UPDATE ON: 02.02.2017 BANK RETIREES/PENSIONERS – AWAKE & FIGHT FOR UPDATION OF PENSION The Petition was started by (1) Jayaprakash. N, (2) Jayaraman. N, (3) Jayaram. V, (4) H S N Murthy, (5) H.S. Vasudeva Rao, (6) Vijayalakshmi S Rao, and submitted the same on 16.12.2016 on the online portal and hard copy submitted by Speed Post to Shri Narendra Modi, PM & Shri. Arun Jaitley, FM, requesting for reinstatement without any prejudice, the self-respect & dignity of Bank Retirees & Pensioners in respect of their genuine grievances: (1) Periodical Updation of their monthly pension and (2) Family pension (3) 100% DA neutralization (4) Out of their own contributed and accumulated Pension Corpus Fund, No burden to exchequer & No budget required (5) Supreme Court Judgement reiterates (6) Litigation should not be perpetuated WHEN periodical updation of Pension is regularly accorded to those who have served for more than 20 years through Financial Budget which is a burden for the exchequer: • Retirees of Central/State Government through Pay Commissions • Retirees of Armed Forces through OROP • Retirees of similar bodies/corporations of Government • Law makers MLAs/MPs in addition to 100% increment in their emoluments and also Updation of Pension for just served for 5 years tenure WHY Periodical updation of pension, Family Pension and 100% DA neutralization to Bank Retirees are denied for last 3 decades despite there is no burden on financial Budget to the exchequer, but can be accorded from their own contributed & accumulated Pension Corpus Fund. Notwithstanding, the relationship between banks and retirees, Responsibility of the government has been dealt and touched upon in various judgements of Hon’ble Courts. It is surprising that a land mark judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of India on 01.07.2015 in Civil Appeal No.1123 of 2015 has gone unnoticed except for a brief letter from Shri. S R Sen Gupta to IBA, no other Union or Associations have taken any steps. This judgment again based on the DECISION ON D.S. Nakara & Others vs Union of India on 17 December, 1982. The salient features of this judgment as under: 1. The bench has authoritatively ruled that Pension is a right and the payment of it does not depend upon the discretion of the employer/government. 2. The judgment has recognized that the revision of pension and revision of pay scales are INSEPARABLE. 3. The bench has reiterated that on revision the Basic Pension cannot be less than 50% of the Basic Pension in the minimum of Pay Band in the revised Scale corresponding to the pre-revised Scale. 4. The government CANNOT take a plea of financial burden to deny legitimate dues of the pensioners. 5. The government should AVOID unwarranted litigation and not to encourage any litigation for the sake of litigation 6. When Pension is upheld to be a right and NOT A BOUNTY, as a corollary to the averment that revision of pension and revision of pay scales are INSEPARABLE, upgradation of pension is also a RIGHT AND NOT A BOUNTY. When the Unions/Associations have failed to take up the Retirees issues in the 10th BPs and having deprived of their basic rights, Retirees Associations like AIBRF & CBPRO separately filed their dispute with ALC/CLC for redressal of their grievances making AIBEA, AIBOC & IBA as parties to it. In the CLC meeting held on 24.07.2017, AIBEA has not attended the meeting, AIBOC has attended by some representatives and as usual IBA did not attend the meeting, but sent a letter stating that it is only a voluntary organization helping the employer and employees to settle their grievances. Now the said meeting is postponed to 28.02.2017 for further discussion. It is indeed correct that IBA is an Association of CEOs of various Banks funded by such member banks, not a public authority, not established by Government, not funded by government, not appointed under any notification, not even NGO, but as an unregistered agency is negotiating the wage settlements on behalf of the government with the representatives of Bank employees/Officers’ Union/Associations without any responsibility or accountability avoiding being made litigant in court of law. It is surprising that a land mark judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of India WHY Leaders of Award/Officers organizations are not pursuing the above legitimate issues with the government despite the verdicts of Supreme Court of India is in their knowledge. Are they not going to retire and undergo the same plight of the todays’ retirees? At least now, let them participate actively in the next CLC meeting and ensure that the basic rights of the Retirees are protected and their grievances are redressed at the earliest. Apart from submitting the petition to PM/FM, this Petition has been posted in www.Change.org for the information of all aggrieved Bank Retirees /Pensioners. Though, many people are posting their likes and comments in Face Book, till now, only 2820 have supported the cause. In order to maximize the support base for the achievement of the desired results, all friends and their well-wishers are once again requested to log in to www.change.org and exercise your support till Retirees genuine grievances reaches to the knowledge of beloved PM/FM for early accomplishment.