History of UCO Bank Pensioners' Association, West Bengal

Formation of All India UCO Bank Pensioners' Federation

Formation of All India Bank Pensioners' and Retirees' Confedaration

A>  History of UCO Bank Pensioners' Association, West Bengal

It is not far-away days when stage of life after retirement was very stressful associated with various ailments and financial constraints. Today the concept doesn't sound so strong. Retirement as it stands out now is a renewed phase of life which one wants to pass on with bliss and peace amidst meaningful activities.

But as journey of life requires succour in the form of money, material and healthy social environment to survive, it is emoluments or wages in the hands of working persons during the period of their active service and terminal benefits that they need at the time of retirement.

One of the important component of the terminal benefits is Pension Scheme which was more or less absent in the banking industry until the signing of the 6th Bipartite settlement, almost two decades ago. The settlement was achieved as a second benefit in lieu of Providend Fund Scheme which came into effect with retrospective date decided arbitrarily as on 1.1.1986.

In view of divergent views between AIBOC and Workmen Unions, the total number of Pension optees was around 50% in the banking industry. The other organisations namely LIC and RBI who were in a position to enforce the date of option extended, ensured a near 100 % optees in their respective organisations. Thus, a major challenge remained upfront before all the unions in the banking industry when  the discontentment amongst the rank and file across the country grew demanding yet another option.

The achievement of second option became a big challenge to the unions in the banking industry. The 7th Bipartite couldn't bring in any solution. The issue was carried forward to the 8th Bipartite when again it remained unresolved for lack of time but a memorandum of understanding was signed between constituents of UFBU and IBA to pursue the issue with further negotiation.

The demand for second option which had been relentlessly pursued so long saw the day of success with the signing of 9th Bipartite Settlement and thus the second option for pension was made available to the great benefit of 3.5 lakh workforce all over the country providing great relief to those who didn't opt for Pension Scheme earlier.

Once the basic goal i.e.opening up of avenues for pension for those who didn't opt earlier was achieved, it has become incumbent upon the organisations in the banking industry to organise pensioner's and retired employees to unite themselves into separate organisations in close liason with existing organisations of working employees of the banking industry and more particularly to tie them up under bankwise federations and furthur into a confederation to achieve rationalisation and improvement in pension medical benefits.

With this objective in view the far-sighted leaders of various organisations of our bank with active support of AIUCBOF and AOUCB acting as facilitators for the initiative, organised a convention of the pensioners of our bank in the state of West Bengal which was held on the 4th of September, 2010 at Sarala Roy Memorial Community Hall, 1/1 Harish Mukherjee Road, Kolkata-700020.

The Convention was largely attended by the existing and future pensioners as well as the leaders of various orgainsations. At the outset Md Nasiruddin, General Secretary of Association of Officers' of UCO Bank, West Bengal, the facilitator of the Convention delivered the Welcome Address. Then The Presidium comprising of Shri R.M. Choubey, Shri Kalyan Mukherjee, Shri Debabrata Chandra, Shri Tarun Bhattacharjee, Shri Arun Roy with Shri Soumen Roy Chowdhury in The Chair was formed.

The Convention started with a great enthusiasm amongst the participants. The leaders on the dais exhorted at length explaining why formation of the pensioner's association was a call of the hour and what should be our immediate demands which required to be achieved with united efforts of pensioners and active organisations. Shri Soumen Roy Chowdhury thereafter made a forceful deliberation stating and explaining the rationality behind holding of this Convention and our task ahead. Some participants also deliberated welcoming the formation of the Pensioner's Association in our state and asserted that it should go all the way to achieve our various demands including improvement in medical benefits.

The Convention thereafter adopted the following three resolutions unanimously.

1. Demand regarding immediate resolve of Industry level issues like improvement of family pension, revision/ upgradation of pension at the time of every Bipartite settlement,payment of arrear to all retirees who retired during 7th Bipartite and 100% neutralisation of DA for all retirees.

2. Demand on settlement of issues of Pensioners of UCO Bank.Included upgradation/improvement in Mediclaim Scheme for Retirees,introduction of payment of travelling incentive to all retirees,Payment of interest on belated payment of commutation amount to all eligible VRS retirees,issuance of identity card to all retirees ,etc.

3. Formation of UCO Bank Pensioner's Association West Bengal.

The Draft Memorandum of the Association featuring its constitution was placed before the house by Shri Debabrata Chandra and the same was unanimously adopted.

