Tuesday 31 May 2016

STRUGGLE INEVITABLE



Outcome of the Cabinet Secretary and  NJCA leaders
 informal discussion

In the absence of any indication that the Empowered Committee of Secretaries will again meet the NJCA Leaders to discuss over the final positions emerging on the modifications sought by the Staff Side over the recommendations of 7th CPC, the NJCM Staff Side Secretary Comrade Shiv Gopal Mishra sought and got an interview with the Cabinet Secretary.

The following issues emerged from the discussion:

1.       The basic pay of MTS will be slightly enhanced from the recommended 18,000/-. But it appears that the enhancement may not be nearer to the need based minimum wage calculations presented by the Staff Side.

2.       Despite the MTS wages revised, the Fitment Factor as recommended by 2.57 will not change for both employees and pensioners.

3.       The first option recommended by the 7th CPC for Refixation of pension to past pensioners viz., the number of increments earned by the pensioners in his last pay scale before his retirement should be taken into account, is not acceptable to both Defense Ministry and Pension Ministry.

Defense Ministry has opposed the formula. The Pension Ministry says that in the absence of preserved records, such a calculation is not feasible.

4.       A Committee will be constituted to go into the issue of abolition of 52 allowances recommended by the Pay Commission.

5.       No indication about the HRA percentage that has been recommended by the Pay Commission to reduce it.

6.       A Committee will be constituted to go into the issue of New Pension Scheme to government employees recruited on or after 1.1.2004.

From the above, it is crystal clear that the Official Side is not at all interested to take into account the genuine grievances of staff and pensioners. The Official Side is bent upon provoking the CG Employees to go on strike and the Pensioners to go on a campaign. They want a confrontation between the Government and the Employees to settle whatever score they want to settle. We know that already the bureaucracy is divided between the Organized Group ‘A’ Service Officers and the All India Service Officers. The Secretaries in the Empowered Committee do not want to settle any of the issues and they desire not to change any of the recommendations of the Pay Commission!

It is in this background a struggle becomes unavoidable.
It is in this background that the NJCA is meeting on 3.6.2016.
It is in this background that the NCCPA is meeting on 27.6.2016.
Let there be strong decisions for waging an uncompromising struggle on basic issues.
AIPRPA will extend total support to the CG Employees movement and will strive to organise along with the NCCPA to mobilize all Pensioners Organisations to stand in one platform and plan sustained movement,

Let all Get Ready to wage a Struggle for Justice!

_KR GS AIPRPA


Monday 30 May 2016

NCCPA CIRCULAR



NATIONAL CO-ORINATION COMMITTEE
OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS.
13/c  Feroze shah  Road,
 New Delhi. 110 001
Dated: 30.5.2016

Dear Comrades,
                We send herewith a copy of the NJCA Circular letter dated 27th May, 2016.  The same is self-explanatory.  You could see there-from that the  Government might not positively react to the demands placed by the NJCA over the recommendations of the 7th CPC.  Simply raising the minimum wage by a few rupees without any consequential change in the fitment formula or pay matrix will not bring about any tangible benefit. The revision of the minimum wage along would benefit only those who are likely to be recruited to the cadre of MTS in future.  As you are aware, the 7th CPC had not accepted any demand of the employees.  It is beset with dissenting notes in many chapters.  The fight between the personnel in the organized Group  A Services and all India Services had triggered such dissenting note on the part of the Member who retired from the IAS.  A significant section of the Secretaries to various Departments, we were told, were against any revision over the recommendations of the 7th CPC.  In any case, we are to await the outcome of the discussions at the NJCA meeting scheduled to be held on 3rd June, at New Delhi.

                 Coming to the issues pertaining to the Pensioners, we must recall that the 7th CPC had rejected almost all the demands unanimously placed before them by the Pensioners organizations. While tendering oral evidence the Staff Side had inter alia pressed for the parity for the past pensioners before the Commission, especially in the background of the granting of one rank one pension to the Defence Personnel.  It is ironic to note that the Defence Ministry which had piloted the demand of the Ex-service men for one rank one pension i.e.parity between the past and present pensioners has now taken a stand against such parity for civil servants.  No personnel either in the organized Group A services or All India Services would stand benefited by the present recommendation of the 7th CPC except a few as most of them were in receipt of almost time bound promotion in their career.  The modified parity one must recall has only benefited the upper echelons in the bureaucracy.  One can understand that the Govt. refusing to make improvements over the suggestion made by a Commission.  But it must be most intolerable when the Govt. refuses to implement a recommendation which was the outcome of a persistent presentation jointly by almost all the beneficiaries.  The plea advanced for non acceptance of the recommendation is the alleged impracticability due to the non availability of the relevant records.  Should the pensioner suffer for the reason that the concerned department of the Government has not kept the records properly? It is the most callous approach and must be resisted with all the force that we can command. We cannot afford to have this situation to develop. We are certain that most of the individual pensioners would be able to provide the requisite information needed to consider the first option in the pension fixation to the concerned department and most of the Departments would be able to verify the same with the available documents with them.  We must however await the decision of the NJCA in the matter.

