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| Bank retirees on Hunger Strike over long-pending pension update issues | | |  Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
The long-pending issue of pension updation for bank retirees has been a major concern for over 30 years. Despite agreements and discussions between bank retiree associations, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), and the government, progress has been slow. Many bank retirees/pensioners are now worried about the lack of action on this front.
Bank retirees have indeed been super proactive, organizing state-level demonstrations and centralized dharnas at Jantar Mantar in Delhi multiple times. Each time, they’ve submitted memorandums highlighting their grievances, which mainly revolve around pension updation, DA neutralization, and family pension improvements. Despite their efforts, they haven’t seen much progress, which is why they’re now taking it to the next level with day-long hunger strikes, culminating in a general meeting. This is quite a bold move, considering many of them are dealing with age-related ailments.
Organizations like the All Indi a Bank Pensioners’ and Retirees’ Confederation (AIBPARC) and the Coordination of Bank Pensioners’ and Retirees Organisations (CBPRO) have been at the forefront of these movements. They’ve held massive dharnas in the past, like the ones in November 2013 and Nove mber 2015, which drew thousands of retirees from across the country. More recently, there was a centralized dharna planned for October 23, 2024, at Jantar Mantar, Delhi.
Bank Retirees/Pensioners are at a loss as to what they should do to get their legal right of updation of Pension and Special allowance as Basic day for arriving at Superannuation Benefits. They have submitted memorandum on number of occasions to IBA, Government, Mass on line Petitions to the authorities, met all the concerned authorities but all in vain.
Bank Retirees/Pensioners are the only one section excluded by the Government from its Glorious program of “Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas, Sab ka Viswas” for all the Revolutionary and Exemplary Banking services they rendered to this Great nation. Bank retirees/pensioners indeed feel excluded from the government’s “Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas, Sab ka Viswas” (Together with All, Development for All, Trust of All) program. They believe their decades of revolutionary and exemplary service to the nation haven’t been adequately recognized or rewarded. Their main grievances include pension updation, DA neutralization, and family pension improvements, which they’ve been fighting for, for a long time.
This sense of exclusion stems from the perception that the government has overlooked their contributions and hasn’t provided the same benefits as those given to other sectors, like government and RBI pensioners. Organizations like AIBPARC and CBPRO have been vocal about these issues, advocating for the rights of bank retirees and pushing for policy changes to address these disparities. The insensitivity shown and the irrational and illogical stand taken by IBA has forced the Bank Pensioners and Retirees to take recourse to this action program.
Bank retirees are indeed going on hunger strike due to long-pending pension update issues. Their main demands include Pension Updation, 100% DA Neutralisation for pre-2002 retirees, and Family Pension improvements. These issues stem from the 12th Bipartite Settlement, where retirees felt their concerns weren’t adequately addressed, particularly regarding the ‘ex-gratia’ payment clause, which they see as a “retrograde step”.
Organizations like the All India Bank Pensioners’ and Retirees’ Confederation (AIBPARC) and the All Kerala Bank Retirees Forum have been vocal about these issues, even taking legal battles to the Supreme Court. They argue that bank retirees deserve pension updation, just like government and RBI pensioners. The Coordination of Bank Pensioners’ and Retirees Organisations (CBPRO) has also been actively pursuing these demands with the Department of Financial Services and the Indian Banks’ Association. They’re using all avenues, from legal battles to mass protests and hunger strikes, to draw attention to their cause and ensure their voices are heard
The issues are required to be addressed on a priority basis otherwise a good number of Bank Pensioners and Retirees will not be in the world to enjoy the legitimate rights. The issues of bank pensioners are super critical and need to be addressed on a priority basis. Many bank pensioners are aging, and if their concerns aren’t resolved soon, a significant number might not be around to see the benefits of any potential resolutions.
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