Date:15/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/15/stories/2008091559190600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Drop divestment in insurance sector: union

Special Correspondent

Resolution wants Centre to begin wage revision negotiations for insurance staff

TIRUCHI: General Insurance Employees Union – Madurai region, affiliated to the All India Insurance Employees Union (AIIEA), has urged the Central Government to do away with its move of increasing foreign investment in insurance sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at the 23rd annual district level conference of the Union held here recently. President of union district committee M. Jamuna Rani presided.

Another resolution demanded the Centre take steps to commence wage revision negotiations for insurance employees immediately. The government should take steps to merge all the four insurance companies – New India Assurance, National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and the United India Insurance into a single unit on the lines of the Life Insurance Corporation of India. The conference decided to launch various programmes all over the country to press this demand.

The conference condemned the Centre for attempting to destroy the insurance companies in the guise of financial sector reforms. The government should initiate negotiations for housing loans, vehicle loans, medical benefits, LTS for the insurance employees.

The promotion policy should be implemented without any delay and the ban on the appointment of people on compassionate grounds should be removed. The vacancies that arose due to the implementation of the special voluntary retirement policy should be filled up immediately.

Yet another resolution demanded the government to amend the laws to ensure provision of bonus to all the insurance employees without any ceiling. The government should withdraw the mandatory transfer policy in the insurance companies which did not benefit the concerns in any way. All the part time employees should be absorbed as regular staff.

By other resolutions, the conference demanded strong measures for the execution of the Sethu Samuthiram Canal Project, 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislators to eliminate the untouchability still prevailing in various forms, ensure the minimum wages of Rs. 80 per head for the works executed under the NREGA scheme all over the country.

Madurai Regional General Insurance Employees Association president D. Gopalraj, joint secretary, South Zone Insurance Employees Union, R. Padmakumari, Tamil Nadu State joint secretary of Bank Employees Federation G. Balachandran and others spoke.