Defence Against Pension Discrimination in BDL

In a letter to the union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 13 December, CITU general
secretary Tapan Sen, MP drew her attention to the ongoing agitation, including relay hunger strike
since 15 November, jointly by the unions of all affiliations in Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), the public
sector Mini Ratna company engaged in defence production, in all its locations in Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh against deprivation of pension benefit of 7% of basic plus DA as management’s
contribution in pension fund for non-executive employees which is applicable to the executives
since 1 January, 2007.
This is against DPE guideline on employees’ remuneration and social security benefits,
which are identical for both executives and non-executive employees; It is immoral and
unprofessional on the part of BDL management, including the top person, who managed to get this
benefit for themselves denying the same for the workers and other employees. Tapan Sen
16 THE WORKING CLASS JANUARY 2018
demanded same pension benefit for both executives and non-executives effective 1 January, 2007.
Ultimately, on 21 December, the management and the recognized Bharat Dynamics
Employees Union of CITU reached an understanding on management’s contribution of 6% of
basic plus DA towards pension applicable to the non-executive employees effective retrospectively
from 1 January, 2007. This will also be reviewed at the time of next wage revision which is due on
1 January, 2017. On reaching the understanding agitation was called off.