Opinion
Violation of pensioners’ human rights
This is a call to the silently suffering pensioners (2016-2019), to join the pensioners union to win your suspended salary increments.
An all island organization has been established for the protection of the rights of pensioners, particularly those retired between 2016 and 2019, because the salary increments scheduled to be paid for them, with effect from January 2020, has not only been intentionally rejected by the present government, but has also been isolated by creating a division among pensioners.
Despite repeated appeals for implementation of the pension increment scheme and requests for negotiations to be held with the relevant authorities, demonstrations and passive resistance activities by the concerned party, which is deprived of its innocent rights, the government is prevaricating on this serious issue.
With the pension award letter in possession, like a registered deed of land, which guaranteed the salary increment giving a sense of pride and future life insurance, the pensioners were planning their future life based on their additional figures, as evidently indicated in the said letter. But they have been disillusioned in view of the irrational cancellation of the scheme with circular no.35/2019(1) dated 20/01/2020 by the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration as approved by the Cabinet.
Some MPs of the Opposition were genuinely concerned about the matter and raised this question many times in Parliament, in the past few months, but no positive or pertinent response was given by the responsible Minister. He said it is due to salary anomalies which are to be revised. These pensioners’ issue is not about salary anomalies but a denial of their rights. About 14 months have passed since the effective date and patience of the victims is wearing thin.
It is estimated that about 135,000 pensioners come under this category. At an age in which they are supposed to be enjoying leisure time with children and their siblings, after serving the nation in different fields and positions for more or less 40 years, they have had to protest to win their rights!
What a pity! Is this the way the government is treating these senior citizens simply because the circular was introduced by the previous regime.
The present course of action by the union is not a case of fighting for new demands and rights or to agitate against the government, but a matter of demanding a right which had been assured with the official seal and had subsequently been denied shamelessly.
In a system where MPs and ex-presidents are allocated pensions with perks worth millions and billions for a short period of time of their office, what a shame it is to deprive pensioners in this manner.
May the rulers be considerate enough to ensure that justice is done.
A PENSIONER (2016-2019)