The 56th Foundation Day of the General Insurance Employees All India Association (GIEAIA) was celebrated at the organisation’s office in Nagpur. Tributes were paid to the founding General Secretary late K S B Pillai, and the founding Vice-President, late V R Deshpande, popularly known as ‘Captain’, by garlanding their photos. In the programme, Prashant Dixit, General Secretary of the General Insurance Employees Union Western Zone (GIEU WZ), informed about the history of the organisation’s formation, noting that prior to 1971, employees working in private general insurance companies waged struggles under the banners of various regional and area wise organisations, as a result, general insurance companies were nationalised.

 

“Today, we must struggle to ensure that these Government-owned general insurance companies remain in the public sector to secure the future of the employees and to achieve enrollment in the 1995 pension scheme for all by abolishing the National Pension System (NPS). He further stated that merging of these companies is essential to strengthen public sector general insurance industry,” he said. Arun Kulkarni, Vice President of the General Insurance Pensioners Association, Western Zone, stated that the GIEAIA, formed under the leadership of K S B Pillai, has worked and struggled to secure numerous programmes to improve the standard of living for employees and protect their interests.

 

He also stated that retired colleagues will also join in all the struggles of general insurance employees. In his address, Pradeep Dharmathok, President GIEU WZ and former General Secretary of GIEAIA, provided an update on the current states of the state-owned general insurance sector. He also discussed the Government’s privatisation policy and its adverse impact on the public sector, general public and the employees. He further appeal to struggle to achieve the goal of merger of these companies. On this occasion, Vice President of GIEU Western Zone, Vinay Karpe, Joint Secretary Liladhar Nimje, Regional Secretary Umashankar Gupta, office bearers of Nagpur branch, working and retired employees were present.