regime that had triggered unprecedented protests on campuses across the IITs, top government sources told the The Telegraph.
The ministry, sources said, had initially planned to approach the cabinet with the proposed revisions to pay scales, but later concluded that it could make the amendments without approaching the Prime Minister’s council.
The revised notification will, however, increase government expenditure on salaries significantly.
“The revised notification fails to meet most of our demands. We are also surprised that the cabinet has been bypassed,” Dr M. Thenmozhi, IIT Madras management professor and president of the All India IIT Faculty Federation said.
Faculty at each of the IITs will independently hold general body meetings tomorrow to decide on how they will approach the revised notification, Thenmozhi said.
Teachers across the IITs, for the first time in the over 50-year history of these institutions, boycotted classes and held protest marches on their campuses against the contentious August 18 notification.
The IIMs have also joined the IITs in their protest, and submitted memoranda to the ministry.
The IIT and IIM faculty have argued that there is a mismatch between repeated government claims of concern over a crippling faculty shortage at these apex institutions, and the absence of attempts to address this concern.
The new pay regime this year comes 10 years after the salary scales were last revised for IIT and IIM faculty. These institutes have over the past decade lost hundreds of faculty to better paying jobs in industry, private engineering and management institutions and foreign universities.
Apart from a pay hike for assistant professors, the IITs and the IIMs are demanding better remuneration for fresh entrants into the teaching profession — to attract young PhD scholars.
They are also demanding that the ministry lift a cap it has placed on the percentage of professors eligible to a higher academic grade pay. The faculty are demanding a performance-related incentive scheme in recognition of their research work.

Source : The Telegraph

Bonanza for Bihar staff, pensioners

In a Puja-eve bonanza, Bihar government on Wednesday okayed the hike in pension to its retired employees, as recommended by the VIth Pay Commission, notionally from January 2006 and actually from April 2007. The dearness allowance of pensioners and employees is also up from 54% to 64% of the basic while the cap on gratuity is up from Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. The largess, which will benefit around 3.56 lakh pensioners, will lead to a recurrent additional annual expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore. The government will also pay Rs 1,700 crore as arrears to the pensioners in three instalments __ 15% in the current financial year, 40% in 2010-11 and 45% in 2011-12. The hiked pension is likely to be disbursed from the current month itself. Cabinet principal secretary Girish Shankar said for the employees who have retired before January 1, 2006, there will be a 40% addition to the existing pension apart from the dearness relief. The minimum family pension will now be Rs 3,500 per month. For those who retired after January 1, 2006, the pension amount will be 50% of the last emoluments or average of the last ten months’ salary, whichever is higher. The government has also decided to pay 20% more in addition to the revised pension for pensioners in the age group of 80-85 years. This `extra’ will be 30% for pensioners aged 85 to 90 years; 40% for those aged 90 to 95 years and 50% for the pensioners in the age group of 95-100 years. Pensioners aged 100 years or more will get 100% additional pension. The government has announced dearness relief at the rate of 2% from July 1, 2006; 6% from January 1, 2007, 9% from July 1, 2007, 12% from January 1, 2008, 16% from July 1, 2008 and at the rate of 22% from January 1, 2009. The government has also announced three additional increments for members of the state judicial service as recommended by the Shetty Judicial Pay Commission.

Source : The Times of India.

PSEB employees to get more

The Wage Formulation Committee (WFC) constituted by PSEB for revision of pay scales of its employees has submitted its recommendation to the board.

PSEB had constituted a 5-member WFC was headed by K D Chudhary Member distribution of the board. The other members of the committee were Secretary of board, Chief Engineer IR & W, Chief Account’s officer and Deputy Secretary Finance. The various associations of the board were also associated with the committee.
The necessity of committee arose because recommendation of 5th. Pay commission cannot be directly implemented as the pay scale in number of categories were on higher side as compared to similar categories in the state government.
According to sources the committee has recommended better pay scales for number of categories to maintain a differential that already existed in pay scales. Moreover PSEB scales have always been one of the best pay scales in the country. The full board meeting of PSEB will decide the fate of this report.
H S Bedi President of PSEB Engineers Association has warned PSEB management for dithering on implementation of PSEB revised pay scales recommended by Wage Formulation Committee. In case PSEB management tries to link PSEB pay scales with those of government engineers they will be forced to launch an agitation Bedi said.

