| Pensions Bill challenged in Supreme Court – Not in India – But it happens at Srilanka |
| President calls unions for a discussion |
| The new Employees Pensions Bill which has drawn the ire of employees, employers and trade unions, has been challenged in the Supreme Court by the Ceylon Bank Employees Union (CBEU) on a fundamental rights (FR) issue. Meanwhile President Mahinda Rajapaksa, conscious of the barrage of criticism over the scheme which is to be made mandatory contrary to earlier promises of a voluntary pensions plan, has invited trade unions for a meeting on April 25 – two days before the bill is to be debated in parliament – to discuss issues that concern workers. Anton Marcus, President of the Free Trade Zones and General Service Employees Union which is associated – along with other unions - with the CBEU in the petition, said notices of the FR application have already been sent to the Parliamentary Speaker and the Attorney General. “We are filing a motion in court next week to take up the matter on April 28 and thus it is unlikely that parliament will be able to debate it on April 27,” he said. Courts have been on vacation and due to reopen in last week April. T.M.R.Rasseedin, President of Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL), like most trade union leaders, is skeptical of meetings with the President. “Going on past experiences, these meetings are an informal gathering mostly attended by pro-government unions. Its not a real dialogue … just some ‘mock’ discussions with little outcomes, followed by lunch,” he said, adding however that his union would attend the meeting. Mr Marcus said the President’s Office should only invite unions represented on the National Labour Advisory Council, which has been raising issues over the pensions scheme, instead of all unions.
The petition says that under the bill once an employment is declared to be a ‘covered employment’ the employees concerned in these employment categories automatically become members without their consent to joining it. All workers who become members of the fund are forced to forgo a certain percentage of their remunerations to be remitted to the said fund. Workers don’t have any choice but to remit their hard-earned remuneration to the fund against their will, it said. “.. there are no whatsoever provisions in the bill to the effect that the worker and in his absence his dependents will be entitled without any hindrance to the amount so deducted from the worker and to the interest accrued to that amount,” the petition said. It said workers who make contributions must have a minimum period of 10 years of contributions to qualify for a pension. If an employee does not have the respective number of years required he or she will have to make the balance payments relating to such period, without being employed, which would also include the monthly contribution of the employer as well. If the employee is unable to make this balance payment he will stand to lose all deductions that were made from earnings. The petition says a large number of young female employees are employed in industrial and export processing zones and the duration of employment of most of these employees is often below 10 years. In such instances, they will stand to lose their remunerations. The petition has also raised issue over withdrawal of the remittances before a worker completes 10 years of service. Early withdrawal would entitle the worker to only 60% of the contributions. |
IMPORTANT/URGENT
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES
FEDERATION OF NATIONAL POSTAL ORGANIZATIONS
ALL INDIA POSTAL EXTRA DEPARTMENTAL EMPLOYEES UNION
NATIONAL UNION OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS
NEW DELHI
No. JCA/AGTN/2011 Date – 20.04.2011
To,
Ms. Radhika Doraiswamy
Secretary
Department of Posts
Dak Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001
Madam,
Sub: - Problems faced by the Postal and RMS Employees – Submission of Charter of Demands – regarding
Ref: - Our Letter No. JCA/AGTN/2011 dated 01.04.2011
The joint meeting of the National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE), Federation of National Postal Organisations (FNPO) and GDS Unions has reviewed the situation prevailing in the Department of Posts and has decided to organize agitational programmes culminating in indefinite strike from 5th July 2011 for realization of the genuine demands of the Postal and RMS Employees and also to stop the disastrous policy offensives unleashed by the authorities such as closure/merger of Post offices/RMS offices, outsourcing, contractorisation etc. we have already submitted a letter dated 01.04.2011 detailing the issues which are agitating the minds of the entirety of Postal/RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks.
Accordingly, we hereby submit a Charter of Demands containing the items which are to be discussed and settled amicably, failing which we will be compelled to resort to agitational programmes as mentioned in our letter dated 01.04.2011.
With regards,
Yours faithfully,
| M. Krishnan Secretary General, NFPE | D. Theagarajan Secretary General, FNPO |
|
K. V. Sridharan General Secretary, AIPEU Group ‘C’ | D. Kishan Rao General Secretary, NAPE Group ‘C’ |
| Ishwar Singh Dabas General Secretary AIPEU -Postmen & MSE/Group ‘D’ | T. N. Rahate General Secretary NAPE Postmen, MTS & Group ‘D’ |
| Giriraj Singh General Secretary AIRMS & MMS EU Group ‘C’ | D. Theagarajan General Secretary R-3, FNPO |
| P. Suresh General Secretary AIRMS & MMS EU MG & Group ‘D’ | A. H. Siddique General Secretary R-4, FNPO |
| Pranab Bhattacharjee General Secretary AIPAOEU – NFPE | O.P.Khanna General Secretary AIPAOA(FNPO) |
| S. S. Mahadevaiah General Secretary AIPEDEU | P.U.Muralidharan General Secretary GDS – NUPE |
| T. Satyanarayanan General Secretary AIPAEA | H.L. RAMTEKE General Secretary AIPAOA |
| S. Appanraj General Secretary AIPSBCOEA | S. Sambandam General Secretary NASBCO |
| S. A. Raheem General Secretary AIPCWEA | Pratha Pritam Ghorai General Secretary NUCWEA |
