LiC employees to cheer, 25% wage hike and 5 days' week

 The government has finalised a hike of more than 25 percent and a five-day week policy for the 1.14 lakh LIC employees, a top union leader told news agency IANS on Friday.

"The employees are happy with the wage revision that has come at a difficult situation. The pay hike for the employees is expected to be over 25 percent a month," Shreekant Mishra, General Secretary, All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA) told IANS.

This will mark an overall increase of Rs 2,700 crore in LIC's total wage bill, said the report.

The hike includes a loading of 15 percent given after 100 percent neutralisation of dearness allowance (DA) at 6,352 points of the consumer price index (CPI).

Along with this, the government has introduced an additional Special Allowance ranging between Rs 1,500 to Rs 13,500 per month for all cadres. This shall be computed for the calculation of DA only, not for any other purpose like house rent allowance, city compensatory allowance, privilege leave encashment, gratuity, or other benefits, said Mishra.

The wage revision will be effective from August 1, 2017.

According to Mishra, officials arrived at this hike after several rounds of negotiations. While the AIIEA had demanded a 40 percent wage hike, after negotiations, it came down to over 25 percent.

The Union will now focus on concluding the wage revision rounds for employees in the general insurance sector. The management of the four government-owned general insurance companies are yet to invite a meeting with the Union on the subject, Mishra told IANS.

Central employees to get three installments of D.A. from July 2021

 Good times likely to come for central Govt. employees and pensioners. As per sources, Govt. is going to release D.A./D.R for employees and pensioners from July 2021 onwards.

Earlier in early 2020, Govt. freezed D.A. and installment payable on January 2020, July 2021 and January 2021 kept on hold. But it promised to pay the installments once the ban is lifted and there will be no arrears.

January 2020 installment was 4%, announced earlier but the other two installments were non announced. The other two installments are calculated based on labour bureau data are 4% each (as calculated by our team).

So the govt employees are likely to get a hike of 12% in total from July 2021, if sources are to beleive.

Let us keep finger crossed for official announcement.

West Bengal to provide 3% Dearness Allowance from January 2021

 Announcing a three per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) from next month for government staff, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the states coffers would never run dry for its employees, although it was yet to receive dues of Rs 85,000 crore from the Centre.

Banerjee, during her address to members of TMC- affiliated government employees' association at the state secretariat, said dues payable by the Centre to Bengal had been mounting over a period of time under several heads -- UGC grant, GST and funds for COVID-19 battle among others.

"We had not been receiving our financial dues. At least  Rs 8,000 crore is due under GST. Despite financial constraints, we had met the recommendations of all previous pay commissions (Sixth Pay Commission). We will also provide three per cent hike in DA from January 2021," she said.

Banerjee said the exercise will incur an expense of Rs 2,200 crore on the state's exchequer.

"More than Rs 85,000 crore dues are yet to be cleared by the Centre but that will not prevent us from giving our people their dues," she said.

Date further extended for submission of Life Certificate for Central Pensioners

 The last date of submission of Life Certificate for Central Govt. Pensioners has been extended further ,upto 28th February 2021.

Central offices to run with bare minimum staff

 As a preventive measure to contain spread of Covid 19, Central offices to function with bare minimum staff upto 30th November or until further orders.

Officers at the level of Under Secretary and equivalent to attend office on every alternative day and and only skeletal staff below the above rank to be called to office.

The O.M.dated 11.11.2020 is reproduced below.