An employees’ association of Coal India (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL) will be organising a day-long protest in the capital on 9 December, 2019, over non-revision of pension.
In 1948, the Coal Mines Provident and Miscellaneous Provisions Act led to the creation of a statutory body called the Coal Mines Provident Fund Office. This body was to oversee the formulation and maintenance of a comprehensive pension scheme for the retired coal employees.
After almost fifty years, a Coal Mines Pension Scheme (CMPS) came into existence in 1998. According to the scheme, all employees were eligible for provisions effective from April, 1994. The Act mandated a revision of the scheme after every three years in order to distribute fair pension for the retirees.
However, despite such a provision, revisions have not been carried out. As a result, senior-level employees, who retired before 1997, are still surviving on measly sums of Rs. 1000–3000.
On the other hand, low-ranking employees who are presently about to retire, are eligible for a minimum pension of Rs. 10,000, due to increase in salary in 2007, the 2017 pay revision for executives, and a different National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA) over the last two decades.
According to media reports, the employees’ association has released a statement saying that the All India Association of Coal Executives, under the banner of the All India Coal Pensioners Association (AICPA), will be organising a one-day dharna by coal pensioners at the Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, today.