Thereafter the following panel for constituting first committee of office bearers and members of UCO Bank Pensioner's Association, West Bengal was formed as per newly adopted constitution.

Patron : Shri R.M. Choubey
           : Shri B.K.Dutta
           : Ms. Sunanda Lahiri
           : Shri Kalyan Mukherjee
President : Shri B.K. Bandyopadhay
Vice President : Shri Debabrata Chanda
                       : Shri Tridib Charan Choudhury
                       : Shri Tarun Bhattacharjee
                       : Shri Arun Roy
                       : Shri Ajit Kumar Maiti

General Secretary : Shri Dilip Kumar Bhowmick
Assistant General Secretary : Shri Deb Kumar Basu
                                           : Shri Dilip Kumar Pal
                                           : Shri Gopal Chaudhury

                                           : Shri Ashok Kumar Manna
                                           : Shri S.Datta Gupta
Treasurer : ShriC.R.P. Haran
Assistant Treasurer : Shri Amar Chandra Chatterjee
Committee Members : Shri Sunil Chakroborty
                                : Shri Subhas Dutta
                                : Shri Arup Ratan Saha
                                : Md. Sanaullah
                                : Shri Deepak Ranjan Majumdar
                                : Shri Dilip Kumar Malakar
                                : Shri Kallol Chatterjee
                                : Shri Ramji Choudhury
                                : Smt. Prabha Banerjee
                                : Smt. Rupasree Roy

The Convention thereafter ended with a lot of enthusiasm and expectations amongst the participants.

Once retired, the identity of an UCO Bank employee is therefore not lost. With the newly formed organisation, a pensioner of the Bank can now enjoy the same fraternity and collectiveness as before and stride for betterment of their own lives. Now it is our ardent duty to enrol more members and enlarge the Association to its full capacity so as to carry forward the Pensioners' movement to resolve our various issues and demands as specified in the resolutions charted above.

The first Annual General Meeting of UCO Bank Pensioners' Association, West Bengal

The first Annual General Meeting of the Association was held on Saturday, the 7th April 2012 at Krishnapada Ghosh Memorial Hall (CITU Hall), 55 Surya Sen Street, Kolkata-700009 at 1 P.M.

The House was full with enthusiastic members who came from all over West Bengal. The meeting was graced by Shri SR Sengupta, Ex General Secretary, AIBOC and Shri Soumen Roy Chowdhury, General Secretary, AIUCBOF. Both are veteran leaders of Bank Officers' Movement in the country.

At the beginning, after taking over the charge of the meeting by the Presidium headed by Shri Bipul Krishna Bandyopadhay, President of the Association, Shri S R Sengupta was welcomed on the podium to inaugurate the meeting with his keynote address to the participants. While inaugurating Shri Sengupta delivered an elaborate speech in which he recalled the Bank Emplyees' Movement in the past that led to achievement of pension facility, first in 1995 and again in 2010, when the second option for pension was realised. Shri Sengupta asserted for creation of a platform of retired bank officers and employees for raising collective voice to exert pressure on the Central Government for clinching our issues like updation and improvement of pension and family pension in the line of the 6th pay committee recommendation, enhancement of Ex-Gratia to pre 1986 retirees, enhancement of Ex-Gratia to suriviving spouse of pre-1986 retirees, facility of hospitalisation scheme to retirees and their spuose, uniform Dearness relief to all bank retirees, Welfare Fund for bank retirees etc. In this respect he informed that a new confederation was formed which would carry forward the bank pensioners' movement against central government and IBA to settle their legitimate demands.

Shri Soumen Roy Chowdhury in his spirited speech reminded us that AIUCBOF believe in cadreless and rankless retiree orgainsation to work for the best interest of bank retirees. Many persons have already joined this pensioners' association who were in different unions/ associations while in service. He assured full support of AIUCBOF in the joint struggle against bank management/ IBA for resolving the long pending issues of pensioners. He called upon the participants as well as the leaders of the association to endeavour, to enrol maximum number of retiree employees under the umbrella of this Pensioners' Association.

Thereafter Shri Dilip Kumar Bhowmik, General Secretary placed the scretaries' report and Shri CRP Haran, Treasurer placed the audited statement of accounts for the years ending 31.12.2010 and 31.12.2011 for discussion and adoption.