Source : Punjabnewsline.com

Govt hikes dearness pay for staff, pensioners by 5%

Over eight million central government employees and pensioners will get an additional five per cent dearness allowance that will hit the exchequer by over Rs 2,900 crore this fiscal and Rs 4,355 crore in a full year.
The decision to hike the dearness allowance (DA) for the employees and dearness relief for pensioners just before the festive season, taken at the cabinet meeting on Thursday, will create additional demand and boost the economy which is being impacted by an erratic monsoon. The additonal DA, to be given with effect from July 1 this year, will help these employees and retired people weather the impact of rising prices. "The cabinet has decided to release an additional installment of DA to central government employees and DA to pensioners...representing an incerase of 5 per cent over the existing rate of 22 per cent of the basic pay, pension to compensate for price rise," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. Even as the wholesale price inflation remains in negative zone for over three months in a row largely because of high inflation in a year-ago period, the rate of price rise based on retail prices of items consumed by industrial workers has crossed double digits, according to latest figures.
This is the second bonanza announced for the central government employees and pensioners after the announcement the second and last tranche of arrears of the sixth pay commission recommendations. The payment of arrears will put an additional burden of over Rs 17,500 crore on the exchequer.

Source : Economic Times.

Bank Bipartite : IBA fixed date of meeting with UFBU on 24th.

Further to the UFBU meeting held on 7.9.2009 at Chennai, UFBU had taken up with IBA for fixing the date for the Bipartite Talks.It is informed by IBA that the Talks will be held at 11.00 a.m. on 24.9.2009 (Thursday) at IBA Office.

Previously it was fixed the date of 12th September, 2009 for the next round of Talks. However, since the date is not convenient for a few constituent unions, UFBU has asked for a revised date for the Talks within the next week or 10 days.

5% D.A. may be announced today, Pay hope for IIT and IIM

The human resource development ministry may lift a cap restricting the number of IIT and IIM professors eligible for a higher salary based on their experience — a key demand in an unprecedented pay protest by the faculty.

A 40 per cent cap on the number of IIT and IIM professors eligible for the experience-based salary raise is likely to be lifted in a revised pay notification, government officials confirmed.

IIT and IIM professors start with a salary of Rs 48,000 a month with a post-based increment — known as the academic grade pay (AGP) — of Rs 10,500 a month under the notified pay regime.

But the notified regime has a provision of a higher AGP, of Rs 12,000 a month, for professors who have held the post for over six years.

The notified pay structure, however, clarifies that only 40 per cent of professors at an institute can receive the higher AGP at any point in time.

The cap, IIT and IIM faculty have argued, may stall the growth of relatively younger professors, as seniors in the faculty would fill the higher salary posts till they retire.

The 40-per cent limit could also lead to nepotism and politics involving institute administrators in picking beneficiaries of the higher salary, the faculty have argued.

But Sibal’s consent to lifting the cap at the IITs and the IIMs could fuel similar demands from central universities and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs).

Central universities have a 10 per cent cap on professors eligible for a higher AGP while the NITs have a 20 per cent restriction. “The arguments that the IIT faculty have used are equally valid for universities and NITs too,” an HRD ministry official said.

Representatives of the Professors Forum of India — the country’s largest apolitical block of central university teachers — today met Sibal demanding that the 10 per cent cap be lifted.

The ministry has already agreed to the single biggest demand of the IIT and IIM faculty. The pay regime at the centre of the controversy places assistant professors in a salary range known as “pay band three”, with a starting salary of Rs 30,000 a month and a post-based increment of Rs 8,000 a month.

Unlike pay scales for central universities, however, there is no provision in this regime for upgrading assistant professors to a higher pay range starting at Rs 37,400 a month after three years of teaching.

IIT and IIM faculty have argued that their job requirements mandate that only those with three years’ teaching experience can apply for the post of assistant professor — and demanded higher starting salaries. The demand has been accepted.

5% DA for Central Govt Staff

The cabinet is most likely to announce 5% DA for Central staff w.e.f. 01.07.2009. It may be recalled that this was informed in this blog on 1st July itself.

Source : The Telegraph and our own source.

Sibal assures IIT delegation for revised pay notification soon

Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal told representatives of the All-India IIT Faculty Federation (AIIITFF) that the ministry had looked into the issues raised by them on the 6th Pay Commission and a revised notification will be issued soon.

A five-member AIIITFF delegation met Sibal in New Delhi on Tuesday. "He assured us that the issues which we had raised had been considered. He said the government had done whatever it could and some issues had been addressed. But he wasn't specific on what those issues were. He said a new notification will be issued shortly," said IIT Bombay Faculty Forum secretary Soumyo Mukherji.

The federation, which was disappointed with the ministry's response to the demands raised by faculty from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on new pay scales and perks as per the 6th Pay Commission, had met on September 6 to take stock of the situation. A rejoinder to the ministry's response, which had been prepared by AIIITFF, was also submitted to the minister on Tuesday.

The federation will now wait for the notification before deciding on the next course of action. "We'll see whether the revised notification meets our expectations. We hope it will address our concerns. Thereafter, we'll decide on the future course of action," said Mukherji.