                In the meantime, all affiliates will take such action needed to mobilize the pensioners and undertake a serious educational campaign.

                With greetings,
Yours fraternally,

KKN.Kutty.
Secretary General.

Copy of National Joint Council of Action circular letter dated 27.5.2016



.



NJCA LEADERS MEET CABINET SECRETARY

Turns out to be a Disappointment to Staff & Pensioners

Minimum Wages may go up slightly but not attractvely

No indication about commensurate enhancement of Fitment Factor

Pension Ministry against accepting recommendation of 7th CPC for Option No.1 of Refixation of Pension viz., Granting number of increments in the pre-revised scale of pay before Retirement!

All are requested to react and give out your opinions!

- KR GS AIPRPA


Wednesday 25 May 2016

May month issue despatched today!

PENSIONERS POST Despatched! 

This month issue of AIPRPA CHQ journal "Pensioners Post" has been despatched today. All are requested to keep your watch about its receipt shortly. - KR GS AIPRPA

Monday 23 May 2016

AIPRPA CHQ WRITES TO SECRETARY PENSION ON DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN CG PENSIONERS ON THE ISSUE OF BENEFIT OF UPGRADED PAY SCALES TO PRE-2006 PEMSIONERS

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA - RAILWAY DEPARTMENT LOST THE SLP IN APEX COURT

PUNJAB - HARYANA HIGH COURT ORDER FOR THE GRANT OF BENEFIT OF UPGRADED PAY SCALE OF THE SAME CADRE TO PRE-1996 / PRE-2006 PENSIONERS ALSO HAS BEEN ACCEPTED NOW AND IMPLEMENTED ONLY TO THE APPLICANTS!

GOVERNMENT ACTION DISCRIMINATORY BETWEEN RAILWAY PENSIONERS AS WELL AS PETITIONER RAILWAY PENSIONERS AND ALL OTHER CG PENSIONERS!

AIPRPA CHQ WRITES LETTER TO SECRETARY PENSION TO REMOVE THE DISCRIMINATION!




No.AIPRPA / 1/5/2016     Dated 23.05.2016

To

The Secretary
Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare
Government of India
New Delhi – 1100

Sir,

Sub: Adoption of discriminatory treatment between Pensioners by the GOI – regarding.
Ref: Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) orders No. PC-III/2013/CTC-I/4 dated 07.02.2016 on grant of upgraded pay scale benefit to Pre-1996 / Pre-2006 Pensioners.

This All India Postal & RMS Pensioners Association would like to draw your kind attention to the fact that several cadres of Central Government Employees in general and the cadres of HSG-1, ASPOs, IPOs, Postman etc in the Department of Posts in particular are continuously been denied the benefit of up-graded pay scales granted from 1.1.1996 and 1.1.2006 to the serving employees of the same cadre.

This being the case, this Association is surprised to see that consequent on the Supreme Court judgment on 05.01.2016 in the dismissal case of SLP filed by the Railway Ministry (SLP (C) CC No.22402/2015 Union of India Vs Darshan Lal Bali & Others) against the common order dated 29.01.2015 by the Punjab – Haryana High Court, the Government of India,, Ministry of Railways has issued the order cited under reference to extend the benefit of up-graded pay scale to the Petitioners of Pre-1996 / Pre-2006 Pensioners of the same cadre for whom the Government had upgraded the scales from a prospective date.

The stand of the Government of India is discriminatory between one section of Pensioners in Railways against the rest of Railway Pensioners on one hand and totally discriminatory between those Petitioner Pensioners and all other CG Pensioners including the Pensioners of Postal Department who for long are demanding unsuccessfully similar benefit of upgraded pay scales granted to their cadre prospectively from 1.1.1996 and 1.1.2006. The Central Government which is supposed to be a model employer cannot extend such a treatment to the majority of pensioners despite the orders of the Supreme Court of India striking down the decision of the GOI to deny the benefit of any such upgraded scales taken into account for fixing the revised pension to the Pre-1996 / Pre-2006 Pensioners of the same cadre.

