Consumer Price Index Numbers for Industrial Workers - CPI(IW) for October 2014

Consumer Price Index Number [CPI(IW)] for October 2014 remained unchanged at 253. 
Central D.A is likely to be 6% increased from Jan'15
To calculate the DA for Jan 2015 accurately, we need the AICPIN value for the next two months. However, we only have the AICPIN value for four months now. In the coming months, if the AICPIN value remains at 253 or 1 point increase based (254 ,255,) then D.A. is likely to be hiked @ 6% , totaling to  i.e. 113%.

Haryana retirement age issue in High Court

Retirement age: Punjab and Haryana HC issue notice to Haryana government

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Haryana government on a plea against the state's decision to lower the retirement age of employees to 58 years from 60.

Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa issued notice to the state government for December 8.The petition was filed by one Baljeet Kaur and others against the Manohar Lal Khattar government's recent decision to lower the retirement age from 60 to 58 years.

Air Travel to J&K on LTC : Private Airlines allowed

DOPT in it's recent O.M. clarified that travel in private airlines is allowed while travelling to Jammu and Kashmir on LTC.
Officers entitled to travel by air can travel to any place in J&K by private airlines from their headquarters.
Officers NOT entitled to travel by air can also fly to any place in J&K by private airlines from Delhi or Amritsar only.
Air travel by private airlines is to be performed in Economy Class only an at LTC-80 fare of Air India or less. 
Click Here for the O.M. dated 28.11.2014

Haryana reduces retirement age to 58, Central employees to follow ?

Reversing the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda government’s decision, the Haryana Cabinet today (25/11) reduced the retirement age of government employees from 60 to 58 years.
Speaking to mediapersons, Khattar said that the government had taken the decision to reverse the retirement age of government employees from 60 to 58 years in an attempt to open job opportunities for the youth. The retirement age of Class IV, visually impaired and handicapped employees has been reversed from 62 to 60 years.

Employees who have completed 58 or 60 years in their respective categories and are still serving would retire on November 30, 2014. The upper age limit for fresh recruitment would remain 42 years.
Source : The Tribune
Centre to follow suit ?

Bio metric attendance for all central employees within 26th Jan 2015

Central Govt. employees need to be punctual in attendance. All central offices will be under Aadhar based bio-metric attendance system very soon. In case of offices situated in Delhi, this facility must be installed within this year end. For the rest of the country, the deadline is fixed as 26th January 2015. All ministries / departments must procure the system developed by Dept. of Electronics & Information Technology within this time frame.

Medical Allowance for Central pensioners increased

Central Govt. pensioners / family pensioners who do not avail CGHS facility, will get enhanced Fixed Medical Allowance @ 500/- per month. Earlier this amount was Rs 300 per month. DOPT issued O. M. dated 19.11.2014 in this regard and this order will take effect with that date.
Click here for the O.M.

No D.A. for West Bengal employees, FM asks centre to provide

State Finance Minister yesterday stated in assembly that though state employees and pensioners are lagging behind in terms of D.A. by 49% compared to central counterparts, the state is unable to provide it due to financial scarcity. He urged centre to provide this amount and decided to write a letter in this regard.
Incidentally, most of the state Govt.s are paying D.A.at par with Central Govt. out of their own resources without passing the buck to the centre.
Employees associations except those affiliated to the ruling party decided to stage agitation against this.
As per sources, central employees may get another installment of D.A. @6% with effect from 1st January 2015 and the gap may be wider.

CPI(M) backs bank staff plea for wage settlement

The Rajya Sabha MP and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has said that he will raise the issue of wage settlement of bank employees in the winter session of Parliament.

Inaugurating the fourth conference of the Karnataka chapter of Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) in Mangalore at the weekend, he said the issue of wage settlement has been dragging on for almost two years. (The last settlement between Indian Banks Association and bank unions expired in 2012)

CBEC promotes over 2100 excise, customs superintendents

Over 2,100 officers working as Superintendents in customs and central excise have been given ad-hoc promotion to the level of Assistant Commissioners in a major cadre restructuring at CBEC.
The large scale promotions at the Central Board of Excise and Customs, mandated to formulate policy concerning levy and collection of customs and central excise duties and service tax, were made effective from late last month.

