PTCL Announces 8-15% Increase in Pensions

Over hundred thousand pensioners of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) will finally receive increment of 8-15 percent in their pensions’ after waiting seven months in limbo, told us official sources.

PTCL’s nearly 110,000 retired employees will be getting their enhanced pensions from Feb 2011 along with the arrears of the past months as per decision of the company board of directors, they added.

As many as 50,000 who got retired from the service before 1996 will receive 15 percent increment in their gross pensions whereas 8 percent increase in pension has been awarded to 30,000 ex-employees who were retired after 1996 including 30,000 staff members who availed Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) in 2008.

Officials said the PTCL’s board has made this announcement after a case that was filed against them in Islamabad High Court on the behalf of PTCL retired employees on December 25, 2010.

However, pensioners are not happy with the decision of the company as the increment in the pension is not being made in accordance with the government’s directions, which was announced by Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani in the budget speech on June 5 yesteryear.

This is the first time in the history of PTCL that it did not follow the government’s instruction and passed on the relief which was promised by the top leadership of the country.

We have lodged our protest to the PTCL management several time but our voices were unheard. Therefore we have filed a case against PTCL management because it has not been given the increase in pensions, which is our right, convener Retired Employees Action Committee M H Aslam said.

The increase in pensions will not be acceptable as this is not according to the announcement made by the democratic government, he added.

There are four agendas on the basis a petition was filed in court:

• To ensure the 20 percent raise in the pensions of all retired employees between Grade 1 to 15. 25 percent increase should be given to them on the account of medical allowance.
• To ensure the 15 percent raise in the pensions of all retired employees between Grade 16 and onwards. 20 percent increase should be given to them on the account of medical allowance.
• The pensions given to widows of retired officials should be increased to 75 percent from 50 percent presently.
• The minimum pension should be set at Rs 3,000 per month.

This is our money that we contributed to the trust’s funds when we are serving the PTCL, M H Aslam said and added the amount of funds have increased to Rs. 53 billion.

PTCL retired employees are waiting for the verdict of court to be announced on Feb 7. Afterwards, we will decide our next strategy, they said.

PTCL ‘s regular staff get 20% raise in salaries

PTCL management has also announced 20 percent raise in the salaries of regular employees after seven months.

The company had given 30 percent raise to their employees in September 2010 after several protests and strikes ahead of Eidul Fitre.

Nearly 12,000 regular employees will be benefited from the decision of the PTCL management.

Earlier, 50 percent increment in salaries was also announced by the government in the budget of the current fiscal year.