This Association wishes to point out the assurance of the Secretary Pension given out during the course of the Periodical Meeting with the JCM Staff Side on 29.02.2016 to revisit and reconsider the earlier order of the DoP&PW issued to deny the of grant of upgraded pay scale benefit for fixation of pension to Pre-2006 Pensioners in addition to the above mentioned facts and urges for judicious treatment to all CG Pensioners on this important issue.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
(K.Ragavendran)

General Secretary 

Friday 20 May 2016

Pensioners Post Getting Ready!

Pensioners Post 'May' issue getting ready!

Comrades! Layout of 'May' issue of PP is over and gone to print. The despatch is again on 25th May. All are reminded to undertake a campaign to enroll subscribers @ 120/- for a year as more enrollment alone can help bringing the issue uninterrupted! Advertisements are welcome and we are ready to have Advertisement Agents too at attractive commission. Interested comrades can approach by email pensionerspost @gmail.com with their desired terms!

The front wrapper of May issue is here:

Aadhaar Seeding with Pension Payment Banks

Special Aadhaar Seeding and Registration 

Camp for Pensioners

The Central Government has announced a Special Aadhaar Seeding and Registration Camp for Pensioners in their own bank branches where they draw their pension. It is announced that with the Aadhaar Card registered with the bank, the Pensiones need not physically go to the bank every November for submitting the Life Certificate; It can be done online from home or from the nearest branch of the same bank. This can be done from anywhere in the country or from the world.

AIPRPA is writing to the Pension Ministry to point out the usual omission in the order viz., every time any such order issued the mention of POSB is either inadvertently omitted or left out and the Pensioners drawing pension from the POSB are told that since POSB is not mentioned the same is not applicable to Post Office SB branches! This discrepancy is being addressed.


The announcement of the Government is as follows:


SCOVA POSTPONED TO JUNE END

Rescheduling of Date and Time of 28th SCOVA meeting


Department of Pension has announced that owing to the Legislative Assembly Elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu to be held on 16.05.2016, the 28th meeting of the Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOV A) scheduled for 16th May,2016 has been rescheduled to 27th June, 2016 at 11 am. The venue of the SCOVA meeting will be notified in due course.

Wednesday 18 May 2016

UPGRADED PAY BENEFIT FOR PRE-2006 PENSIONERS - ANOTHER LEGAL VICTORY

PUNJAB - HARYANA HIGH COURT ORDERS GRANT OF UPGRADED PAY TO PRE-1996 / PRE-2006 PENSIONERS OF RAILWAY DEPARTMENT!

Another Step towards getting Upgraded Scale benefit to HSG-I and all other cadres




Dear Comrades! 

As the Chandigarh Bench of CAT denied the claim by the Railway Pensioners to the upgraded pay scales given to their cadre prospectively after their retirement on cadre restructuring, several Railway Pensioners went on appeal to Punjab - Haryana High Court. Recently the Punjab - Haryana High Court has delivered a historic judgment that these Pre-1996 / Pre-2006 Pensioners also to be given the benefit of upgraded pay scales granted to the same cadre which was renamed under a cadre restructuring scheme.

The good news is that the Railway Department has already ordered to implement the judgment to the Applicants of these cases in High Court,  though the Railways or the Government is not yet ready to extend the benefit to similarly placed all other Pensioners.

This legal victory of Railway Pensioners is a boost in our arms, as our claim to the up-graded scales of several cadres like HSG-I, Postman, ASPOs, IPOs etc by successive Pay Commissions are not yet conceded by the Government. 

Already the Railways Senior Citizens Welfare Society has represented to government for grant of similar benefit to all similarly placed. 

AIPRPA CHQ is also addressing the Pension Ministry. NCCPA and Staff Side Secretary are also being addressed by us to take advantage of the judgment in their discussion. 

If an upgraded scale  on restructuring is to be extended to Pre-1996 / Pre-2006 Pensioners, then why not the up-graded scales by Pay Commissions or by Government not extended to Pre-2006? Yes - this is the justified question, and let us pursue the issue still more stronger!

- KR General Secretary - 

NFPE writes to Department of Posts on endorsement of 6th April Orders of Pension Ministry!

NFPE WRITES TO SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF POSTS



NFPE Secretary General has also written to Secretary Department of Posts seeking early endorsement of Pension Ministry orders dated 6.4.2016 on "de-linking qualifying service of 33 years for Pre-2006 Pensioners". AIPRPA CHQ thanks the Federation for taking up our issue. It can be seen that NFPE also requested for suo moto implementation of orders without the need for individual representations from eligible Pensioners.

