High Time To Rise Up

Category : AIRIEF Most esteemed pensioner colleagues, Namaskar & festival greetings. All these years there was a ray of suspicion lingering over whether our twin demands of 100 per cent neutralization of DR to those retired prior to 1st August, 1997 and upgradation of pension for the entire class of retirees based on wage revisions to working employees implemented beyond 01-08-1997, viz. 01-08-2002, 01-08-2007 & 01-08-2012. Our Federation is fully equipped with substantial documents to disprove the counters of our opponents item by item, to convince the Delhi High Court and if need be the Apex Court and secure the fought for judgments squarely. Needless to add that our Federation is keen to secure an outright and nil ambiguous order which will take care of future revisions of pension as and when wages are revised. The recent judgment of Kolkata High Court on the demands of 100% DR neutralization and upward revision of pension by particular bank pensioners has strengthened our case. No discrimination could be allowed among pensioners on the basis of date of retirement and pension should be considered as a deferred wage ( earned property ) and not as a bounty are some of the encouraging outbursts of the court. Indeed, it is the replica of the judgment delivered by a larger bench of SC under D.S.Nakara case. So, our colleagues. retired on and after 01-08-2002 need not have any slightest doubt that our Federation is fighting for a limited group of pensioners with retirement dates falling prior to 01-08-1997. No gentlemen, Federation is fighting for the pensioners as a whole for the past and future periods. The write-ups of our leaders that appear in our house-magazine (Varistha Vaani), the websites ( AIRIEF & Pensioners' Voice ) and in E-Mails could throw more light over our legal demands. We must also have close contact with our nearby activists to get ourselves updated with latest developments. Contribution towards Legal Fund :- Repeatedly appeals are coming forth periodically from our leaders of AIRIEF -- Messers. S.S.Saxena ( President ), R.B.Kishore ( Vice-President ), G.Krishna Swamy ( General Secretary ) & B.Angurajan ( All India Organizing Secretary ) calling for liberal donations towards legal fund. Encouragingly donations have come mostly from members retired before 1st August, 1997. Now the position has been clearly put forth that our present fight covers the entire group of pensioners and hence every pensioner member should feel proud of being an active partner in the overall activities of our current struggle. Hence, fund to be spent on legal matters plays the vital role in any trade union activities. Our crusade against injustice meted out to us should not suffer for want of sufficient funds.So, we should start sending our liberal contributions from now on without any exceptions. Let us be honest, rise up to the occasion and not wait for another appeal from our Central or intermediary units. Payments may be routed through your Divisional Units. Days are not far off to hear the Spectacular, Exceptional, Final & Favourable judicial orders. Once again with warm festival greetings to one and all. Ever Yours, M.P.Subrahmanian, Chairman, RIEA, Madurai Unit.