NOINO suggests improvements in Wage Revision

Today, i.e. on 20^th October 2015, a NOINO delegation consisting of Shri Ganesh Kamath, Chief Advisor, NOINO; Smt Trupti Bramhe, All India EC member; Smt Neeta Prabhavalkar, All India EC member; Smt Saroj Kurdukar, WZ EC member; Shri Surendra Chitnavis, Asstt Treasurer, NOINO Mumbai unit met the ED(P) Shri Niraj Aggarwal & submitted a letter containing 41 issues on which we demanded improvements/gave suggestions.

Due to paucity of time, all issues could not be discussed during the Individual discussions on 16th October. Hence, we submitted the letter today.

We said that as far as the wage-proposal is concerned, it was acceptable to us provided our suggestions/demands on improvements in the allowances & other issues were considered favourably. Full text of the letter will be put shortly (on receipt from headquarters). Salient points are given now.

We specially stressed on the following points:-

1. Improvement in HRA & CCA.

2. Improvement in Transport Allowance.

3. Increase in Special Area Allowance.

4. Increase in North-East Education Allowance.

5. Increase in Conveyance Allowance for Handicapped employees.

6. Anomaly after computer increment.

7. Protection of pay on posting on promotion from CCA centres to non-CCA centres.

8. Increase in time-scales for stagnated employees.

9. No curtailment of leave after introduction of 5-day week & only proportionate increase in working hours.

10. Delinking of Stagnation Increment to performance & treating it as deferred NGI.

11. Allowance for professional/technical qualifications to officers.

The ED assured that the management would explore ways & means for improvement in allowances & said that they would strive to fulfill the expectations after talking to the concerned authorities. The Personnel officials are likely to visit Delhi, very shortly to press for the improvements.

It was also informed that the management would strive to notify the wage-revision as early as possible.

LIC Wage Revision - Individual discussion with NOINO

After the joint session in the morning, NOINO had separate discussions with the management on wage-revision & other allied issues. The Management was represented by Shri Niraj Aggarwal, ED(P); Shri Prakash Chand, Chief(P); Shri Judhajit Sen, Secretary(ER) & other officials of the Personnel department.

In addition to the three representatives in the Joint session, NOINO was represented by Shri Pulak Dey, All India Working President; Shri Vishwas Shastri, All India Organising Secretary; Shri Ganesh Kamath, Chief Advisor; Shri Sanjay Ramdasi, All India Treasurer, Shri Ketan Purandare, All India EC member; Smt Neeta Prabhavalkar, All India EC member; Smt Saroj Kurdukar, WZ EC member; Shri Brahmesh Hardikar, WZ EC member.

The following points were discussed/raised:-

1. We submitted that apparently the offer was good considering the circumstances & would give our considered opinion after studying the proposal in detail. 

2. Running scales/Increase in time scale/Grade Pay:- We submitted that due to stagnation & limited opportunities in promotion, running scales were the need of the hour. The management said that it was not feasible. We also insisted that at least there should be increase in Time scale. On this, the management responded positively & said that they would consider doing it in the cadre where there were maximum stagnations. It was not positive on Grade Pay.

3. No ceiling on HRA/CCA limit:- Management said that it was not feasible since from the total outlay, maximum amount has been adjusted towards increase in Basic Pay.

4. Allowance for professional/Technical qualifications:- Management was positive on the same & said that this issue was under active consideration.

5. Increase in Transport allowance:- We demanded Petrol Re-imbursement. Management was not positive. Thereafter, we demanded increase in Transport Allowance to at least 2000. Management said they would examine the issue. 

6. Cash Medical benefit:- We demanded that the benefit should be equal to all to the tune of Rs 25000. Management said they would examine the issue.

7. Protection of Salary on promotion on posting from CCA centre to non CCA centres:- Management seemed to be positive on this issue & noted the point.

8. In-charge allowance:- We once again demanded In-charge allowance. Management seemed positive on this issue & noted this point.

9. One more option for pension:- We expressed our bitter disappointment over the failure to achieve success on this issue. Management assured that this issue was not closed from their side & they would continue to pursue it.

10. PLLI:- We inquired about the status. Management replied that it was pending for sanction with the government & also said that it would be granted on the current pay-scales instead of old pre-revised scales. This would result in substantial increase in the PLLI. We stressfully reiterated our earlier demands of uniform PLLI for all & simplification of parameters. After our insistence, Management agreed to examine the issue of uniform PLLI.

11. Anamoly after computer increment:- This demand has been raised by NOINO since long. The management replied that the demand was genuine; however, the concerned authorities in the Finance department were not positive on this.

12. 5 days week:- We enquired about the implementation part. The management replied that increase in working hours & curtailment in leave may possibly be in the mind of the government if we demand parity with GIC. We strongly resisted any curtailment of leave & only proportionate increase in working office hours. Management said that they would discuss the modalities with the Government & then discuss with the unions.

13. Increase in PL to 300 days:- Management said that it was considering to increase it to 270 days.

14. Encashment of PL:- We demanded increase in encashment of PL to 30 days in a block of two years. Management said that it would examine the issue.

15. Acceptance of cash not beyond cash hours;- We gave the example of a bank which recently issued a circular prohibiting the acceptance of cash beyond working hours. We stated that the cash hours & working hours were the same in Banks, hence this principle should be applied in LIC too to avoid Late sitting to some extent. Management said that it will examine the issue.

16. Restriction of timings of enquiry:- Management has noted this point.

17. Group Insurance Scheme for all outstanding loans & advances:- Management was positive on this issue & noted this point.

