MUMBAI, July 10: The Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF), a public sector unit (PSU), has stated that the directive by the Central government on extending the age of superannuation from 58 to 60 is not mandatory.The RCF General Manager (personnel and industrial relations) Dhanraj Sorte was replying to a petition filed at the Bombay High Court by the employees, including officers and workers, alleging that their management was denying them the benefits of the Central directive of May 1998.The RCF had agreed in principle to implement the enhancement of retirement age. However, the management applied a condition to the package that the employees will have to agree to a six-day week, instead of the present five-day week. Moreover, the employees will be subjected to a medical review at the age of 58.The petitions came up for hearing before Justice B N Srikrishna and Justice P D Upasani recently. Initially, the bench directed the RCF not to retire any employee at the age of 58.However, it vacatedthe stay following an assurance offered by the RCF management. According to Additional Solicitor General D Y Chandrachud, who appeared for the PSU, ``In case the age of retirement is enhanced to 60 years, the employees who have retired after the date of the Union government's directive and before the date of the resolution by the Board of Directors will be entitled to all benefits of the enhancement.''In his affidavit Sorte stated that the Central government's directive on enhancement of retirement age is not a presidential directive. ``Therefore, it is not mandatory upon the PSUs to implement it. The notification is of advisory nature and only a guideline,'' he added.``The Board of Directors of each PSU has the discretion not to adopt these guidelines. And if they do not agree with the guidelines, they must explain the controlling ministry about the decision. Accordingly, the RCF has written to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers,'' Sorte stated.
