The Trade Union Would Continue to Fight for the Workers of the Islands: CITU
Port Blair, Aug 10: CITU, Andaman & Nicobar State Committee welcomes the order issued by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration today (10.08.2023) granting the 1/30th of pay plus DA effective from September 2017 and thereby accepted the demand of the CITU and upheld the judgement of the Division Bench of the Hon’ble High Court on 19th December, 2023 in MA/09/2020 (Lt Governor –vs- ASNVMS).
It is only after the Hon’ble High Court at Calcutta has suspended the Chief Secretary from service and imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakhs on the Lt. Governor that wisdom dawn on the BJP-led government at the centre and its Administration in the Islands. The Andaman & Nicobar Administration has always been disobeying the orders of courts and goes on appeal to higher courts on any order which is in favour of the workers. The CITU and its Unions had to fight the cases upto Supreme Court on the appeals filed by the Administration in a number of cases including the cases pertaining to implementation of 1/30th of pay plus DA to workers of a number of departments. In all such cases, the workers had won the cases.
In the instant case also, the Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court on 19th December, 2022 rejected the appeal filed by the A & N Administration (MA/09/2020 Lt Governor –vs- ASNVMS) and upheld the single judge order of the Hon’ble High Court dated 13th December, 2019 with certain modifications. The Administration was directed by the Division Bench to implement the order within two months. When the order of the Court was not implemented, the ASNVMS (CITU’s Union in APWD) had to file the Contempt Petition against the Lt Governor and Chief Secretary. The order issued by the A & N Administration on 9th May 2023 granting the 1/30th pay plus DA with immediate effect (from 9th May 2023) thereby denying the arrears of nearly six years to the workers, which was a blatant violation of the High Court order.
Working class in the islands has a long history of struggles in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. CITU would remind those trying to misguide the islanders that whatever benefits the government employees and workers achieved in the islands are the results of struggles conducted in the islands by Associations and trade unions since 1963. CITU will continue to fight for the workers in these islands.