CHENNAI: Certain key unions for the government employees and teachers are anticipating that the state government may propose alternative proposals for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), since it “involves a huge financial commitment”, during the fresh talks. However, the unions said they will be firm on their demand for OPS.
The government has called JACTTO-GEO and FOTA-GEO for talks on Friday at the state secretariat, even as they (unions) are gearing up to launch an indefinite strike from January 6, demanding the reversal/reverting to the OPS and solutions to other demands. The talks will be chaired by PWD Minister EV Velu.
The talks with ministers EV Velu, Thangam Thennarasu and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on December 22 had failed. Leaders of JACTTO-GEO and FOTA-GEO expressed their anguish over this and announced that they would be going ahead with their indefinite strike from January 6. On December 30, a committee headed by senior IAS officer Gagandeep Singh Bedi submitted its final report on the pension scheme suitable for the government employees.
The talks have been called ahead of the cabinet meeting on January 6. The cabinet is expected to decide on the pension scheme based on the outcome of the talks. When asked whether they are confident that the government would agree to revert to the OPS, leaders of a few unions told TNIE that the government has been refusing to implement the OPS, citing huge financial commitments towards that. As such, the government might propose an “Assured Pension Scheme” for the employees instead of the OPS or amendments to the existing Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The leaders also said that the government is likely to hold the talks based on the recommendations made by the Bedi Committee. “We will be firm on the OPS, and we are keen on resolving the long-pending issue,” they added.
The JACTTO-GEO, in its detailed representation before the Bedi Committee a few months ago, firmly demanded the implementation of the OPS. They also sought inclusion of all employees who are being covered under the CPS including 39,105 retirees and the families of 11,918 employees who died in service, who have been denied pension, family pension and gratuity despite existing orders.