In view of non-revision of wages for the last 30 months after completion of scheduled period and the Indian Banks’ Association’s paltry wage offer, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called for a two-day nation-wide strike on January 31 and February 1.
The UFBU comprises nine bank unions of employees and officers such as AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO,
Wages and service conditions of bank employees and officers are revised once in five years. The last settlement was finalised to cover the term from November 2012 to October 2017. The Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, had before time advised all the bank managements and IBA to expedite and conclude the 11th Bipartite Wage Settlement well before November 2017. Accordingly, Unions submitted their charter of demands. Unfortunately, after series of discussions in the last 30 months, the IBA has improved their offer only to a hike of 12.25 per cent while the last cleared hike was 15 per cent.
“During the recent period the prices have gone up steeply and the workload on the banking workforce has also gone up enormously. Hence bank staffs expect a fair and reasonable hike in wages in the current settlement,” said UFBU functionaries.
The demands include Wage Revision Settlement at 20 per cent hike on Pay slip components, 5-day banking a week, merger of special allowance with basic pay, scrapping of New Pension Scheme(NPS), updation of pension, improvement in family pension, allocation to Staff Welfare Fund based on operating profits, exemption from Income tax on retiral benefits without ceiling, uniform definition of business hours and lunch hour in branches, introduction of Leave Bank, defined working hours for officers and equal wage for equal work for contract employees/business correspondents
If the demands are not met soon after February 1, the UFBU would against resort to a three day strike from March 11 to 13. If the demands remain unheeded still, then indefinite strike would be held from April, said the UFBU.
