‘Ex-SAIL staffers suffering financial losses’

The 6 per cent pension for non-executive and 9 per cent for executive employees working under the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) was unanimously agreed on July 1, 2014 at the National Joint Committee for the Steel Industries (NJCS) meeting.

It was effective from January 1, 2012. The difference amount between the non-executive and executive was acceptable at that time by the NJCS trade unions (CITU, AITUC, HMS and INTUC) under the consideration that the wage negotiation for non-executive is in every 5 years where as it is 10 years for the executive. Secondly, the gratuity ceiling for executive was Rs 10 lakh whereas it was unlimited for non-executive.

But due to the inexperience and arrogance of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the retired workers are still not getting a single pie,= alleged CITU national vice-president Bishnu Mohanty here on Thursday.

Briefing to mediapersons, Mohanty said since the formation of the BMS, it was not a member of the NJCS, nor a recognized union in any unit of SAIL. But after the BJP came to power in Centre, the organisation for the first time got recognition in the Rourkela Steel Plant giving many false commitments to the workers in October, 2014 election (practically recognition got in March 2015). It also got opportunity to sit in the NJCS, Mohanty told.

But instead of taking steps for the execution of pension schemes as for the agreement made in 2014 as the retired employees have been facing financial losses for many months and without understanding the reality due to their lack of experience in trade union activities, the BMS disagreed with that and argued for 9 per cent pension for non-executive at par with executive.

Taking this advantage, the authority knowingly delayed the process putting the beneficiaries in financial loss and in course of time when SAIL met loss the authority showed reluctance to give any pension, Mohanty said.

But due to the relentless fight of CITU, now finally in the last meeting held on July 17, it was once again agreed by the authority and the BMS also agreed with 6 per cent for non-executive.

Secondly Mohanty said though the tenure of last wage revision period was expired on December 31 2016 and in between, 19 months elapsed, the authority has not initiated any process for next wage revision settlement. He threatened an all India strike if the demand was not fulfilled.

He also briefed about the nexus between the contractor and officers in the Rourkela Steel Plant for which the newly constructed Blast Furnace-5 of RSP (the biggest one in Asia) and the renovated Blast Furnace-1 have been facing breakdown frequently due to poor works. He demanded enhancement in the wages of contract workers as per the judgment of the Supreme Court.