1)Not all is well with NAMO Govt too on the important issues of pensioners.Even after continued efforts & talks by Defence Minister ,collecting & collating data for Armed Forces OROP & after dingdong with MOF officials & finally with FM himself, the loud announcement & proclamation by Defence Minister who indeed took assiduous efforts & announcing outlay of Rs8300 Cr suddenly last 1 month & more, stoic silence, talks failed, series of strikes &agitations by guardians of national security, relay strike at Regional Hqrs,nothing is known, all have evaporated in thin air.Remember this too as told earlier by authorities ,effective date is 1/1/2014 & not 1/1/2006,even after SC verdict.Is there anything like the law of the land, one may wonder , in stark despair
2)Be that as it may, we heard a sudden Goodwill OneTime Lumpsum Benefit to Sr Staff Pensioners ,announced by SBI for regular pensioners & family pensioners,aged 80 already or having reached 80 by 1st July 2015 ,graded amounts for age 80,85,90, 95 & 100 for the 5 cadres at time of retirement.For family pensioners, the amount is exactly half
This also sounded strange to deviate from the already accepted path or norms established & to endlessly dilute the modest & legitimate demands of pensioners for continued pension upgradation or the so-called value added pension of 20,30,40,50 & 100 % rise in pension at ages 80,85,90,9 5 & 100.,which is purposeful & handsome& continuing ,as against this onetime lumpsum,Perhaps Govt wants to put an end to rising echo of such demands emanating from all quarters Further, this scheme is purely discretionary ,onetime only,& existing pensioners or future retirees will not have any claim or right in future for same.
3)We also circulated the warning given by 14th Finance Commission to CG that OROP will result in fiscal instability in future What 7th Pay Commission will foretell by next month, as already they have completed all dialogues on a wideranging spectrum of opinion last month itself & PCReport will be released on time .CG pensioners are unhappy that many usual features like DA/DR merger etc no approval is there & UOI appears to take a rigid stand
4)With all such indications & portents for future, indeed alarm bells rang on 25 May 2015 with the signing of 10th BPS with Banks .We expressed our displeasure & deep disappointment with the Record Note signed by IBA with UFBU & negotiated Unions.Anger & frustration was writ large on bank pensioners.AIBRF was moving heaven & earth to caution UFBU many days before settlement, efforts went in vain.But tremendous loyalty, steadfast dedication to bring sanity to Employees Unions who wilted ,withered & stabbed Pensioners became the talk of the town.Sr DGM ,BOB gave a detailed & thumping Note & a classic Rejoinder to Record Note,undreamt & unheard of in the history of Wage Settlements & as rightly pointed out by Union Bank Retd Staff Pensioners ,Tamilnadu, with their extremely sound ,befitting, point by point reply to issues covered in Record Note ,substantiating their stand in a lucid exposition supported by logic, caselaws, facts & figures While it is desirable to go thro their reply in entirety, deserving supra issues effectively analysed & tackled must be highlighted for the benefit of all pensioners Fraternity KUDOS to them.
5)All the leaders of UFBU have stabbed on the back of retirees, who were instrumental in giving a shape to the banking industry. Had the UFBU conveyed its inability at the beginning itself, AIBRF would have taken other measures to protect the interests of retirees.
Look at this incisive interpretation ,which is vital & revealing. “Even in the case of working staff, the Unions which have achieved well in earlier BPS, have not performed well during this 10BPS, as could be observed from the following:
1. During 10th BPS IBA agreed on wage hike of 15% of the pay slip load factor amounting Rs 4725 cr. Out of this 15% only 2% amounting to Rs 597 cr was used for construction of pay scales after merger of 4440 point of DA.
2. IBA introduced a special allowance @7.75% to 11% of load factor and with suspected intention to deny pensioner/retirement benefits to retirees and serving employees retiring during 01.11.2012 to 30.10.2017 with rider that superannuation benefits will not be available on this special allowance.
