Renewal of Medical Insurance Scheme - IBA Circular dt. 10.10.2018

Renewal of Medical Insurance Scheme - IBA Circular dt. 10.10.2018 

Renewal of Medical Insurance Scheme for Retirees as agreed vide Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note Dated 25th May, 2015

Indian Banks' Association
HR & INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

No. CIR/HR&IR/BRK/2018-19/6037

9th October 2018

CEOs of All member banks party to 10th Bi-partite Settlement/Joint Note dated 25.5.2015

Dear Sir/Madam,
Renewal of Medical Insurance Scheme for Retirees as agreed vide Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note Dated 25th May, 2015

We invite your attention to our letter CIR/HR&IR/2015-16/XBPS/J/1413 dated 1st October, 2015, in terms of which banks were advised to extend the Group Medical Insurance Scheme to retirees also subject to payment of stipulated premium by them. Said Scheme is optional for retirees.

2. Thereafter, the Policy has been renewed for the year 2016-17 & 2017-18 and the current Policy is expiring on 31.10.2018.
3. IBA vide its letter 16th July, 2018 called quotes from all Public Sector Insurance Companies and SBI General Insurance Co., who were the co-insurer of the existing Policy.
4. In response to our letter Oriental Insurance Co., National Insurance Co., & SBI General Ins. Co. did not submit any quote for the Retirees policy. United India Insurance Co. & New India Assurance Co. submitted quotes as per Table below :-

	Retirees option 1(Without Domiciliary)		Retiree option 2(With Domiciliary)
2018-19 (Proposed for renewal)	Award staff	Officer	Award staff	Officer
UIIC	21,973	29,295	57,391	76,516
New India Insurance	23,000	30,500	58,500	77,500

5. As there was a proposed hike of 110% & 144% in the quotes for renewal of the Medical Insurance Policy without domiciliary and with domiciliary respectively, the matter was immediately taken up with UIIC who was L1 to re-examine and reduce the same.
6. With great persuasion and concerted effort made by the IBA, UIIC has revised the quote vide its letter dated 6.10.2018.
7. On the suggestions made by UFBU, UIIC gave option for sum insured i.e. Rs. 4 laksh / Rs. 3 Lakhs for Officers & Rs.3 Lakhs/ Rs. 2 Lakhs in case of Workmen. The insurance premium increase now quoted by UIIC after revision is 75% (earlier 110%) for without domiciliary and 123% (earlier 144%) with domiciliary (Annexure I)
8. Since, the Medical Insurance Policy for Retired Officers/Employees is optional, we request all the member banks to seek consent and collect premium from the interested retiree Officers/Employees as per the option chosen by them for renewal of the Policy with UIIC, with the same terms and conditions mentioned in the aforesaid letter of UIIC.
9. However, Banks are free to take up the Policy renewal by seeking quotes from any other Insurance Companies if the Banks decides to do so at their level.
10. We once again advise that as mentioned in our letter dated 7th June, 2018, banks may require to allocate some separate manpower to address claims by following up directly with TPAs/Insurance Cos as the services of broker are not available.
11. We enclose the revised premium quote received from UIIC (Annex II) for your ready reference.

Yours faithfully,
B Raj Kumar
Deputy Chief Executive

Annexure I

Retirees Policy Renewal Quotes***	Renewal Quote provided by UIIC vide letter 2.7.18		Final Quotes received from UIIC vide letter dated6.10.18 after rigorous persuasion by IBA**
	Without Domiciliary (Rs.)	With Domiciliary (Rs.)	Without Domiciliary (Rs.)	With Domiciliary (Rs.)
Officers (Sum Insured Rs. 4 Lakhs)	29295(110%)*	76516 (144%)*	24400 (75%)*	69808 (123%)*
Award Staff (Sum Insured Rs. 3 Lakhs)	21973(110%)*	57931 (144%)*	18301 (75%)*	52359 (123%)*
*** Above Quotes are exclusive of GST
** The Room Rent has been revised to Rs. 4000 perday
* Premium Increase over Previous Year i.e. 2017-18

Source: http://www.iba.org.in/

Expected DA for Bank Employees From May to July 2018

Expected DA for Bank Employees From May to July 2018

Expected DA

Bank Employees From May to July 2018

Payable for the Year	Payable for the months	Average CPI	No. of slabs	% of pay
2018	Feb March April	6551	527	52.7
2017	November, December 2017 & January 2018	6505	516	51.6
2017	August September October	6353.21	478	47.8
2017	May June July	6261.91	456	45.6
2017	February March April	6315	469	46.9
2016- 17	Nov Dec Jan	6353	478	47.8
2016	Aug Sep Oct	6261.9	455	45.5
2016	May June July	6117	420	42
2016	Feb Mar Apr	6147	426	42.6
2015- 16	Nov Dec Jan	6033	398	39.8
2015	Aug Sep Oct	5896	364	36.4
2015	May Jun Jul	5790.17	738	110.7
2015	Feb Mar Apr	5774.95	734	110.1
2014- 15	Nov Dec Jan	5767	732	109.8
2014	Aug Sept Oct	5569.52	683	102.45
2014	May Jun Jul	5432.56	650	97.5
2014	Feb Mar Apr	5501.04	666	99.9
2013- 14	Nov Dec Jan	5402.13	641	96.15
2013	Aug Sept Oct	5211.91	593	88.95
2013	May Jun Jul	5082.57	561	84.15
2013	Feb Mar Apr	4976.05	535	80.25
2012- 13	Nov Dec Jan	4877	510	76.5
2012	Aug Sept Oct	4709	468	70.2
2012	May June Jul	4549	428	64.2
2012	Feb Mar Apr	4519	420	63