Altogether seven members took part in the discussions raising the issues like improvement in settling hospital expenses, updation of pension and family pension, pe-1986 Ex-Gratia to retirees and their spouses, additional pension to very old pensioners in the line of 6th pay committee recommendation, consideration of payment to retirees' handicapped children etc.

The General Secretary then replied to the queries of the participants and assured the House that the issues raised by the speakers would be duly taken care of by the incoming committee. The House adopted unanimously both the General Secretaries' report and the Accounts placed by The Treasurer.

Then Shri Tushar Bhattacharya, Vice President, AOUCB who is also a PF Trustee representing majority officers' orgainsations(AIBOC) delivered a reassuring speech informing the House that he is vigilant and always proactive for safe and well-yielding return on investment of Members' Fund.

The following committee of office bearers and committee members were formed for the year 2012-2013.

President: Shri Bipul Krishna Bandyopadhay

Vice-President: Shri Debabrata Chanda
                        Shri D. Bhattacharya
                        Shri Asitava Das Gupta
                        Shri Tridib Charan Choudhury
                        Shri D.K. Bhowmik

General Secretary: Shri Pradip Das Gupta

Astt. General Secretary: Shri Deb Kumar Bose
                                     Shri S. Dutta Gupta
                                     Shri Ashok Kumar Manna
                                     Shri Tapan Banerjee
                                     Shri Debdas Ghosh

Treasurer: Shri Abdul Mokid

Astt. Treaurer: Shri Amar Chandra Chatterjee

Committee Member: Shri Pradip Pal
                               Shri Ranen Ghosh
                               Shri Dipak Ranjan Majumder
                               Shri Durges Kumar Das
                               Mrs. Prabha Banerjee
                               Mrs. Sipra Dutta
                               Shri Arup Ratan Saha
                               Shri Kallol Chatterjee
                               Md. Sanaullah
                               Shri Ramji Choudhury

The AGM then ended with vote of thanks to the veteran leaders on the dias and to the Chair with a note of resoluteness of the members.

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B>  Formation of All India UCO Bank Pensioners' Federation

With a view to strengthening the united movement of Pensioners' of UCO Bank all over the country a convention of state units of UCO Bank Pensioners' Associations was convened by Sri Bipul Krishna Bandopadhyay, President of UCO Bank Pensioners' Asociation, West Bengal, on Saturday, 8th of January, 2011. at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata where 17 States/Associations duly represented by their respective Presidents and the General Secretaries, participated to federate themeselves into an All India Body. The representatives of the state of J and K although agreed to join the federation could not reach the venue on time due to late-running of their train.

At the request of the President B.K. Bandopadhyay, Sri J.C. Shandil, President and Sri S Roychowdhury, Genreral Secretary of AIUCBOF respectively who played a great role of mentor, facilitator and guide to the initiative were also present in the meeting. After commencement of the proceedings, the constitution of the proposed Federation was circulated amongst representatives of different States and Associations and it was read para by para to evoke discussion on each clause of the constitution which was approved mutatis mutandis by all participants. The following proposals were modified and accepted.

1. That each unit shall pay the Federation Rs 300/- per member of the Association /unit as one time subscription fee and Rs 150/- in case of Associate members (Those who draw family pension) instead of 30% of the subscription collected.
2. The Post of Treasurer and Asst. Treasurer shall be nominated posts and not elected Posts.

The next item of the Agenda was election of Office bearers. The convener then put the item for discussion. The following members were elected unanimously for the first Triennial of 2011-2014.

The third item on the Agenda was passing of Resolutions. The following Resolutions were passed by the House.

