> Dear Colleagues,
>
> We are aware that there are more than one pensioner organisation in any industry with the sole aim of negotiating with the respective management to derive advanced facilities for the betterment of its members . If need be, it won't hesitate to appeal to other sister organisations to join the fray to clinch most of the common demands. We have come across instances where each of such organisations, vying with each other, confronting the management with a strong & combined movements.
> To quote a few, we may take up the organisations which represent working and retired pensioner employees of Reserve Bank Of India. Because of their mutual understanding, they are able to convince the Board on the reasonable demands of the pensioner fraternity and prompted the successive Governors of RBI to move the Union of India with suitable favourable recommendations. UOI is under tight compulsion to get it free from this never anticipated pressure by taking a pensioner-friendly decision early.
> Some other welcome development has come to the fore-front from another wing. That, IBA has started moving towards the demands of the pensioners with a positive approach quite contrary to their earlier stubborn stand. How this u-turn emerged from its earlier denial tactics ? This was possible only because of the concerted efforts of the United Banks' Employees Confederation.
> Thus the mood and principles of the working & retired employees' organisations have completely taken a new shape of functioning to safeguard their present and retired lives.
> But, we will be surprised to come to know that the above atmosphere does not exist everywhere. May be due to some misapprehensions, a few organisations believe that moving with sister set-ups and allowing novel ideas taking inroads in the organisation would jeopardize their interest and even turn to be a fatal one and such novelties may even lead to the question of the very existence of the set-up. They stoutly refuse to come out of their outmoded trade union approach. They would prefer to keep their cadre in a tightly closed mansion without allowing any outside fresh air to peep in. Collecting membership levy, spending a little towards committee meetings, large number of delegates attending National Annual Conferences at a cost, witnessing resolutions passed, conducting base-level annual conferences, touching global happenings and vomiting briefly about the proceedings at the National Set-up, passing a few more unproductive resolutions, electing new team of office-bearers, etc, etc are the main routine activities these organisations have in their prime store.
> It is unfortunate that we have such an organisation among us. Their only agenda is that no other organisation should be in the fore-front ahead of them in securing reliefs for the retirees. They hate any other organisation stealing any show. If any concession comes to the pensioner-retirees in any form out of the hard efforts of any other body in an unexpected hour, they will exhaust all their energy to somehow convince their cadre that those concessions have emerged because of their sustained silent organisational efforts. They expect their cadres to applaud their invisible tactics and reward them with suitable currency-woven garlands.
> All the pensioner brethren in LIC are well aware that it is All India Retired Insurance Employees' Federation that has been waging a long legal war, alone, with LIC Management for the last 18 years consistently. It had to tide over unhealthy, unhelpful and discouraging criticisms all through from such anti-pensioner organisations. They used to propagate that AIRIEF would get defeated in the legal battle. Could we witness such an envious situation else where ? They wished to loose their sight in both the eyes, if any mechanism comes forward inflicting loss of sight even in one eye of AIRIEF.
> Presently, Supreme Court has referred our issues to a special bench to be constituted in HC at Delhi and awarded with an interim relief of 40% of arrears accrued as per para 3A, Annexure A. Normally any trade union would welcome the order of SC. But a pensioner-organisation has taken pains in circulating among their members touching the details of the court order and 40% interim relief and cautioning their membership not to part with any donation to any organisation. what they intend to communicate is whether any benefits that are awarded to pensioners due to the prolonged efforts of some other organisations, members should acknowledge that their organisation is the sole cause for those benefits and they should thank and donate liberally to their organisation only. We could only bow before their Broad & Big Hearts .
> None can steal the fame of AIRIEF. Even from the lowest cadre up to EDs are well aware that it is AIRIEF which is fighting for the hapless pensioners at its own cost and if Interim Relief of 40% has been awarded only because of their ongoing legal battle. Still we have to face further hearings in Delhi HC to clinch the the final desired results squarely. All the elder activists are fully engaged with collecting details of case-laws to convince the HC bench. It is pity to witness a single organisation, sitting alone in silent mode, advocating not to part with any donation to the fighting organisation. We could only pray for its survival.
>
> With greetings,
> M.P.Subrahmanian,
> RIEA, Madurai.
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