2nd Option of Pension for Compulsorily Retired Officers/Employees

2nd Option of Pension for Compulsorily Retired Officers/Employees

Indian Banks' Association
HR & INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

No.HR&IR&HR/CIR/G2/BRK/4684

March 16, 2018

Chief Executives of Member Banks which
are parties to the Bipartite Settlement

Dear Sir/Madam,
2nd Option of Pension for Compulsorily Retired Officers/Employees

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) representing workmen and officers in Banks were requesting to allow another option to those Who were in the service Of the Banks prior to 29th September, 1995 in case of Nationalized Banks / 26th March, 1996 in case of Associate Banks of State Bank of India and continued in service on or after that date and did not opt for pension when offered as per the scheme.

2. After holding various rounds of discussions in the matter, consensus was arrived at between the parties and a Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note was signed on 27.4.2010 to extend another option of pension to those Workmen / Officers who:-

(a) were in the service of the Bank prior to 29th September, 1995 in case of the Nationalised Banks/26th March, 1996 in case of Associate Banks of State Bank of India and continue in service of the Bank on the date of signing above mentioned Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note;
(b) exercise an option in writing within 60 days from the date of offer, to become a member of the Pension Fund and
(c) authorise the Trust of the Provident Fund of the Bank to transfer the entire contribution of the Bank along with interest accrued thereon to the credit of the Pension Fund. In addition, the individual employee/officer has to pay @ 2.8 times of the revised pay for the month of November 2007.
(d) were in service of the Bank prior to 29th September 1995 in case of Nationalised Banks /26th March 1996 in case of Associate Banks of State Bank of India and retired after date and prior to the date of above mentioned Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note i.e. 27.04.2010;
(e) exercise an option in writing within 60 days from the date or offer to become a member of the pension fund and,
(f) refund within 30 days after expiry of the said period Of 60 days, the entire amount Of the Bank's contribution to the Provident Fund and interest accrued thereon received by the employee/officer on retirement together with the payment over and above the said amount at 56% of the amount.

3. Families of above mentioned employees officers were also made eligible for said option subject to refund of Bank's contribution to the Provident Fund received by them as mentioned in point (f) above.

4. 2nd option of Pension was, however, not made available to the employees/officers who were compulsorily retired by the Bank. As such, some of these aggrieved employees/officers approached different Hon'ble High Courts seeking relief in the matter. Various Hon'ble High Courts viz Andhra, Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab & Haryana and Patna have ruled in favour of the employees\officers who were compulsorily retired. However Hon'ble Delhi High Court has taken a contrary view on the technical ground.

5. The matter was placed before the Standing Committee on HR of IBA in its meeting held on 07.12.2017. Aner deliberations, the committee recommended to place the matter before the Managing Committee of IBA. Accordingly. the matter was put up to the Managing Committee of IBA in its meeting held on 29.12.2017. The committee advised to seek legal opinion on the judgements as to whether 2nd option of pension may be allowed to all ex-officers/ex-employees who were compulsorily retired from Bank’s service between 29.09.1995 to 27.04.2010 or only selectively to those who approached the Bank for the same.

6. The legal opinion from Shri S.D.Kelkar, Senior Partner, Kelkar & Associates whose services have been engaged in IBA as retainer, Was obtained in the matter, His opinion is as under:

"Having considered the decisions rendered by the Hon'ble High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab & Haryana, Patna which have ruled in favour of the employees/officers who were compulsorily retired way way of punishment/ on the ground that they are covered by the Joint Note as well as decision of the Hon'ble Delhi High Court which has taken a contrary view on the technical ground and the fact that SLPs preferred against the Judgments of the High Courts which had ruled in favour of the employees were dismissed though such dismissal cannot be considered as law laid down by the SC., we are of the considered view the banks are bound to give 2nd option to all the employees/ officers who were compulsorily retired and who fall within the ambit of the Joint Note to exercise option for the following reasons:-

The Joint Note does not distinguish between voluntary retirement, superannuation, premature retirement, compulsory retirement.

Even the employees/ officers who are compulsorily retired by way of punishment are eligible for pension under the pension regulations.

Banks being "State" within the ambit of Article 12 of the Constitution of India should act in a fair and reasonable manner and should not restrict it only those who demand it. Such stand, if any, adopted by the banks may invite strictures from Courts'.

7. The views of the Legal Retainer of IBA were placed before the Managing Committee of IBA in its meeting held on 25.01.2018. The committee after deliberation concurred with the legal opinion placed before it and advised to inform all PSBs accordingly. The exact modus operandi of the extension of 2nd option to compulsorily retired employees/officers was to be worked out in discussions with GMs (HR) of PSBs to decide on a uniform methodology which will stand scrutiny of court.

8. To work out the methodology in this regard, a meeting of the GMs (HR) was convened on 28.02.2018 at IBA. After detailed discussions, a consensus has been arrived at to extend the option of pension to compulsorily retired employees/officers on same terms & conditions as are mentioned in Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note dated 27.04.2010, As per the agreed terms & conditions of said Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note, Pension/Family Pension shall be payable with effect from 27th November, 2009, provided that employees/officers who are compulsorily retired after that date shall get pension from the respective dates of such retirement. Court cases, if any, in the matter may be withdrawn forthwith.

9. Please do the needful accordingly.

Yours faithfully,
sd/-
B Raj Kumar
Deputy Chief Executive

Source: http://www.iba.org.in/