3. This special allowance was not applicable for PF deduction and also for deduction under NPS.
4. The distribution of agreed %age increase in 7th BPS was 12.25% out of which 7.85% was used for construction of pay scales &DA .similarly in 8th was 13.25% out of which 6.85% was used for construction of pay scales & DA & 9th BPS was 17.25% out of which 16% was used for construction of pay scales & DA .
5. The pension stands reduced from statutory 50% of average emoluments of past 10 months to 46.13% to 44.50% due to, not taking into account new special allowances which will not rank for superannuation benefits. Accordingly the commutation amount also stands reduced. The extent of maximum loss of pension is Rs 6250/- pm as on date and loss of lesser commutation amount is Rs 183000/- .
6. The employees retired during 01.11.2012 to 25.05.2015, their pension stand reduced due to exclusion of special allowance for the purpose of pension. Such employees have been given option to go for lower commutation amount to avoid reduction in pension in violation of pension regulations which is against the pension regulations because there is no provision to change the option once exercised by the retirees.
6) Bank Employees Pension Regulations specifically provide for updation of Pension. We invite reference to Regulation 35 (1) thereof which reads as under;
“Basic Pension and additional pension wherever applicable shall be updated as per formula given in Appendix I” As a matter of fact, such updating has already been given effect earlier for the pensioners retired prior to 01.11.1987, who were positioned on par with retirees under 01.11.1987 Wage Settlement. In view of the above, updating of Pension has a statutory basis and it becomes a statutory obligation.”
7) Besides, the Pension Regulations have been framed under section 19(1) of Banking Companies (Acquisition & transfer of undertakings) Act 1970/1980 and as such the relationship between Banks & Retirees is a statutory one.
8)The write up raises the pertinent question,why then OROP being considered ,why Govt pensioners pension upgradation, why then Pension Adalats, why then Grievance Cell for talks,why in March 2009, IBA Circular to PSBs on the basis of Govt directive & also to hold periodic talks, atleast Hly to thrash out Retd Employees problems with their Assns
“All the above acts of the government clearly and categorically lead us to only one thing ,that the Government in its wisdom has given due credence to the judicial pronouncements and has considered it necessary to continue its obligation towards the retirees by way of improvements in pension/ family pension and so on. When this is the fact, the moot question is that – is the wisdom of those who govern the country less than that of IBA when they state that there is no contractual obligation post superannuation? ”
9)Moreover, the present scheme of pension has been discontinued w.e.f. 01/04/2010. Hence after a few decades, there will be huge balance in this fund, but the number of pensioners availing pension from this fund will be diminishing sharply and finally will become zero. Consequently, the remaining balance of this fund will be finally transferred to the Bank’s capital.”
10) “ It is a dangerous statement which will be quoted as a precedence by the other industries in future, unless the same is removed from the note. UFBU has to immediately take necessary steps to quash the above comment of IBA or advise IBA to withdraw the above comment from the note. It is for UFBU to do the job immediately since the damages have been done by them only. In case they fail to do so, the retiring/relieving order by banks, in the case of future retirees will contain one more sentence ‘ in view of your retirement the contractural relationship between you and the bank has to come to an end” how sad,God forbid
11)It is paradoxical & even anachronism to say, on the one hand ,Govt from rooftops praise Elders & Sr Citizens for their signal service & contribution to institutions & society, lays down many norms with All India Sr Citizens Confederation , but when the question of satisfying & redressing the problems of Pensioners ,which are genuine, modest & legitimate,ignore them with a cavalier attitude & above all driving them to legal recourse & remedies consuming enormous time, labour, energy & finances,without even an iota of empathy for them & the 1000s who have died in the interrugnum.
Voice of Reason & Voice of Justice shall ultimately prevail. PENSIONERS’ UNITY ZINDABAD,HAIL PENSIONERS' FRATERNITY.
GREETINGS,GOODLUCK & GODSPEED,
R.B.KISHORE
R.B.KISHORE,VP,AIRIEF
ED(Retd),LIC,PROBUS LIFE MEMBER,
044-28155810 / 098403 40591
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044-28155810 / 098403 40591
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