CHENNAI: Various unions and associations of Tamil Nadu government employees and teachers are counting on an announcement from Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday regarding a new version of the pension scheme, incorporating features from other schemes that would be more beneficial to them than the New Pension Scheme (NPS).
However, after talks with minister E V Velu and Thangam Thennarasu, coordinators of the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisations and Government Employees’ Organisation (JACTTO-GEO), G Vengadesan, Vincent Paulraj and Thiagayarajan, expressed confidence that the CM, on Saturday would agree to implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). T Amirthakumar, chief coordinator and S Peter Anthonysamy, coordinator, also conveyed similar hopes. “ Our demands, other than the pension scheme, will be fulfilled in due course by referring them to the respective departments,” they said.
The JACTTO-GEO and the Federation of Teachers Association and Government Employees’ Organisation (FOTA-GEO) are gearing up for an indefinite strike from January 6, pressing for their demands. Following the CM’s announcement on Saturday, they will decide on the next move.
A few senior union office-bearers indicated that instead of stubbornly demanding the reinstatement of OPS, it is better to accept a proposal that would benefit the employees to a greater extent than the NPS. “We expect that the government will fulfil our demand for 50% of the last drawn salary of the employee as lifetime pension and other basic demands,” they said. Certain office-bearers said the government may agree to a slightly lower amount as pension by reducing the employees’ contribution.
One union leader explained, had the government intended to implement the OPS straightaway, there was no need for a committee to study the various options. “So, the unions understand that the government will not agree to OPS as it was, but may come up with a new pension scheme which contains beneficial aspects of other schemes.”
Another union office-bearer said, whatever the new proposal is, it should be implemented with retrospective effect from 2003, since thousands of employees have retired during the past 23 years without any benefit. “We hope the CM’s announcement will provide clarity on this aspect,” he added.
The JACTTO-GEO has already put forth before the committee headed by Gagandeep Singh Bedi, that although the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was made mandatory from January 2004, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act allows states to decide their pension framework. Hence, several states have acted accordingly. In TN, state government employees alleged grave injustices, which include the denial of gratuity to thousands of CPS retirees despite orders issued in 2016, and death gratuity not paid to 11,918 families of employees who died in service despite a 2009 order. Employees have urged the committee to honour the DMK’s poll promise and recommend reinstatement of OPS for all affected employees and families.