Development On Issues Related To Bankers

UNION BANK RETIRED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT TO BE PLACED BEFORE THE OFFICE BEARERS’ MEETING AT RAJKOT

on

12th November, 2016

-: NOTICE :-

-: MEETING OF OUR OFFICE BEARERS :-

The meeting of the Office Bearers of our Association will be held at Rajkot. Date, Time, Venue and Agenda of the Meeting will be as under.

Date : 12th November,’16    Time : 8 a.m.

Venue : 4th Floor, ‘Sadhna Down Town’, Near Punjab National Bank,   

             Opp. Alfred High School, Jubilee Chowk, Rajkot – 360 001.

-: AGENDA :-

1. Information of the activities of our Association after our Conference in March,’16

2. Problems of renewing Medical Insurance Scheme for Retirees

3. Co-ordination of our Association with Union Bank Retired Officers’ Association (Gujarat)

4. Affiliation of our Association with the Federation of All Bank Retirees’ Associations (Gujarat State)

5. Decide names for nomination as Central Committee Members of All India Union Bank Retirees’ Federation

6. Formal decision to change the address of our Association’s Registered Office from the old to the new premises

7. Pending Issues of the Bank Retirees

1. Industry Level
2. Bank Level
3. Individual grievances of the members of our Association

8. Decide tentative date and venue for the next Central Committee Meeting of our Association

9. Any other matter with the permission of the Chair

(B.G.Raithatha),

General Secretary

UNION BANK RETIRED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

REPORT PRESENTED BY THE GENERAL SECRETARY IN THE OFFICE BEARERS’ MEETING HELD AT RAJKOT ON 12TH NOVEMBER,’16

To

All the Office Bearers of our Association,

Dear Friends,

NEW OFFICE

Welcome to Rajkot in the opening of our new Office Premises. The Office Bearers and Central Committee Members functioning in our old Office Premises and the members visiting there were experiencing several hardships because of irregular functioning of the lift for last five years and there were certain acute problems because of very poor maintenance of the office complex. Thanks to the generous donations received from the members of our Association that we got required amount to purchase the new office. In the old complex our Association as well as Dena Bank Retired Employees’ Association had adjoining offices, we had removed the in-between wall and the same pattern is kept for these new offices also. The new office, with better facility, will certainly improve our functioning.

Now let us move further according to formal Agenda of this Meeting.

1. Information of the activities of our Association after our Conference in March,’16

1. Information of Pension Corpus

Our Association has continued to use the weapon of Right to Information Act (RTI) for the general and individual issues of the members. Our Bank had denied providing information of the Pension Corpus. After our long drawn semi-judicial battle under RTI, according to direction given by the Central Public Information Commissioner, now the Bank has specifically mentioned on its web site as under.

“Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) at Central Office shall also dispose of the RTI requests pertaining to Union Bank of India (Employees) Pension Fund”

A copy of the Letter dated 28th September,’16 received by us from the Bank is also reproduced on Page No. 11 of this Report.

2. Immense guidance / help of Shri J.P.Shah

As we informed in our several earlier communications, our Association’s member – Shri J.P.Shah, now settled at Vadodara, is a prominent RTI & Consumer Activist and hence we are initiating and pursuing all the RTI actions under his able guidance.

3. Representations / Complaints to the CMD of our Bank

Number of individual issues of our Members are resolved after submitting representations / complaints to Shri Arun Tiwari, Chairman & Managing Director with copies thereof to the Field General Manager, Deputy General Manager of the respective Region and the concerned Branch Head and that too in their names. Ofcourse, before we do this, we make written or oral request atleast once to the concerned Regional Office / Branch.

4. Communicating various information to our members by e-mails and quarterly Bulletins

All the reliable information concerning bank retirees is being communicated to our members by e-mails. Knowing well that many members do not have infrastructure to receive and read such e-mails, we have continued to publish our quarterly Bulletins also and sending it by courier to our members residing in cities / towns and by post to those living in village areas.  

5. Approach of the Regional Offices for our members’ issues

• Our membership is confined to retired employees settled in (i) South Gujarat (Surat Region) (ii) Central Gujarat (Baroda Region) and (iii) Saurashtra (Rajkot Region).

• According to the feed back being received by us for last some time, the Regional Office, Surat is very responsive in considering the retirees’ matters. Our Office Bearers of that Region have developed good liaison with the Regional Office management.

• Next comes Rajkot Region, wherein though most of the individual issues are considered favorably, for few matters we were compelled to go on paths of representing / complaining to the CMD and / or the Right to Information Act.

• Our members’ complaints against Baroda Regional office are comparatively more.

6. Help / assistance from the Award Staff Unions / Officers’ Association for attending to our members’ grievances

• Our Association and its members are getting good support from the Award Staff Unions.

• Union Bank Officers’ Association (Gujarat) is also helping us in resolving to our members’ issues.

• Our members’ expectation of help from the Unions / Associations of working Employees / Officers is more justified particularly if their issues pertain to the period while they were in service.

