Port Blair, Feb. 12: The Delegate Session of the Annual Conference of the Non-Gazetted Government Officers’ Association was held on 10th Feb. 2013 at Kerala Samajam Hall, Port Blair. In his presidential address, Shri SC Biswas, President of the Association recalled the glorious history of the government employees’ movement in these islands under the leadership of late Com. PKS Prasad.
The Delegate Session, at the outset, paid homage to the memory of prominent trade union leaders in the country and former leaders of the Association and other government employees, who passed away during the period since last Conference in February, 2012. Thereafter, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary presented the working report of the Association for the last one year while Shri DS Clement Stephen, Finance Secretary of the Association presented the Audited Accounts. Delegates actively participated in the discussion on the General Secretary’s Report and Audited Accounts which were later on adopted unanimously.
Addressing the Session, Shri M. Krishnan, Secretary General, National Federation of Postal Employees, New Delhi, called upon the government employees in the islands to rally behind the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association to conduct more struggles for achieving various demands of the employees in the island. He said that the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association is the most powerful weapon for fighting the demands of the employees and asked the employees to strengthen it. He said that forming category-wise Association will not serve any purpose because such organizations can take up only a few small demands. Such small Associations will prevent the employees from participating in the larger movements of the employees taking place in the country on common demands.
Since the Service Conditions, Pay structure, etc. of all the non-gazetted government employees irrespective of the category are same in these islands, a powerful organization like Non-Gazetted Government Officers’ Association should function among all categories of employees. The formations of such category-wise Associations are encouraged by the government in order to weaken the larger movements of the employees. He said that it was only due to the relentless struggle by the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers, New Delhi that the employees are today enjoying various benefits including the Bonus.
Krishnan further said that it was the Confederation, which had originally mooted the idea of two promotions before the Fifth Central Commission and three promotions before the Sixth Central Pay Commission which were accepted by the government and ACP/MACP Schemes were implemented. He further said that it was the Confederation which had demanded before the Sixth Central Pay Commission the 6-months’ Maternity Leave and Child Care Leave for women employees. He assured the Delegate Session of the Conference that he will take up the demands and issues of government employees in the islands with Govt. of India.
The Annual Conference also honoured the two retiring leaders of the Association Shri PJ Eappen and Shri SC Biswas and recalled their contribution to the government employees’ movement in these islands. Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary informed the Conference about the programmes to be conducted in the next one year in connection with the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Association.
About 150 delegates and observers from various outstations and Port Blair/South Andaman area, representing thousands of employees, attended the Delegate Session. Shri Sathyapal proposed Vote of Thanks.