Monday, May 30, 2011

Letter by Shri C. H. Vekatachalam, GS - AIBEA, to FM on various issues pertaining to Pension and Retirees

Mr.C.H.Venkatachalam, General Secretary of  AIBEA has written a letter to or FM,on important issues pertaining to retirees:

Same is reproduced here below for the information



AIBEA/GS/ 2011/52

25th May, 2011

To

Shri. Pranab Mukherjee,
Hon’ble Minister for Finance,
Government of India,
North Block,
New Delhi

Dear Sir,

                        Reg : Grievances of Bank Retires

The All India Bank Retirees Federation and United Forum of Bank
Retirees Organisation have been representing to the Government and Indian Banks Association to redress some of their genuine grievances and demands but with no effect so far.  You are well aware that the Pension Scheme evolved and introduced in the Banks is exactly on the lines of Central Government Pension Scheme and hence some of the improvements that have been incorporated in the Government Pension Scheme consequent to the 6th Pay Commission need to be extended to the bank retirees also.  The recent extension of one more option to join the Pension Scheme has brought great relief to number of retired employees and officers who are today covered by the Pension Scheme and we are thankful to the Government for the same.
But the following issues of the bank retirees deserve the special
attention of the Government and your sympathetic consideration.

1.      For the Government employees, on occasions of salary revision,
pension revision is also given and accordingly their pension is updated.  But in the case of bank retirees, the Pension remains static as sanctioned at the time of their retirement and does not undergo any change thereafter.  The periodical updation of pension along with salary revision of in-service employees is very genuine and fair expectation, especially when the same is available to the Government
employees.

2.      Since their pension is fixed based on their pay at the time of
their retirement, there are currently 5 different price index (600,1148, 1684, 2288 & 2836) on which DA is paid to the retirees depending upon their period of retirement i.e. 1-1-86 to 31-10-92,  1-11-92 to 31-3-98, 1-4-98 to 31-10-2002, 1-11-2002 to 31-10-2007 and from 1-11-2007 onwards.  Their pension needs to be adjusted and upgraded to a common price index by merging the DA upto that level .  This will bring in uniformity of indexing the Pension of the retirees.

3.      In payment of DA, after introduction of 100% neutralization against
price rise from 1.11-2002, those who have retired after this date are being given 100% neutralization for price rise while the past retirees continue to be paid DA on a tapering basis with 4 slab formula of the
earlier system.  There is a genuine need to extend 100% DA
neutralization to all the retirees atleast from a prospective date.

4.      While the in-service employees get DA variation on quarterly basis,
  for retirees, DA on Pension is paid on half yearly basis.  This needs to be changed to quarterly basis for retirees also.

5.      Under the 6th Pay Commission Report, there are improvements in the
rate of pension for very aged senior citizens, in the commutation of pension, eligibility service to get full pension, etc for the Government pensioners and these need to be extended to the bank retirees too.

6.      It is also experienced that the quantum of Family Pension is very
inadequate and this requires a sympathetic approach from the Government to revise the same suitably.

7.      Since the Pension Scheme was introduced in the Banks from 1.1.1986,
the pre-1986 retirees are being given a Ex Gratia of Rs.300 per month + DA and their widows are being paid a fixed lumpsum Ex Gratia of Rs.1000 per month.  These pre-1986 retirees are aged 85 years and above and are very few in number, may be around 6000 persons in the entire banking sector. Considering their age, ill-health, etc. the Government should kindly increase the Ex Gratia amount.

8.      There are number of grievances of the retirees at the Bank Level
regarding delay in sanction of Pension, delay in disbursements, etc. and hence Government / IBA should give proper guidelines to all Banks to put in place a regulated mechanism to redress these grievances. This will help in avoiding / reducing litigations, etc. on the part of the retirees.

9.      Government has already advised the Banks to set apart a portion of
  the amount allocated for Staff Welfare from the Net Profit of the Banks towards benefiting the retirees. Still it is not being implemented properly. Hence Government may consider advising the Banks to set apart an uniform percentage of funds from out of the profits towards Welfare Schemes for the retirees.

