FROM SHRI E R IYER
Dear Sir,
This will be
long time battle of bank staff for
the last 20 years. I hope u can
able to bring our issue in public.
so that Govt can help.
As you all have a good network which
has far greater reach I am mailing this message so that it gets carried. Our
propaganda has to reach first us and then beyond to us to the public and to the
people who matter in decision moulding/decision making. We have three major
issues and we have to highlight them with reasons.
1)100% DA neutralization is an
agreed item in settlement and MOU when pension was introduced and this part of
settlement/MOU was not superseded by Pension Regulations.
2) Pension Updation is provided in
Regulations and hence has to be implemented.
3) Family Pension does not involve
additional cost
On all these issues the following
has to be highlighted in our propaganda with members public and
parliamentarians.
On DA neutralization
For 100% DA neutralization let us
highlight the judgements and the settlement and MOU signed in 1993 at the time
of pension introduction. This has also been cited in the Calcutta HIgh Court
Judgement. Pension Regulations have not superseded this part of the settlement
and MOU.
The Settlement with workmen
unions says, "DR shall be determined from time to time in line with the
DA formula in operation in RBI", and
The MOU with Officers' Associations
say, " Dearness Relief shall be based on the Dearness Allowance formula
applicable to serving officers."
Either way, all retirees have
to be therefore, paid 100% DA neutralization. Please find below the extract
from Settlement and MOU.
A Memorandum of Settlement was
entered into on 29th October, 1993. Fifty eight banks were involved. It
was between the management and the workers of the banks, represented by
IBA and Workmen Unions respectively. Paragraph-6 of the Settlement
provided that “dearness relief would be granted to pensioners at such
rates as may be determined from time to time in line with
the dearness allowance formula in operation in RBI.”
Joint Note on Agreed Conclusions reached on 29/10/1993 between
the IBA and AIBOC states – “ …As a result of these discussions, the
following conclusions have been
reached:-
(vi) A scheme of pension will be drawn up by mutual discussions between AIBOC
and IBA. Such scheme, inter alia will provide for (a) …(d) dearness
relief based on the Dearness Allowance formula applicable to serving
officers ..”
Further two years back itself SBI
wanted to extend 100% DA neutralization to pre 1/11/2002 retirees and
recommended to IBA for its approval. This news item was carried in the March, 2013 issue "SAMVAD" of SBI
Pensioners Association. Extract from that magazine is given below:
{'Response from the Bank : Our Bank
has written to IBA recommending for its consideration payment of D.R. with
100% Neutralization to the pre 1-11-2002 pensioners.'
We have requested our Bank
to resolve this issue without linking to the 10th Bipartite Wage
Settlement. Our Bank has advised that it will pursue this matter with IBA
for resolving this issue without linking to 10th Bipartite Wage Settlement.}.
If SBI constituting the large chunk
of retirees has already recommended for 100% DA neutralization and the
settlement and MOU already provide for it, how can IBA go back on it with a new
Record Note. We should highlight these in the appeal to IBA.
On Pension updation
As regards updation this is also
agreed in the MOU and Settlement, then provided in Reg.35(1) and implemented to
those who retired between 1/1/86 and 31/10/87. This has to be highlighted.
Views of erudite elders in support of pension updation may be highlighted.
Following excerpts from the
article of S.S.Tarapore (economist who joined Reserve Bank of India in 1961 as
Research Officer and retired in 1996 as Deputy Governorex- Deputy Governor of RBI ) should also be cited to
highlight that all erudite elders too were unhappy over the injustice of denial
of pension updation. Referring
to the long-standing issue of pensions ( Problem of Retirees in RBI)
in his column 'Common Voice'-in an article titled " A glimpse into RBI annual
report "
he urges RBI ( This article was first published in The
Freepress Journal on
September 07, 2015 ( I have attached the full article)
"The Governor also
raises an enervating question relating to the long-standing issue of pensions
for RBI retirees. To say the least, the pension issue for retirees is a
sheer atrocity perpetrated by the Delhi bureaucracy. By not allowing updation
of pensions for RBI retirees- while this is taken as a matter of right by
Central Government retirees- is tantamount to tyranny. The Governor has done
well to formally flag this issue in the RBI Annual Report. The next step would
be for the RBI to use the retirees' pension issue as a test case of autonomy.
Autonomy is never given, it is earned and taken. The RBI has certainly earned
it and it is now for RBI to take its autonomy. The Governor would do
well to take a leaf out of decisions on the raising of the age of retirement by
Governor S.Venkitaramanan and the updation of retirees' pensions by Governor
Bimal Jalan.Has one ever heard of a borrower wanting to determine the
remuneration of the banker? Prime Minister Narendra Modi should break
government's hegemony over the RBI.
On Family Pension
On Family Pension
As it was always maintained that our
pension scheme will be on the lines of RBI, improvement made in Family Pension
scheme of RBI should be extended to bank pensioners. Inasmuch as provision is
made for payment of pension at 50% of (10 months' average) pay of every
pensioner for his expected life time, the family pension on his death should
not require any provision. Rather the family pension payable at 30% being less
than 50% payable to the pensioner for which provision has already been made,
there is no question of any additional provision. Rather there is a write back
of the provision. So additional cost on account of family pension improvement
is a lie.
Well let us spread the message and
draft petitions keeping the above facts in mind.
Thanks and regards
s.b.c.karunakaran