A total of 2,162 officials — 1,863 from the grade of superintendents of central excise and 299 from the grade of superintendents of customs (preventive) — have been given these ad-hoc promotions on ‘in-situ basis’ to the post of Assistant Commissioners (ACs), CBEC officials said.It is for the first time that such a large number of superintendents have been promoted as ACs (Group A) at CBEC.

PM launches Jeevan Pramaan – Digital Life Certificate for Pensioners

Huge relief for senior citizens who have to produce Life Certificates each year to continue receiving pension

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today launched "Jeevan Pramaan" – an "Aadhar-based Digital Life Certificate" for pensioners, in a move that could eventually benefit over a crore pensioners. The Prime Minister said that after the push towards self-certification, this digital life certificate was another enabling mechanism which would benefit the common man. 

Meeting with IBA and Labour Commissioner fails, Bank Strike on 12th Nov stands

As informed earlier,Indian Banks Association(IBA) had called  bilateral meeting with Bank Unions (UFBU) today (10^th Nov’14) at  New Delhi, on 10th BPS wage revision ahead of conciliation meet called by Chief Labour Commissioner  (Central) so as  to avert bank strike called for 12^th Nov’14.

      In the negotiations held today(10th Nov'14) between I.B.A. and U.F.B.U. ,I.B.A. stuck to their earlier stand of 11%, despite the flexibility of U.F.B.U. in scaling down the demand to 23%.
                         Consequently, the conciliation also ended in stalemate.Hence, STRIKE on12th November and relay strikes in December stands.

News Courtesy Mr Mohan P. 

IBA called UFBU for meeting on 10th November ahead of meeting with labour commissioner

Bank unions (UFBU) has given a call for All India Bank Strike on 12th Nov'14 for early wage revision under ongoing 10 th Bi partite talks and against the IBAs attitude in delaying the process.

                Meanwhile,Chief Labour Commissioner had a conciliation meeting the Unions and Officials of IBA on 5th Nov which was inconclusive on adamant stand of IBA and further meeting was called  on10th Nov at New Delhi.

                Now Indian Banks Association ( I.B.A. ) called bilateral meeting with Bank Unions (U.F.B.U.)on 10th Nov. at 12.00 noon at New Delhi prior to reconciliation meeting on same date before Chief Labour Commissioner (Central).

Information provided by Mr Mohan P.

Bank Strike on 12th Nov : Conciliation meeting to avert bank strike remains inconclusive, next meeting on 10th Nov.

Conciliation meeting held by CLC on 5th Nov – No improvement in IBA’s offer –

CLC calls for further meeting on 10^th instant – UFBU decides to go ahead with the strike

Following is the circular issued on behalf of UFBU on 5th Nov.

Aadhaar Number to be recorded in Service Book

Click here to know your Aadhaar No.

 It has been decided to include the Aadhaar Number of the Govt. employee in his / her Service Books. An office memorandum in this regard has been issued to all ministries / departments of Central Govt. by DOPT. It may be anticipated as a preparatory step to introduce bio metric attendance as the system is based on Aadhar Number which is a unique number for every employee.

Click here to view the O.M. 

IBA issued D.A. circular for Nov,Dec and Jan'15

As calculated earlier in this blog, IBA issued D.A. circular on 1st November 2014. For the next three months, i.e., Nov'14 to Jan'15, Bank employees will get enhanced D.A @732 slabs, enhanced by 49 slabs. In percentage terms, revised D.A. will be 109.80%.
Click here for IBA circular.

Likely Central D.A. from 1.1.2015

Click here for the recent update (30.01.2015)
Of course, it may sound too early but Central employees are already discussing the topic within themselves ! We have only three months AICPIN data with you and three more months' data is yet to be published. Based in the last three months figure, the next D.A. can be calculated @ 6% from 01.01.2015 if only there is no major change in the next three months inflation.
It can be 5% or 7% only if there is major ups and downs in the next three month. So, we predict the hike in Dearness Allowance for Central staff and pensioners @ 6% from 1st January 2015.