1. A Resolution for the confirmation of formation of the All India UCO Bank Pensioners' Federation
2. A Resolution making a demand for resolve of Industry level issues affecting Pensioners of Public Sector Banks
a) Improvement in family pension at par with Central Govt. Employees;
b) Revision/up-gradation of pension at the time of every bitpartite settlement with retrospective effect from 1995;
c) Payment of arrear on account of re-fixing basic pension based at 1684 points instead of 1616 w.e.f date of retirement to 30.04.2005 to all retirees who retired from bank's service in 7th Bipartite Settlement and payment of eligible commutation to above mentioned retirees;
d) 100% neutralisation of DA for all retirees who retired from Bank's service prior to 1.11.2002;
e) Revision of DA on quarterly basis;
f) All other benefits applicable to Central Govt pensioners must also be made available to Pensioners in Banking Industry.
3. A Resolution demanding the settlement of issues pertaining to Pensioners and Retirees' in UCO Bank.
a) Improvement in Medi-claim scheme;
b) Payment of travelling incetive to all retirees once in 2 years;
c) Payment of interest on belated payment of commutation amount to all eligible VRS optees or full pension from the date of retirement to the date of payment;
d) Payment of preferential interest of 1% for staff and eligible % of interest for senior citizens to all retirees over 60 years of age, without any reduction;
e) Issuance of identity card to all pensioners at Bank's cost;
f) Introduction of a scheme for payment of medical allowance to all pensioners every year;
g) Fixation of specific % of profit to be utilized for the welfare of retirees only as per recommendation of Khandelwal Committee;
h) Extension of Bank's Holiday Home facility to pensioners.

The meeting then ended with Vote of Thanks by Shri B.K Bandopadhyay to all the members present in the Convention. The Presidium as well as the members present also thanked the leaders of AIUCBOF for extending their all out help, both financial and logistic to make possible the formation of All India UCO Bank Pensioners' Federation.

In the afternoon there was an inaugural Session of All India UCO Bank Pensioners' Federation at 8 Gokhale Road, Kolkata-700020. It was an open Session attended by following dignitaries and the members as well.

Shri Arun Kaul C & MD, UCO Bank spoke on the occasion and said that the Retired Personnel can be very good brand ambassador for the Bank and also a potential source for business. Shri Ajai Kumar and Badarinarayanan greeted the occasssion saying that today's staff are tomorrow's retirees and thanked them for building the Bank as a great Institution.

Shri S.R. Sengupta while delivering his key-note speech elaborated how the Pension Benefit was extracted from the reluctant government by the joint movement of the bank employees. The protracted struggle of the bank employees could finally achieve the long pending demand of second option for those who didn't opt for pension earlier. But still we have various remaining issues like removal of anomalies with government employees, improvement of a present Pension Scheme and other benefits. He congratulated AIUCBOF for sponsoring formation of the Federation which is a first step towards consolidation of retirees in the Banking Industry.

Shri P.K Sarkar spoke high about the efforts made by AIBOC in forcing the government to offer second option of pension to the Bank Employees.

Shri R.M Choubey regretted saying that it's a pity, he as a retired General Manager was still drawing lesser pension than that of a Scale-II and III Officer in the Bank. Shri Kalyan Mukherjee and the retirees of the Bank can help in mobilising business for the bank provided they are willing.

The meeting then ended with vote of thanks proposed by Shri B.K Bandopadhyay, the President elect.

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C>Formation of All India Bank Pensioners' and Retirees' Confedaration

A National level platform named as all India Bank Pensioners' and Retirees' Confederation was formed on17th march 2012 in the Foundation conferrence Held At Nagpur at the initiative of AIBOC.Formation of this Confederation has generated strong hopes and trust among the retiree pensioners in the Banking Industry.Retirees and Pensioners of the banking Fraternity are now alive with the expectations that updation of pension,improvement of Family Pension, D.A. Formula etc. will get due weightage and force for settlement through Industry Level negotiations.

The Following Resolutions were adopted in the conferrence.

1.) National integration and Unity
2.) Probity in Public Life - Eradication of corruption-- Unearthing Of Black Money Etc.
3.) Inflation and Price Rise.
4.) Payment Of Decent Pension---Exgratia to retirees prior to 01.01.1986
5.) Updation Of Pension.
6.) Upgradation of Pension---Uniform D.A.
7.) Revesion of Gratuity ceiling: Date Of Effect
8.) Comprehensive Review of Pension benefits in S.B.I.:Removal of Anomaly in respect of 7th Bipartite
9.) Recognition to All India Bank Pensioners' and Retirees' Confederation
10.) Bipartite Machinery at Industry Level for pensioners' and Retirees.
11.) Bank Level Bipartite Forums
12.) Representations on the other Forums.
13.) Removal of anomaly in respect of  malimplementation of 2nd option.
14.) Welfare facilities 

The Retirees and Pensioners of the Banking indutry have strong faith that the newly born Confederation will acquire required strength with the active support of themselves and organisations of Bank employees in service and resolve their issues through industry level negotiations with the central government and IBA.

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