CRY IN WILDERNESS.....
OUR attention has been drawn to a Circular letter dated 7.7.19 of AIBOA, flashed on social media on 6th July, 2019, a day ahead the date.
Letter starts with, " Social media is used, misused and abused by one and all and retired bank employees are equally active." Thus, letter is a sort of retort written in disdain of retirees activism on social media. It's welcome trend, given the fact that all Unions have kept their doors & windows closed from inside, not giving vent to inside story. In such a situation banking fraternity, irrespective whether in-service or retired, is wandering on social media.
In next sentence the letter talks of, 'one of the prominent question that is often raised was that why pensioners issues are not taken up the the IBA, by 9 constituents in the wage talk'. I thought, he would address this his 'prominent question', but nothing found in subsequent paras. Yes, it's a prominent question, which the retirees have been raising, but none attended to or even acknowledged it. Atleast, this letter acknowledges and admits it as 'prominent'. Thank you, Mr. Nagrajan, though you evaded to answer it and tried to divert the attention to points, which are irrelevant in present day context.
It's totally uncalled for to turn the pages of history. How pension was achieved in 1993 and at what cost second option in 2010, it all holds no merit today. Albit, you evaded to narrate that the SBI pension underwent change and it's not same as it was in 1993 as third benefit. Take it as updating, that SBI unions got by force and fight. Not only this, in all settlements in lieu of pension cost, SBI people got additional compensation that they appropriated to stand at higher wage platform than rest of banks. Hope, this is not denied & challenged being matter of record! How it went unnoticed, by the Unions (other than SBI)? If for pension load, SBI can get additional amount, why not other Banks' employees should have got compensatory amount in lieu of what SBI incurred in updating its pension?
I see you play divide in not identifying 'pension improvement' as one issue. Dear brother, It's single issue and not that you prioritized and termed as (i) Family Pension, (ii) 100% DA for pre- 1.11.2002 retirees (which SC dismissed), (iii) updating, (iv) pre-1986 Retirees' exgracia. Your attempt to segregate and identify the 'pension improvement' as four issue- family pension, 100% DA case, pension updating & exgracia- is wrong with ulterior in motive. Further, which are the bigger issues: DA case of pre-1.11.2002 retirees which was lost in Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, listed as second issue or updating listed as third? The issue is one which need wholesome and holistic view, instead going by appeasement tactics to divide aggrieved pensioners who may be one regular pensioners, family pensioners,100% D.A. pensioners or exgraciawala. They are one, their issue is one and their need is one: improvement of pension, in other word, pension updating. Hope, you improve and articulate your thought process, in this regard, accordingly.
NOW, I would like to discuss on your narrative, 'one thing all of us should appreciate that when the serving employees issues are moving in a snail pace...'. Well, it's common phenomenon that in bath tub all are naked, but you made all unions and leaders naked in public glare by your above narrative. May it be a new dress code! Why so and who is responsible, atleast for sure, none of in-service or retirees! So, legitimately speaking, it's none of their problem. In service employees and officers follow your calls like bonded labour. They firmly believe in you, accord you all privileges and honor from time time. If you have failed, you must explain bonafide reasons, instead hiding from them. Bad air reaches fast. While you put your naked feature on social media, but expect of retirees, 'there is a need to have restrain in expressions in the social media by retirees'. If you can, let us do our job too, of course under sheer frustration and not by pleasure to accuse and abuse our veterans.
Further, your next sentence, 'getting the family pension settled gains importance & priority', conveys the internal mind set that even if family pension improvement is achieved, it will be more than all achievements, in the back drop of 'snail pace' movement of in-service employees wage revision talks.
Dear Mr. Nagrajan, it would have been better, if you could have avoided sending circular letter in question, in fact, that could have helped pensioners to live in illusion of something good in store for them. Hope- you know- is a great source of energy, particularly for older generation. Oh! It's for over three long decades in hope! Countless people died under miseries, ailment, economic distress.
I should remind you few things in respect of Pension Scheme. When there was tug of war on this Policy, all bankers, all Unions and govt were together against this. It was alone AIBEA, which fought and signed settlement. War continued even after settlement on option issue. AIBEA was categorical on scheme being best option, as it was linked to DA index, DA revision on quarterly basis as was in case of in service employees and pension revision as in case of RBI.
Whenever wage revisions have had been done, in lieu of pension cost on our Penis, SBI people got additional compensation. But, what other Bank people got, when SBI pension was updated? Third benefit base was our Pension Scheme. Our Pension didn't get any improvement, but SBI people got their third benefit pension updated. What were the reasons that made our Unions deaf, dumb & blind? Now, RBI pension is updated, Bank Pension is linked to it. How could anybody over look all these facts?
9 Unions ( 5+4) submitted their demands, which include pension issues. IBA revealed the fact that they have only mandates for wage revision and in officers matter uptown scale 3 from some Banks. IBA very clearly said, they have limited mandate for wage revision and not for Pension. For full mandate for officers, two unions walked away from table talks. But, none of you 9 have yet clarity in pension updating matter or decided or disclosed your common stand and resolve on pension improvement as against IBA stand of no mandate for pension. This is the prominent question hunting the mind of pensioners, which Mr. Nagrajan you should have answered, instead writing obituary at this crucial juncture when entire banking fraternity is passing through most uncertainty and disbelief from their organizations.
If no mandate in officers case can become an issue of direct action, why can't no mandate for Pension be, an issue concerning to over 4 lakh pensioners?
- J. N. Shukla,
PRAYAGRAJ
9559748834/7.7.2019
jagat.n.shukla@gmail.com
( Neither Prejudices Nor Predilections)
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