18. Child care leave/Sabbatical leave :- Management said that this issue was under active consideration.

19. Increase in Housing Loan:- Management was positive on this issue & said that Housing Loan would increase manifold.

20. Technical allowance to be considered for fixation on promotion from development officer to ABM(S) :- Management has noted this point.

21. LTC:- We demanded simplification of rules; encashment & airfare for Class I officers; Benefit to both Husband & Wife working in LIC. Management said that they were examining all these issues with a positive frame of mind.

22. Timely Settlement of wage-revision:- We submitted that every time wage-revision is settled with a considerable delay. We demanded that the talks on wage-revision should commence before it is due & should be settled in time.

NOINO will continue to pursue the pending issues.

LIC Wage Revision - Joint Session Reporting

As scheduled, the discussions on Wage-revision were held today, i.e. on 16th October 2015 at Mumbai. The management was represented by the Chairman Shri S K Roy, all the three Managing Directors & the officials of Personnel department.

NOINO was represented by Shri Dattaraj Prabhukhanolkar, All India GS, NOINO; Shri Y N Murthy, All India Joint Secretary, NOINO; & Shri R Dhayalan, Zonal Secretary, NOINO SZ unit.

The Chief(Personnel) Shri Prakash Chand took stock of the situation. He lauded the role of the Chairman & our MD Smt Usha Sangwan in the wage-revision issue.

Thereafter, Smt Usha Sangwan, Managing Director spoke. She stressed on the need of a better professional approach; setting higher benchmarks in customer service etc.

Thereafter Shri V K Sharma, Managing Director, spoke. He stressed on the importance of agency retention. He also spoke on the issues of Market Share of LIC & the growth of New Business.

Shri S B Mainak, Managing Director expressed concern over the reduction in accounting surplus.

Thereafter, the Chairman spoke. The Chairman in his speech covered the following points:-

** We all have put our best efforts during these hard times & expressed confidence that this teamwork will help facing the future challenges

** Only thing permanent is ‘Change’

** Degrowth of 41% in policies & 10% in FPI as on 31.3.2015

** Achievement to budget was only 55% on policies & 82% on FPI.

** Total income crossed 4 lakh crore; Asset base crossed 20 lakh crores

** Claim settlement 99.77% as on 31.3.2015.

** Adoption & use of technology is the need of the hour

** Transfer & Mobility policy & Biometric Authentication (for eFEAP) to be applicable from 1st April 2016.

Thereafter the ED(P) gave the wage-proposal. Following are the salient features of the proposal(for Class I Officers):-

• Rise of 13.5% in Basic Pay after 100% Merger of DA in old Basic as on 1.8.2012.

• Rate of DA 0.10%(Old---0.15%)

• HRA---A Class cities---10% of Basic Pay. Maximum 5200; B Class----8%. Maximum 4320; C Class---7%. Maximum 4200.

• CCA—A Class cities---3% of Basic Pay. Maximum 1275; B Class----2.5%. Maximum 1210; C Class---2%. Maximum 930.

• Transport allowance—1300(Old 800).

• Cash Medical Benefit—upto Basic 60165---- 13000; above 60165-----19440.

• PG 1 Allowance—1120(Old 680)

• Audit allowance---1405(Old 850).

The Joint Session ended there.

The reporting of the Individual session with NOINO is being done separately.

LIC wage-revision: update-3

Highlights of Cl I Officers' Wage Revision :

1. DA from 0.15% to 0.10%

2. HRA: Max.
A Class city(10 % ) - from 3200/- to 5200/-
B class city(8%)- from 2700/- to 4370/-
C Class city(7%)- from 2600/- to 4200/-

3. CCA: Max.
A Class city(3%)- from 800/- to 1275/-
B class city(2.5%)- from 760/- to 1210/-
C Class city(2%)- from 590/- to 930/-

4. Transport Allow:
From 800/- to 1300/-

5. Cash Medical Benefit:
From 8000/- to13,000/-
From 12000/- to 19440/-

6. PG 1 Allow: 680/- to 1120/-

7. Audit Allow: 850/- to 1405/-

LIC wage-revision: update-2

LIC wage-revision: update-1

LIC management offered 13.5% rise on Basic Pay after DA merger as on 01.08.2012. Net rise will come to much higher in percentage.

Management also offered 5 days' week. Further details awaited.

LIC Wage Revision - Management calls Unions, Agitation Suspended

LIC management has called NOINO and all joint front constituents for final discussion on wage revision. The talks are at Mumbai on 16th & 17th October 2015.

In view of above invitation for talks, it has been decided by all constituent unions in Joint Forum to suspend the current agitational programmes (including strike action on 14th October 2015).

Unions' meeting concludes

The Joint Forum of unions in LIC met today the 29th of September 2015 at Pune and decided the following programme of action to realise satisfactory wage revision and one more option for pension:

1) Lunch hour demonstrations 6th and 13th October, 2015.
2) ONE DAY STRIKE ON 14th October, 2015.
3) Lunch hour demonstrations on 16th & 18th November, 2015.
4) TWO DAYS strike on 19th and 20th November 2015.

Please note that the earlier call of no work after office hours continues.

Further details are awaited.

Directives to NOINO office-bearers & members

1. Kindly note that from tomorrow, we are embarking upon the badge wearing programme. NOINO divisional units will co-ordinate with other unions locally in this matter. 

2. The agitation of 'no work outside office hours' will also continue as it is.

3. Though there is no boycott on Insurance Week celebrations, the participation should be restricted strictly within office hours.

4. Kindly also note once again that NOINO is not participating in the general strike on 2nd September 2015.

NOINO not participating in strike on 2nd September

As per decisions taken by NOINO Central Committee, NOINO will not participate in the general strike on 2nd September 2015 - the call given by different trade unions of the country.