7. Individual issues of our members are to be dealt with by our Association’s Office Bearers of the respective areas

• We have clarified several times in our earlier Circulars / Bulletins that for their individual problems the members should approach our Association’s Office Bearers of their Regional areas, so as to enable them to take up their issues with the pension paying branches or the Regional Offices or the Central Office. However, many of the members from Central and South Gujarat are still directly approaching me by telephones or letters. Please clarify this matter to the members of your area once again when you hold meetings. We shall also repeat this advice to them in our next Bulletin.      

2. Problems pertaining to Medical Insurance Scheme for Retirees

• The system worked fairly well during first year, baring few cases where the retirees were required to comply several queries raised by TPA before passing their medical bills. A problem is there that the Insurance Company is placing their queries on their web site or intimating the same by e-mail to the insured persons or they are asked to search the web site to comply certain queries. But majority of the retired employees have no such facility of internet of e-mails and hence they are immediately not made aware as to why their medical bills are not sanctioned. There is a justified view of our members that besides intimating by e-mails and / or SMS, the Insurance Company / TPA should send queries, if any, by post also.   

• Stiff increase in premium for the second year has caused lot of difficulties to many of the pensioners, particularly those who are family pensioners, retired sub staff, pre-’86 retirees, etc. Though the claim ratio during the first year was more, the premium is increased much more than that. The reason, as it is understood, the Master Insurance Broker is charging hefty brokerage, which is ultimately passed on our shoulders.

• There was a specific condition in Clause No.8 of the Master Policy issued by the Insurance Company for the first year that changes in the amount of premium, if any, would be notified at least before three months. However, the Insurance Company had intimated to the Indian Banks’ Association about increase in the premium much late and hence the Banks had experienced a lot of administrative difficulties thereafter.  

• Our Bank has made lot of mistakes in debiting our premiums. Major complaint is that the premium is debited according to Option I, even in the cases where the retirees had submitted their Option II.  

• An exhaustive Booklet on the subject “Group Medical Insurance Scheme of IBA” was published and provided to all the members of our Association in March,’16. But without reading its contents, members are raising many queries before us. There is no material change in the scheme except that now those who have given Option II will be eligible for reimbursement of domiciliary treatment expenses. Therefore, please advise the members to go through our Book properly.
• It is clarified by Paramount Health Services TPA Pvt. Ltd. that the Domiciliary Hospitalization Claim Form (printed on Page No.43 & 44 of our Booklet) is to be utilized for claiming Domiciliary Treatment Expenses also.

• From the various communications being received from the members, it is understood that there are several confusions about claiming reimbursement of domiciliary treatment expenses.

• As regards submissions of the domiciliary treatment bills and documents to be attached, in response to the queries raised by our All India Union Bank Retirees’ Federation, our TPA has given certain clarifications. We also inquired with the Regional Office, Rajkot as to how the domiciliary treatment expenses bills are being passed for the serving employees and their family members. Based on these feed back, we got the following information.

• The domiciliary treatment expenses bills are to be submitted to TPA on monthly basis.

• If a Doctor has certified that the treatment for a particular disease is required for life long and the medicines prescribed are also to be taken life long, the same certificate will be valid for 6 months. The insured persons may submit original certificate and prescription while placing their claims first time. Xerox copies of those documents will be considered valid for placing the claimd for 6 months. However, fresh Certificate and Bills will have to be obtained from the Doctor after 6 months.

• If the Certificate and the Prescription does not specify any period for continuing treatment, the same is valid for 3 months. Originals to be submitted first time and Xerox for the remaining period.

• Please, therefore, advise and guide the members accordingly.

• The Office Bearers / Computer knowledgeable members of our Association are requested to help other members to fill up their Domiciliary Treatment Claim Forms and also to comply queries raised by TPA in their bills. Expenses for stationery, Xerox, etc. incurred for this purpose may be claimed from our Association by the Office Bearers.

• Ofcourse, during this period, our All India Union Bank Retirees’ Federation was able to persuade the Bank to grant loan at reasonable interest for paying the premium

3. Co-ordination of our Association with the Federation of All Bank Retirees’ Association (Gujarat State)

Following three Organizations of our Bank’s Retirees are functioning in Gujarat.

1. Union Bank Retired Employees’ Association (HQ : Rajkot)
2. Union Bank Retired Employees’ Association (HQ : Ahmedabad)
3. Union Bank Retired Officers’ Association (Gujarat)

With a view to establish co-ordination among these three organizations, we have invited Office Bearers of all the three Organizations to attend our meeting. Let us have constructive deliberations on the subject.

4. Affiliation of our Association with the Federation of All India Bank Retirees’ Associations (Gujarat State)

We were affiliated to the State Body earlier; but we discontinued because according to our opinion one more formal layer of affiliation was unwarranted and costly affair. But now our Apex Body – All India Bank Retirees’ Federation has made it compulsory to take affiliation with the State Bodies.

We shall discuss the relevant aspects in the meeting.

5. Decide names for nomination as Central Committee Members of All India Union Bank Retirees’ Federation

According to amended provision in the Federation’s constitution –

• Membership of both the Associations (i.e. Ahmedabad & Rajkot) is to be clubbed to-gather.

• Then Office Bearers and Central Committee Members put to-gather are to be nominated @ 1 per 100 members (Maximum 15).