10.     The in-service employees are entitled to reimbursement of medical
  expenses on occasions of hospitalisation but after retirement, the retirees are not covered by such facilities.  In the context of ever increasing cost of medical treatment, retirees become extremely vulnerable when they fall ill and hence some uniform medical expenses reimbursement scheme needs to be made available to them.

These are some of the important grievances and demands of the bank
  retirees.  We request you to take a positive view of their grievances and advise necessary steps to be taken by the Government / IBA in this regard.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,


C.H.VENKATACHALAM

GENERAL SECRETARY

Copy to :-

Chairman,
Indian Banks Association,
Mumbai.

The letter does not cover plight of pension option to VRS retirees of PF optees and of Resigned staff. PRESUMABLY, THE matter is subjudice and hence possible exclusion. Lets hope good things happen to all.

Source: Shri Mohan V. R.  - Chennai
                       Bankpensioner google Group Member

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Bank Strike on 7th July 2011 against Govt Policy On Banking Reforms

The National Convention  of United Forum of Bank Unions,held at New Delhi on 20th May 2011,declared All India bank strike on 7th July 2011 against Govt Policy on  Banking Reforms
-  New Licensing Policy,
-  Khandelwal Committee Report, 
-  Outsourcing
-  Appointment of Business Correspondents,
- Merger of Public Sector Banks,
-Removal of ceiling on voting rights of FDI in Private Banks, 
-Arbitrary instructions of Government freezing improvements in staff benefits etc.
Also demanding:

- Adequate Recruitment, -Release of Compassionate appointment Scheme as agreed between IBA & UFBU
-Improvements in Pension Scheme on the lines of 6th Pay Commission Report  etc.
As far as  bank retirees are concerned,  long pending genuine demands  of Pensioners  are also focused  this time by Bank Unions, as  follows:

1. Improvements in pension scheme on the lines of the 

   Government   Scheme like updation of pension
2.100% DA neutralisation on Pension
3. Improvement in commutation, family pension
4. Ex-gratia for pre-1986 retirees, etc
.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Public interest litigation for updation of pension and other issues

Our bank pensioner group member Shri T Ashok  Shenoy from Bangalore has send a public interest litigation to Supreme Court of India, regarding various pension related issues like updation of pension, neutralization of DA etc. We reproduce below the petition letter sent to Supreme Court of India. Copy of  this petition has been sent to Shri  M Virrappa Moily, Honorable Union Minister for Law and Justice.


Quote

T.ASHOK SHENOY,B.A.B.L.,CAIIB.,                                BANGALORE
ADVOCATE,
A1-401, SHRIRAM WHITE HOUSE,                      DATED 18th May,2011
15TH CROSS, 6TH MAIN,
R T NAGAR, 2ND BLOCK,
BANGALORE- 560032.
Karnataka State


TO:

THE HONBLE CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA,
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA,
NEW DELHI- 110001



                            
      PUBLIC INTERESTLITIGATION PETITION
                  BEFORE THE HONOURABLE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

1. EARLIER SENIONER CITIZENS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE THOSE WHO HAVE COMPLETED 65 YEARS.NOW A SENIOR CITIZEN IS A PERSON WHO HAS COMPLETED 60 YEARS.

2.I AM REFERRING TO THE PENSION REGULATIONS OF BANK EMPLOYEES IN INDIA,1995.

