Govt nurses to go on mass casual leave on Feb 26

Govt nurses to go on mass casual leave on Feb 26

New Delhi: Members of All India Government Nurses Federation will go on mass casual leave on February 26 as part of their ongoing agitation for a hike in their salaries and other allowances.

The Federation has warned the government that work would be halted at every public hospital from March 15 onwards if their demands are not met.

AIIMS nurses’ union has also extended support to the strike and 50 nurses from the institute participated in the protest held at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.

“We have extended support to the strike called by All India Government Nurses Federation and on February 26, all of us will be on mass casual leave,” Biju Kesri, President of AIIMS nurses’ Union, said.

Federation members said they wanted to discuss the issue with the government but were not being given an appointment.

“We have been trying to get appointment with the Health Minister but are not being given time. Also, they themselves have never tried to contact us over the issue,” Federation’s Secretary General G K Khurana said.

“We are protesting against the retrograde recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. We are demanding that the entry pay grade for staff nurses should be enhanced to Rs 5,400 from the existing Rs 4,600. Also the nursing allowance should be enhanced by Rs 7,800. Risk allowance and night duty allowances should be given to all nurses as it is given to all other government employees.

“We deal with the deadly infections daily but we are not provided enough risk allowance. If the demands are not met, we will go on an indefinite strike from March 15,” Khurana said.

Nurses across the country are already on a relay hunger strike since 12 till February 27 over the issue.

Read more at: zeenews.india.com

EPFO offers 8.8% interest for 2015-16

EPFO offers 8.8% interest for 2015-16, unions protest

The financial, investment and audit committee of the EPFO board had proposed 8.95 per cent rate of return as “feasible” in its meeting held in January 2016.

The central board of trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Tuesday recommended 8.80 per cent rate of return on retirement savings under its watch for 2015-16.

Although this is a notch higher than the 8.75 per cent offered by the EPFO to its subscribers at present, the announcement has left the trade unions disappointed as they complain that the financial and investment panel of the EPFO board had earlier recommended interest rate of 8.95 per cent.

“We have strongly protested the move to declare rate of interest at 8.80 per cent in the CBT meeting today. At 8.95 per cent, the rate declared by the financial and investment panel of the EPFO, it is left with a surplus of 91 crore. We have not agreed to it,” said Prabhakar Banasure, a member of financial, investment and audit committee of the EPFO who was present in the meeting held in Chennai.

Mr. Banasure said Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who chaired the Central Borad of Trustees meeting, said 8.80 per cent is an “interim” interest rate. “We demanded the Minister to wait for the audit of the 2015-16 balance sheet before declaring the interest rates. However, he didn’t agree,” he added.

The FIAC of the EPFO board had proposed 8.95 per cent rate of return as “feasible” in its meeting held last month.

The EPFO has estimated Rs. 34,844 crore as its income meant for distribution of interest to its 8.7 crore subscribers for 2015-16. This includes a surplus of Rs. 1,604 crore which accrued in 2015 to the EPFO’s income beyond the fund’s original estimates.

The FIAC had discussed that with increase in the interest rate to 8.95 per cent, the surplus available with the retirement body would come out to be Rs. 91.40 crore. At 8.80 per cent and 8.85 per cent, the surplus would be Rs. 673.85 crore and Rs. 479.70 crore, respectively, the FIAC had said.

Earlier, the labour ministry had proposed 8.90 per cent as rate of interest to the union labour ministry for taking in-principle approval of the finance ministry. However, sources said the finance ministry, which is looking to moderate the returns on small savings instruments, wanted the EPFO’s returns to fall in line.

- See more at: www.cgepn.in