Federation
Of Retired SAIL Employees
An update on performance
and major achievements of the Federation of Retired SAIL Employees (FORSE)
since its inception
1) FORSE is a registered organisation for SAIL Retirees with its
registered office at Abasar Bhawan, Koel Nagar, Rourkela-769014 in
the State of Odisha. It came into existence on 2nd March 2014.
Presently it has 13 affiliated and one invitee member Associations belonging to
all Units, Cities and States.
2) FORSE celebrated its Decennial (10 year) Anniversary (its 10 years of successful existence) on March 15, 2024 at Bokaro Club, Bokaro. Sri Rajan Prasad, ED (P&A), Bokaro Steel Plant was the Chief guest on the occasion.
Chief Guest Sri Rajan Prasad ED (P&A), Bokaro Steel Plant giving his inaugural speech
3) FORSE introduced the latest of communication technology and social networking sites like e-group https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/forsesail blog http://sailex.blogspot.in facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008763305395 and twitter https://twitter.com/forsesail in addition to e-group and WhatsApp and Telegram groups to keep the members abreast of the latest developments in any part of the world.
4) It has opened two Bank Accounts (1) A general purpose account in
Punjab National Bank Sector-19, Rourkela Branch and (2) A special account in
Punjab National Bank, Argora Chowk, Ranchi for Struggle Fund (EPS 95 case).
5) FORSE conducts its Apex Council meetings every 6 months to
deliberate on the issues and grievances faced by Retirees and the ways to
resolve them. (3 Online meetings were conducted
during Corona pandemic) It has conducted 14 FORSE Apex Council meetings so
far in various Units and courtesies like Rooms and Meeting Halls for free in
addition to a free lunch/dinner or High Tea or financial assistance during
meetings with Chief Executives.
6) FORSE brought about a lot of consciousness and hope in the lives
of more than 1.30 lakh of SAIL Retirees and their families directly and
through the existing Associations of SAIL Retirees.
7) Members/ Retirees/ spouse/ their children have benefitted and
continue to benefit by free online consultancy, advice and support in the form
of letters to various Govt., SAIL and Mediclaim Insurance Co. and other
authorities.
8) Voice of FORSE was heard in Parliament as the issues related to
SAIL Retirees was raised by a Jharkhand MP Sri Nishikant Dubey and obtained an
assurance from the (then Labour &) Steel Minister for taking up the SAIL
Retirees issues (can be seen in the link http://sailex.blogspot.in/2014/08/request-for-appointment-for-meeting.html or http://164.100.47.132/newdebate/16/2/08082014/5To6pm.pdf
9) Persistent communications by FORSE in the form of letters and
more than 6-Dharnas in all the Units and one in EPFO offices by every unit led
to improvements in SAIL policy towards the Retirees and resolution of issues at
local level. Example in the link https://tinyurl.com/agjan20
10) A 3 -day Dharna by more than 300 Retirees in SAIL Corporate
Office Delhi by FORSE on Feb 07-09, 2017 and Meeting with concerned Ministers
and Steel Secretary contributed to the approval and implementation of SAIL
Pension Scheme for post-2006 Executive Retirees and post-2011 Non-Executive
Retirees. http://sailex.blogspot.in/2015/03/proposed-sail-pension-scheme-for.html.
Addressing the participants during FORSE Dharna in
front of SAIL Office, Lodhi Road Delhi on Feb 07-09, 2017.
11) As a result of struggle by FORSE SAIL is preparing uniform Leasing
and Licensing policies for SAIL Retirees/ Employees in all SAIL Plants/Units
Townships.
12) A consistent approach by FORSE led to opening SAIL Mediclaim
policy for lapsed cases and for defaulters who never took the policy. http://sailex.blogspot.com/2015/06/one-time-opportunity-for-all-sail.html
13) Efforts by FORSE changed the Medical premium
for 80 years plus reduced to Rs one hundred only. FORSE is further working on
extension of this concession to 70 plus group.
14) FORSE is trying its best toallow
reimbursement for treatment by RMP under OPD
15) Consistent effort and persuasive skill of FORSE led to increase
in IPD limit from Rs.4 lakh to Rs.8
lakh for both Retiree and the spouse in SAIL Mediclaim Policy.
16) Our persistent efforts towards more
improvement in Mediclaim scheme led to
a)
Age
related macular eye disease - cost upto Rs one lakh in a year which was earlier
pegged at Rs 18000
b)
Inclusion
of Robotic Treatment
c)
Payment
on actual for ICU
d)
Cataract
eye surgery - Increase to Rs 26000 limit
17) We are making vigorous efforts towards
i.
increase
in OPD limit upto Rs 20000 for each in a year
ii.
