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Minutes of the Meeting of All India Banks’ Provident Fund Optees’ Forum Held at Hyderabad on 14/08/2011

We are in receipt of the minutes / proceedings of the meeting held on 14th August, 2011. We are providing the same for the benefit of the readers, as it also updates the position of proceedings of other court cases etc. :-

The AI BKs PF Optees’ Forum meet at Hyderabad on 14.08.2011 under the aegis of UFOPFO, Maharashtra which began at 2.30pm was an unprecedented and a resounding success. The outcome of has been due to an unstinting and totally dedicated work done by two die hard workers Shri K S T Rangarao and T Ramesh. They both have worked tirelessly and have taken care, of the Guests and the rest who attended the Meeting, to its minutest details.

The following Speakers, who enlightened all from the dais, are as under,

1, Shri K Mohandoss of the Madurai Unit of PF Optees Forum informed that they have a total of 131 members and it is their endeavor to cover the entire Tami Nadu in its membership list. Mr. K Mohandoss gave details of how they have been able to file a writ at the Madurai High Court with a total of 51 petitioners. They have extended a support to the All India Banks PF Optees Forum and would continue to strive for the justice to all the categories of the PF Optees.

2. Shri K S T Rangarao, Hyderabad Coordinator, informed that all categories were deprived on various counts, under the 9th Bipartite Settlement and opined that the Leaders of UFBU who negotiated with IBA, should have taken some more care before signing the Settlement. The financial burden such as 2.8% and 56% imposed on the existing and Retired, apart from taking back the ''Banks Contribution to PF", already credited to employees account, during their service, for opting second option for Pension, should have been certainly avoided, if they rightfully demanded for the displaying of figures pertaining to the Pension Corpus Fund, which has to be maintained, displayed in the yearly Balance Sheets, and monitored by the Reserve Bank of India in a transparent way. He also opined that the deprived sections under Gratuity Enhancement Limit of 10 lakhs, can get the same up to full, through a Bank wise Agreement/Settlement, to be entered separately, in between the Individual Bank and the Respective Bank Union, only another way out left at this stage, as informed by the Labour Ministry, under RTI Act, to Mr.D’Souza ,since Parliament could not make another amendment for the Gratuity Act, in this regard. So, Pressure to be build to that effect in the coming days.

3. Shri Ganapati Subramaninam, President of the Canara Bank Workers Union in an enlightening speech informed how they have invoke the blessings of the Lord GANESH at KANIPAKKAM in Andhra Pradesh before filing it in the Chennai High Court. He informed how the 48 days stay obtained against 2.8 deductions had IBA running for cover and how all the muscle and money power was used to get the stay vacated. He advised that the best way to win the case for Justice was to invoke RTI an assured the house of his full support to people who will use RTI as a tool for strengthening the bargaining power in the Court. He also informed the house how 2 employees of Central Bank of Indi who file a case in Bhopal High court were hounded by the management an they had to abandon the case due to the pressure tactics use by one of the now constituents of UFBU.

4. Shri Nimai Sinha. Spearhead, Bankers Chambers, Patna Bihar, exhorted all to see how blatantly the statutory provisions’ of the Pension Regulations were violated while extending the 2^nd Pension Option.

5. Shri J S Rao, Convenor of both the AIBk PF Optees’ Forum and United Forum of PF Optees, Maharashtra, informed the house, of the double standards adopted by Shri R Sridharan leader of the AIBOF, AIBEA Officers wing when they have now filed a writ at the Chennai High Court against the disparity of the wage between State bank of India and the nationalized Bank. He also informed that it was the same person who brought a legal advice to vertically split the Bank Employees in to 2 categories of the PF Optees and the Non PF Optees. He informed how the Petitioners of both Maharashtra and the Karnataka Units have now filed a transfer petition in the Supreme Court, now numbered as 901-914/2011 and would be coming on the board shortly. He appealed to everyone to join the struggle for Justice immediately as the fight at the Supreme Court is costly, and easier if fought collectively.

6. Shri Murugan, Law Officer, Canara Bank informed that Supreme Court by its 5 bench has given a verdict that the pension is an alienable right and no one can deny this right. He opined that only a constitutional bench of 7 members can overrule such a verdict.

7. Shri Srinivasan, SyndicateBank a keen legal & IR expert eloquently described how he fought a denial of LTC availed for his parents. He also informed the audience to align with the AI Bks PF Optees Forum and take the fight to Supreme Court. He also informed the house how the specialist officers who were recruited in the Bank are eligible for extra 5 years addition for the Pension eligibility. He dealt at length the issues touching the everyday affairs of the Bank Employees in respect of their rights.