AIPRPA CHQ learns now that action has been initiated by the Department to up-date the main server at Ahmedabad Postal Accounts to facilitate refixation of pension for all Pre-2006 Pensioners with less than 33 years of service as per the fitment table. The DAP Chennai has also reportedly sought such an action to facilitate automatic drawal of revised pension from 1.1.2006 to all such Pre-2006 Pensioners. 

Let us hope that the work will be taken up at the earliest!

-KR General Secretary

Sunday 8 May 2016

AIPRPA CHQ WRITES TO SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF POSTS FOR ENDORSEMENT OF 6th APRIL ORDERS ON FULL PENSION TO PRE-2006 PENSIONERS!


CHQ has written to Secretary Posts for immediate action

Requested for endorsement of 6th April Orders to refix pension for all Pre-2006 Pensioners with less than 33 years of service!

Copy of the letter as follows:

All India Postal & RMS Pensioners Association

(Registered No: 83/2015 under Tamilnadu Societies Registration Act, 1975)
Chennai HQ: 2/44, Muthial Chetty Street, Purasawalkam, Chennai - 600007
New Delhi HQ: First Floor, North Avenue Post Office Building, North Avenue, New Delhi - 110001


AIPRPA / 1 / 5/2016 Dated 8.5.2016
To
The Secretary
Department of Posts
Dak Bhawan
New Delhi – 110001

Madam,
Sub: Delay in Refixation of Pension to Pre-2006 Pensioners with less than 33 years of qualifying service – regarding.
Ref: Department of Pension & PW OM No. 38/37/08-P&PW(A) Dated 6.4.2016.

This All India Postal & RMS Pensioners Association is constrained to bring to your kind notice that despite the issuance of orders by the Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare cited under reference for the grant of full pension instead of prorata pension for those Pre-2006 pensioners, no action seems to have been initiated by the Postal Authorities for re-fixing the pension to such pensioners so far. It is learnt that the absence of endorsement of the orders of the DoP&PW by the Postal Directorate is cited as the reason for not initiating any action on the matter by the Postal Audit Authorities.

This Association is pained to note that some important orders of the Pension Ministry are not immediately endorsed by the Postal Directorate in the past also. To cite an example, the orders of FMA Revision from 300/- to 500/- was inordinately delayed by the Postal Directorate. Now the present orders on grant of full pension to Pre-2006 is also not endorsed in time by the Postal Directorate. This type of avoidable delay on the part of the Postal Directorate is causing much strain on the Postal Pensioners as they are forced to wait longer to get justice, despite orders by the Government of India.

We therefore urge upon you to kindly intervene to cause to issue the endorsement orders immediately with instructions for grant of revised pension w.e.f. 1.1.2006 suo-moto without any need for personal representations from the pensioners. Such a move will give benefits to thousands of eligible Pre-2006 Pensioners with less than 33 years of service.

This Association will highly appreciate your early action.

Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(K.Ragavendran)

General Secretary
K.Ragavendran
General Secretary AIPRPA

Saturday 7 May 2016

We meet in August 2016

CWC of AIPRPA CHQ in CHENNAI 

ACCOMMODATION FOR MEETING AND STAY BOOKED

ALL ARE REQUESTED TO RESERVE THEIR JOURNEY

 NOW ITSELF



The Central Working Committee of AIPRPA CHQ Will be held in Chennai (Tamilnadu) on 25-26, August, 2016. All CHQ Office Bearers, State General Secretaries and State General Convenors are requested to book their to and fro journey now itself - Air conditioned accommodation for stay and meeting is being booked - As 7th CWC would have been implemented by that time, we have to take stock of situation and plan future; our role in strengthening AIPRPA and the joint pensioners platforms will be other major issues. Next venue of AIC also to be discussed - Attendance must for all - pl plan well in advance - KR GS AIPRPA

Wednesday 4 May 2016

PB2 passes away!

Comrade PB passes away!


Com. P. Balakrishnan (84 years) veteran leader of P&T Trade Union Movement and Patron of AIPRPA Kerala has passed away this day morning in Thiruvanandhapuram Kerala. He was the Ex-All India Secretary, NFPE, Ex-Asstt. General Secretary, AIPEU Group ‘C’ (CHQ) & Circle Secretary P3/CCC NFPTE Convenor Kerala & Ex-General Secretary, Confederation Kerala also. He expired today (5th May 2016) morning at 6 AM after a prolonged illness and hospitalization recently. A man who played a valuable role in our movement is no more! His funeral will be at about 5.30 P.M today. AIPRPA CHQ dips its banner in honour and memory of comrade P.B! - KR GS AIPRPA