Free
medical checkup once in a year
iii.
Withdrawal
of capping system
18) FORSE persuaded SAIL to stop deduction of expenses for the
OPD/IPD treatment in SAIL Hospitals.
19) SAIL is seriously considering FORSE’s recommendation and
convincing approach to provide medical facilities in SAIL Hospitals at par with
regular employees.
20) Better communication has been established with the Insurance Co.
and the TPAs which resulted in improved healthcare, admission into and release
from Hospitals and settlement of Bills and release of payments etc. to
Retirees.
21) FORSE is getting defacto
recognition and is heard at the formal levels in SAIL Plants/ Units.
FORSE reps
with SAIL Chairman Sri Anil Kumar Choudhary at MTI Ranchi on 29/12/2018
23) More than 100 letters have been written to the President, PM, FM,
Steel, Social Welfare and other Ministers, Floor Leaders in Parliament, MPs,
SAIL Chairman and members of the Board of Directors; Chairman, SBI; Chairman,
IRDA, SAIL Pension operating companies etc.
24) Our correspondence with Ministry of Finance and State Bank of
India appears to have resulted in introduction of Sr.Citizens Saving Scheme at changing
% in return in interest upto a maximum of Rs. 15 lakh for each husband and
wife.
25) FORSE has doubled its efforts for implementation of financial
benefits of Rs 5000/- with appropriate nomenclature like pension, ex-gratia etc
to all pre-2007 SAIL Retirees in the form of Pension.
26) FORSE is pursuing improvements in Healthcare policy incl. implementation
of 1978 SAIL-NJCS Agreement. https://tinyurl.com/sail-njcs78
27) FORSE strongly protested to the Prime Minister/ Finance Minister against
the lowering of interest rates for deposits meant for Senior Citizens like
Senior Citizens’ Savings Scheme, PPF and MIS. As a result, Pradhan Mantri Vaya
Vandana Yojana was implemented through LIC.
28) FORSE is also pursuing with GoI for increasing Return on deposits
and raising IT to higher level for Sr Citizens etc.
29) FORSE got Super Top - up Schemes introduced in SAIL Mediclaim
Policy for coverage during Covid-19 pandemic
30) On initiative of FORSE MDIndia has introduced a system of
Pharmacy Desk in Bokaro and Durgapur for Home delivery of medicines at
concessional rates. MDIndia is further conducting study of quantum of business and
financial feasibility in other places so that similar system can be implemented.
31) A system of E-Pharmacy and E-Consultany has been introduced since
this year through FORSE’s initiative.
32) EPS 95 case: FORSE Chairman Dr V N Sharma was the 1st
Petitioner for 108 organisations (Case No. 1134/2018) under National
Confederation of Retirees for full pension under EPS-95.
The Supreme Court passed its
order on the EPS 95 case on 04th Nov 2022, The SC judgement is of mixed type. They are favourable to post-
Sept. 2014 pensioners but opposed to the interests of pre- Sept. 2014
pensioners. Except that Exempted and Non-Exempted Establishments will be at
par, pre-Sept 2014 Pensioners are not benefited even after the Court said that
RC Gupta was applicable to all, as the cut-off date was not allowed to change.
The court has thus created disparity between pre- and post- 2014 retirees.
The Employees retiring after 31st Aug 2014 are
benefited to the extent that the cap on salary Rs.15000/- is removed and additional
contribution of 1.16% is removed. Those in service and retired after Sep 2014
can do a joint option within the 4 months grace period given by the court.
(a) A few Review Petitions and
Miscellaneous Applications including the one V N SHARMA & others vs EPFO & Anr (Diary No. 6998/2023, Case
No. 241/2023) and (b) Contempt Petition(C) No. 877 of 2023 in W.P.
(C) No. 1134 of 2018 were filed in SC on our behalf for the benefit
of the pre-01/09/2014 ineligible pensioners. They were all rejected by the SC.
33) In view of the ‘One Rank One Pension’ type
arrangement recommended for employees of both defence and the civilian sector
in the Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission submitted to
the Govt. our demand of ‘One Rank One Pension’ and similar benefits to SAIL
retirees’ stands justified.
34) FORSE is
continuing its efforts for Gratuity payment wef 2017, its possibilities to
revert back wef January 2017 instead of 28th March 2018. https://sailex.blogspot.com/2022/01/letter-for-gratuity-payment-wef-01012017.html
35) SAIL agreed to extend the facilities of
travel tickets etc through M/s. Balmer and Lawrie for all retired Executives. Efforts
are on to include Non-Ex. Employees also.
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