• For the year 2016, our Association has paid affiliated subscription for 685 members and Ahmedabad has paid for 500. Therefore, our State as a whole can nominate 12 Office Bearers / Central Committee Members.

• 2 Office Bearers from our Association and 1 from Ahmedabad are already elected. Therefore, now as a state we have to propose 4 CC Members from Ahmedabad Association and 5 from our Association.

6. Formal decision to change the address of our Association’s Registered Office from the old to the new premises

This is the formal requirement under the Trade Union Act under which our Association is registered.

7. Pending Issues of the Bank Retirees

1. Industry Level

1. Up-dation of Pension
2. 100% neutralization of dearness relief to the employees retired prior to 1st November, 2002
3. Improvement in family pension on the line of Central Government Employees
4. Enhancing the limit of Gratuity

Latest available information in the above mentioned issues will be given in the Office Bearers’ Meeting.

2. Bank Level Issues

(i) Proper utilization of Staff Welfare Fund

According to recommendations of Khandelwal Committee endorsed by the Indian Banks’ Association, the Banks are supposed to allocate 25% of the total Welfare Fund for the retirees. Therefore, ideally our Bank should make allotment of Rs.6.25 crores out of the total sum of Rs.25 crores. However, our Bank, until last year, had spent about Rs.4 crores for the retirees – mainly to give medical assistance under ‘Union Bank of India Retired Employees’ Medical Assistance Scheme’. This year, most of the retirees had claimed their medical expenses from the Insurance Company. Request was made by our All India Federation to utilize the surplus of Welfare Fund to subsidize our insurance premium, as it is done by several Banks. But our Bank had not acceded to our request.

(ii) Difficulty in booking Holiday Home by the retirees

Those who retired prior to the year 2005 are unable to book Holiday Homes ‘on line’, as their names are not there in the ‘Union Parivar’ soft ware of the Bank. We shall prepare a suitable draft of representation and provide it to our members for submission to the Bank.

c.  Individual grievances of the members of our Association

We have been able to resolve many individual grievances of our members during this period. However, following issues are still pending.

1. The following two members of our Association were promoted from sub staff to clerical cadre few months prior to their retirements. But salary was paid to them as sub staff till retirement and post retirement monetary benefits were also paid as sub staff.

• Shri V.V.Rabari, Petlad
• Shri R.J.Vishnuswamy, Nagarpipalia

The members had submitted representations to the CMD in August,’16 as suggested by us. But there is no response. Now we shall advise them to file RTI applications.

2. Following two genuine cases of compassionate appointments are declined.

• Daughter of late Shri B.T.Bhat, Clerical Staff, Veraval
• Son of late Shri M.R.Vadodaria, Sub Staff, Bhavnagar

According to legal opinion sought by us recently, these are good cases to file writ petitions. Therefore, we have advised the concerned members accordingly.

3. The Bank has started practice to mention in Pension Payment Order name of physically / mentally retarded child, if any, to be eligible for family pension in case of demise of spouse. However, such a case of Mrs. Dudhiben Ambalia (Rajkot) is not yet considered inspite of representation to the General Manager (HR) and complaint to the CMD.

8. Decide tentative date and venue for the next Central Committee Meeting of our Association.

The next Central Committee Meeting is to be held somewhere in Central Gujarat (Baroda Region). According to our tradition, we shall also arrange an informal meeting of the members of the entire Region on the day of the CC Meeting. As per the information gathered by us earlier, holding these meetings in Swamy Narayan Guest House near Nadiad will be very convenient and economically viable. Therefore, let us discuss and decide to arrange the meetings there in February or March, ’17.

9. Any other matter with the permission of the Chair

1. Circular dated 7th November,’16 issued by All India Union Bank Pensioners & Retirees’ Federation

The circular is attached on Pages Nos. 12 to 17 of this Report for perusal of our Office Bearers. It contains several important points affecting all the retirees of our Bank and the management’s perceptions about those matters.   

2. Application for Membership -  Shri P.G.Joshi, dismissed Senior Manager

According to a provision of the constitution of our Association, permission of the Central Committee is required if membership is to be allowed to a dismissed employee. One Mr. P.G.Joshi, Senior Manager, dismissed from Bhavnagar Main Branch before about 19 years has approached us for membership and he is seeking our guidance / help to resolve his issues. Since the dismissal was for ‘negligence’ and not for any kind of ‘fraud’, permission of the Office Bearers is sought for to grant him provisional membership subject to final confirmation in our next Central Committee Meeting.

3. Office Bearers and Special Invitees may raise any other matter for discussion with the permission of the chair.

CONCLUSION

I am thankful to –

1. The good team of Office Bearers / Central Committee Members / Activist Members of our Association at Rajkot who are coming to our Association’s office regularly and assisting / helping me for carrying out the Association’s work.

2. Shri B.S.Nandvana, Chairman and Shri K.T.Desai, President of our Association who are giving me timely guidance / advice.

3. All the Office Bearers of our Association for their proper functioning in their areas of operation.

 Yours sincerely,

(B.G.Raithatha),

General Secretary