Source : DNA ; "Read The World".

UFBU meeting on 7th Sep : Some Details. Meeting with IBA may be deferred.

"A meeting of the UFBU was held today in Chennai. Leaders of all the 9 constituent unions were present. The meeting was presided over by Com. K.S. Shetty (President, AIBOC).

The meeting congratulated the bank employees and officers for their magnificent unity and amazing militancy and thus making the 2 days’ strike on 6th & 7th August, 2009 a resounding success.

The meeting noted that the unity of the rank and file under the banner of UFBU has ensured the thwarting of all attempts on the part of IBA and Government to retract from offers made. The meeting took for consideration the proposals of the IBA and decided to pursue the same with IBA in the next round of Bipartite Talks before taking a final decision.

Talks with IBA:

The IBA had fixed 12th September, 2009 for the next round of Talks. However, since the date is not convenient for a few constituent unions, we have asked for a revised date for the Talks within the next week or 10 days. As soon as the meeting is fixed and held, we shall inform you of further developments."

Source : As stated in AIBEA Website.

FM restricts Air Travel, Foreign Tours, asks to cut expenses.

Finance ministry asked all ministries to cut non plan expenditure by 10 percent. After discussing with the PM, the FM asked to cut expenditure in these segments.
A. Expenditure on tour in India and abroad.
B. Publication.
C. Professional service.
D. Advertisement and publicity.
E. Office expenses.
F. Other expenses other than security.
G. Other administrative expenses.

No seminar, exhibitions can be arranged abroad except in the need of earning income. There should not be any meeting in 5 star hotel. All Govt. officers, irrespective of there status will have to fly in the economy class. Air travel should be minimum. No new vehicle to be purchased except those required in security organizations. Expenses to be cut in telephone and IT usage also. According to experts, Govt had fewer alternatives but to be strict in this regard due to recession and drought like situation in the country.

Ms Susma Nath, Secy, Expenditure issued this notification and it is assumed that strict implementation may save upto Rs 4000 crores. All ministries will have to submit compliance report in this regard quarterly.

After relay hunger strike today, IITs faculty threatens indefinite strike for pay hike

As the nation celebrates Teacher's Day today as a mark of respect and gratitude to them, nearly 4,000 faculty members of the prestigious IITs have threatened to go on an indefinite strike for improved pay structure.

Members of the IIT Faculty Federation will meet in Delhi tomorrow to take a final call on the issue, Devang Khakhar, Director, IIT-Bombay, told PTI.

Around 450 faculty members of IIT-B joined the nationwide relay fast this morning demanding better salaries and allowances as part of the nationwide stir by the faculty members of the renowned institutes.

Ten days ago, the faculty of the elite technology institutes had taken a mass casual leave.

Faculty members attended classes wearing black badges in protest, seeking prompt consideration of their demand by the Union HRD Minister.

Source : PTI

UP govt to implement 6th Pay Commission report for state-owned enterprises and corporations.

Uttar Pradesh government today decided to revise the pay scale of staff of all state-owned enterprises and corporations and to provide other benfits as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission with effect from January 1, 2006.

The decision will benefit about 98,000 employees and officers of public sector enterprises and corporations except energy sector undertakings, a government spokesman said here.

It will entail an additional burden of Rs 305 crore annually which will be borne by the enterprises and corporations.

However, the benefits of revised pay scale and other benefits will be subject to the economic capability of corporations and certain conditions, he said.

"No government assistance will be provided," the spokesman said.

The government also decided to relax rules regarding payment of dearness allowance to the staff of enterprises and corporations and merge 50 per cent of the DA with the salary.

Source : PTI

IIT professors to go on fast today.

Faculty members across all Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) plan to go on hunger strike on saturday to protest the HRD ministry's failure to reexamine the salaries recommended by the pay commission.

"We are extremely disappointed and hurt by the recently announced pay scales. IITs have long been regarded as pillars of excellence in higher education. Instead of giving recognition to this fact, the government has offered a pay package that is not helpful in filling the shortfall of faculty in IITs,'' said Kishore Chatterjee, joint secretary, IIT-Bombay faculty forum.

"Contrary to newspaper reports of September 3, there has been no satisfactory resolution to problems highlighted in our memorandum,'' added a statement by the faculty forum.

Faculty members fear that "unattractive'' scales may push out even existing staff "resulting in a dilution of the high standard that the IITs are maintaining today''. IIT teachers from across the country had submitted a memorandum regarding their minimum expectation to the ministry on August 23. "We had also mentioned that if the government did not come up with a new notification addressing concerns of IIT faculty by September 4, we would hold a daylong fast at the premise of IIT Bombay on the Teachers' Day, September 5.

Similarly, other IITs will also see their faculty members observe a hunger strike.

Source : Times of India.