3.I HAVE PUT IN 41 YEARS IN THE BANK AND WORKED IN VARIOUS CA[ACITIES AND VOLUNTARILY RETIRED AS A DIVISIONAL MANAGER. MY PRESENT MONTHLY PENSION IS RS, 15833/= WHILE CLERK WHO RETIRED RECEINTLY IN JUNE,2010 IS GETTING A MONTHLY PENSION OF OVER RS. 18000/=

4.IN THE BANK EMPLOYEES PENSION REGULATIONS 1995, IN THE LAS PARA IT IS MENTIONED THAT IN CASE ON ANY POINT OR MATTER THE REGULATION IS SILENT, THE PENSION RULES APPLICABLE TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE APPLIED. IN THE CASE OF CENTRAL GOVERNEMENT EMPLOYEES, AS AND WHEN THE PAY IS REVISED AS PER PAY COMMISSION REPORTS, PENSION ALSO IS UPDATED BY NEUTRALISING DEARNESS ALLOWANCE AND UPDATING THE PENSION. THIS IS NOT FOLLOWED IN THE CASE OF RETIRED BANK EMPLOYEES. ALL RETIREES ARE SENIOR CITIZENS AND MANY OF THE RETIREES HAVE ALREADY EXPIRED. NATURALLY THE PENSIONERS WANT TO GET THE BENEFITS DURING THEIR LIFETIME INSTEAD OF AFTER DEATH.

5.THE GOVT OF INDIA, MINISTRIES, INCOME TAX DE[T, INDIA RAILWAYS ARE GIVING CERTAIN CONCESSIONS TO THE SENIOR CITIZENS. PENSION CAN BETTER BE CALLED AS A SOCIAL SECURITY. IT IS DURING OLD AGE, THE PENSIONERS GET SICK AND HAVE TO SPEND LOT ON MEDICINES AND TREATMENT.

6.IN THIS MATTER SEVERAL WRIT PETITIONS AR PENDING FOR YEARS IN VARIOUS HIGH COURTS IN THE COUNTRY WHICH ARE YET TO COME UP FOR HEARING AND JUDGEMENT. THIS PROCESS MAY TAKE MANY MORE YEARS AND  BY THAT TIME EVEN THE PRESENTLY LIVING OLD AGED PENSIONERS MAY LEAVE THIS WORLD.

7. BY WAY OF ANNEXURES, I AM ATTACHING TWO JUDGEMENTS ON WRIT PETITION AND APPEAL, PRONOUNCED BY THE HONBLE HIGH COURT OF RAJASTHAN WHICH ARE SELF EXPLANATORY. IN THIS CONTEXT, I MAY MENTION THAT DELAY DEFEATS JUSTICE AND JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.. I HUMBLY AND RESPECTFULLY PRAY  YOU TO TAKE INTO COGNIZANCE THIS PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION PETITION ON PRIORITY AND ISSUE SUMMONS TO MINISTRY OF FINANCE,GOVT.OF INDIA,CHAIRMEN OF PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS AND THE INDIAN BANKS ASSOCIATION TO HEAR THEIR ARGUMENTS. THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT THE SITUATION IN WHICH I AM PLACED NOW, WILL HAVE TO BE FACED BY THEM. LET THEM KNOW THIS CLEARLY. NOW THEY DONT UNDERSTAND THIS AND DONT CARE TO LISTEN TO OUR GRIEVANCES NOR READ OUR REPRESENTATIONS.


       I THOUGHT IT FIT TO APPROACH THE HIGHEST JUDICIAL AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTRY IN ORDER TO GET QUICK JUSTICE AND HENCE THIS PETITION.
 

T.ASHOK SHENOY
ADVOCATE AND PETITIONER
REPRESENTING ALL RETIRED BANK OFFICERS ,


I HAVE DESPATCHE D THE PUBLIC INTERESTLITIGATION PETITION TO THE HONBLE CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA, SUPREME COURT, TILAK MARG, NEW DELHI-110001. A COPY OF THE PETITION HAS BEEN SENT SHRI M. VEERAPPA MOILY, HONBLE UNION MINISTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE, GOVT. OF INDIA, 4TH FLOOR, SHASTRY BHAVAN, A WING, NEW DELHI-110001 WITH A REQUEST TO KINDLY LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND SEE WHAT BEST CAN BE DONE TO ENSURE JUSTICE TO THE RETIREES OF BANKS.

Unquote

We thank Shri T Ashok Shenoy for taking up all pensioners cause on his own and wish every success for him .