To
Alastair Marsh,
CEO, Lloyd’s Register,
London

Dear Sir,

This petition, is an appeal to you, the CEO of Lloyd’s Register, from around 60+pensioners from India who have been greatly inconvenienced by the abrupt and uninformed change in medical insurance scheme since Feb 2018. This has affected us financially, created stress and anxiety during the twilight years.

We had, in the past, expressed our anguish and concerns at the unilateral change in terms of coverage, during the advanced years of our life. Our cumulative wisdom failed to understand the nuances of the scheme. Is it aimed at savings accrual to LR? Is it not oppressing, when the savings to LR was perpetrated by passing the financial liability on individual pensioner? Where is equal opportunity and rights, the purpose of service for the benefit of the society, in this action?

Overall, we have not understood what purpose it serves. Given that all future retirees (read current employees) have been moved out of medical insurance on retirement, citing policy changes; this expense is definitely not future additive. The existing employees have some advantage to look for alternative insurance while still earning at LR. But what about the pensioners? Their pensions are frugal and their numbers can only decline with the coming years; reducing the financial outgo for LR. Why are we being constantly reminded that policy changes are discretion of LR management? It’s like pulling the rug below our feet. We are wobbly anyway – so why hit us hard?

These pensioners were active surveyors and staff of LR in various capacity across the globe building LR’s 259 years of business. Their cumulative serving years are many times the 259 years of LR history. Post retirement, medical insurance is the only safety net that we have. We are still a part of the society, forums, fraternity gatherings and those lucky, in advisory capacity of corporates. The anxiety in us are detectable to the world around us. But we are too proud of our LR heritage to admit the misery we have been thrust into, by the parent LR itself.

It has been more than one year that a few of us have highlighted the issues to various levels of management in LR without any resolve. Updates till date,have been limited to only extension of this unfavorable situation, citing reasons like - consideration by executive team, consultation with insurance company and policy changes; but no assurance about the direction this is going. A few anxious pensioners met the current India representative, HR and Finance manager in Mumbai office on 15th May. Though they sympathized with us, they couldn’t allay the concerns. So, we chose to approach you as the chief of the executive team to consider the grave anxiety thrust upon the pensioners.

We are being repeatedly reminded of HR policy changes in line with current conditions. However, we – the architects of many achievements for LR, know that retirement benefits were factored in as a part of cost to the company during our years in service.

We appeal to you for favorable consideration to resolve this long drawn crisis by influencing the decision makers to help the pensioners walk peacefully into the sunset.

Regards,

The LR India Pensioners (as individually signed below)