8. Shri Surja Kumar Ghosh, President of Allahabad Bank Retirees Federation, Bengaluru informed that how he is intolerant to injustice and vowed to take the fight to its ultimate destination.

9. Shri G Channa Ramakrishna, Convenor of the UFOPFO, Karnataka Unit informed the status of the writ at Bengaluru High Court and how he fights tooth and nail the machinations and anti employee’s schemes pursued by the UBU constituents.

The following members outside Andhra Pradesh were also present in the meetings.

<!--[Shri I Kamarudeen, VRS Retiree from Union Bank of India, Tamil Nadu

<!--[Shri G Sachidanandam, VRS Retiree from Union Bank of India, Tamil Nadu

<!--[Shri R Radhakrishna, 1^st Petitioner in Canara Bank Workers’ Petition, Chennai.

<!--[Shri K Venkatesan, Central Bank of India, Chennai

The meeting and ended at 7.00 pm. The interaction with those in attendance in the audience and dignitaries on the dais was lively.

ISSUES DISCUSSED AND RESOLUTIONS PASSED IN THE MEETING

1. FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION/BLACK MONEY

2. UPDATION/UPGRADATION OF PENSION

3. EXTENSION OF THE BENEFIT OF ENHANCED CEILING OF GRATUITY TO ALL RETIREES AT PAR

4. EXTENSION OF THE BENEFIT OF ANOTHER OPTION TO JOIN PENSION SCHEME TO ALL RETIREES UNDER CATEGORIES, VRS/CRS/RESIGNEE;

5. REFUND OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS COLLECTED FROM THE RETIRED AND EXISTING EMPLOYEES, IN THE NAME OF PENSION CARPUS FUND @56% AND 2.8%; FOR OPTING SECOND OPTION FOR PENSION;

The interaction taken place between the participants and the dignitaries on the dais was lively. The Meeting was concluded with a vote of thanks by Sri T. Ramesh, requested one and all, to make efforts, to join at least 3 members each. The response from the audience to this appeal was overwhelming.

United Forum of PF Optees, Maharashtra thanks the www.allbankingsolutions.com for providing a platform in the fight for Justice. This platform helped us to initiate such a meeting and culminate a successful meeting. The lion’s share of the success is to due to the omnipresent www.allbankingsolutions.com.

Shri J S Rao,

Convenor, All India Bks PF Optees’ Forum.

Convenor, UFOPFO, Maharashtra..

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MORE UPDATES SENT BY THE ABOVE FORUM

APPEAL BY : All India Banks’ Provident Fund Optees’ Forum

As decided in the Jaipur meeting forum and its second meeting in Hyderabad held on 14th August 2011 where it received a overwhelming response and house unanimously pledged to proceed ahead with membership drive and make all efforts to follow up transfer petition filed jointly by units of Maharashtra and Karnataka before Hon’ble Supreme Court of India so that matter can be heard on merits at one place without much delay.

On 23^rd August, 2011 our Transfer Petition (Civil) No.901 – 914 of 2011 was listed at S.No.12 on the board of Hon’ble Supreme Court in Court Room No.13. It gives us immense pleasure to inform all the PF Optees who are fighting for the cause that Hon’ble SC has given direction to issue notices to all the petitioners and respondents of writ petitions filed by the forums mentioned in our Transfer Petition.

Dear friends, you all know that in HCs of respective till now the matters are in the early stages as such may take more time and there is every possibility that even the orders if at all we may receive may not be of similar nature. It is to come out of this issue, our Karnataka and Maharashtra Unit have joined hands to move transfer application before Hon’ble Supreme Court.

We will be sending notice issued by Hon’ble Supreme Court to all the petitioners of forums for their respective Writs filed in their states and also to the respondents to the writs. You are hereby appealed to file your affidavit agreeing to the transfer of writs filed by your forum to Supreme Court. This will not only save time for speeding up of matter and will also save cost. Under the circumstances we will be able to fight it together for better results and all the writs will be heard on merits without wasting our time in respective High Courts.

We hope all the forums will respond to our notices immediately by filing affidavits concurring to transfer their writs to Supreme Court.

With best wishes,

R P Purohit J S Rao

Chairman Convenor

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Total Membership of UFOPFO, Maharashtra now stands at 673

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