Bank unions call for strike on February 28

‘Banks incurred huge costs incurred on

demonetisation, Jan Dhan & Aadhaar’

Coimbatore, February 7:  The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has given a call to its members to strike work on February 28.

The strike call, according to Thomas Franco, UFBU Convener and Senior Vice-President of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), is to voice their displeasure over the government’s indifference to their issues, which they contend “have accumulated and remain unaddressed.”

Alleging the government of remaining deaf to their plea even while they had stood by the government on different issues — be it handling the pain of demonetisation, implementing government schemes or opening Jan-Dhan accounts — the UFBU, represented by nine trade unions, said that “the government’s indifference had forced the employees and officers of various banks to take this extreme step.”

“We are on a war path after demonetisation,” he said, sharing a copy of the union’s 12-point charter of demands.

Demanding compensation for the losses due to Jan Dhan and demonetisation, Franco said banks incurred huge costs on account of opening 25 crore Jan-Dhan accounts, linking Aadhaar and providing RuPay cards.

“Demonetisation further added to the expenditure in various ways such as towards transit of withdrawn currency, security, disruption in regular banking activities and so on.”

Much of the issues were oft-repeated ones such as the demand to halt privatisation of public sector banks; amendment to the Gratuity Act so as to make gratuity uniform for all (Central government employees and those in the banking sector); appointment of employee director and officer director in public sector banks; recruitment; recoveries from wilful defaulters; and a stop to outsourcing of core banking business.

The UFBU Convener also insisted on the need for initiating immediate discussion on wage revision.

Bank wage talks ends in stalemate Four-day strike between February 25 and 28

Coimbatore, February 3:  Not satisfied with the 0.5 per cent increase in the offer made by the Indian Banks' Association, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to revive the strike programme.

The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said that the unions have issued a strike call to its members for a four-day strike between February 25 and 28.

This is expected to be followed by an indefinite strike from March 16

IBA terms staff unions' demand for 23% wage hike irrational

Mumbai, December 25: Indian Banks’ Association has termed the demand by the United Forum of Bank Union for a 23 per cent increase in pay as “illogical and irrational”.  “Managing Committee of IBA and the Chairmen of all the banks were unequivocal in saying that the demand of 23 per cent increase of Unions/Associations is unaffordable, illogical, exorbitant and irrational,” it said.

The banks are willing to offer a 11 per cent hike on salary and allowances which the lenders say will translate into a 12.5 per cent hike on the balance sheet cost.  The IBA said this number has been arrived at after taking into account the paying capacity of the banks, lower profitability, higher requirements for provisions and further capital requirement under Basel-III.

Earlier, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) said a meeting of the UFBU held at Mumbai on December 17 had expressed its dissatisfaction with the delay in settling demands for wage revision.

Fourteen rounds of discussion have been held so far between the union and IBA and consensus on effective date of implementation and merger of dearness allowance have been arrived at. However, they have not been able to arrive at an agreement on wage hike yet.

The UFBU had said that it would be holding a one-day all-India strike on January 7 followed by a four-day strike across the country from January 21-24. An indefinite strike would be initiated from March 16 to achieve the demand, it had added.

On the other IBA has made an appeal to UFBU to give up the agitational path and to return to the table for further negotiations. In the meantime, IBA has also requested all member banks to assess their paying capacity and advise them accordingly.

RBI staff to join banking sector strike on January 7

Thiruvananthapuram, December 22: Reserve Bank employees have decided to observe a strike on January 7, 2015, in solidarity with the cause of the United Forum of Bank Unions in the commercial banking sector.

The All-India Reserve Bank Employees Association and the All-India Reserve Bank Workers’ Federation have urged the RBI Governor to intervene to bring peace in the banking sector, stating that the RBI cannot remain a mute spectator.

The Association and Federation advised units to observe peaceful and organised action in all RBI offices and liaise with units of the United Forum in the run-up to the strike.

“We have got an important stake in bank employees’ success and achievements. Their settlement has provided us the basis of our wage negotiations, which are pending,” said Samir Ghosh and SV Mahadik, RBI employee union leaders.

“Indian Banks’ Association has created a desperate situation for bank employees whose patience has run out. The Government is silent, unconcerned about the turmoil in this sensitive sector and the plight of millions of customers.”

Bankers have made huge profits in 2012, 2013 and 2014 from the toil and sweat of employees. But they refuse to give them a modest wage increase forcing them to strike work off and on, the leaders noted.

Bank unions call for strike on January 7

Coimbatore, December 21:  The United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU) has called for an all-India strike on January 7. Expressing its resentment over IBA’s casual attitude and the Government’s lack of response to the union’s demand for an immediate and reasonable wage settlement, the All India Bank Employees’ Association General Secretary CH Venkatachalam said that the Forum has decided to protest including holding mass demonstration at all centres on December 30.

Black badge protest

This will befollowed by black badge protest on January 5, 2015,mass demonstrations/procession and rallies the following day and culminating in all-India strike on January 7. The forum has decided to further intensify its protest by calling for a four days continuous strike between January 21 and 24 and indefinite strike from March 16.

Hits out at IBA

Condemning the action of the IBA in directing the banks to revisit the mandate given to it (IBA) earlier as ‘nothing but a ploy to delay the wage revision negotiation process’, Venkatachalam said, “IBA is sticking to its offer of 11 per cent increase in pay slip component.”

‘IBA is ready to sit and resolve’

But, the IBA chief Mohan V Tanksale, who was in the city to moderate a panel discussion on the implication of Performance Management System in traditional private banks in the context of Gopalakrishna Committee Report on “Capacity and Competence Building in Traditional Private Banks” said that a settlement has to happen and the IBA is ready to sit and resolve the issue.

“We are willing to negotiate. But 23 per cent increase seems quite unreasonable,” he said.

Why one day strike and then 4 days strike?

AIBOC reveal in their circular ..........

Comrades, we have been receiving lot many queries about the decision of single day strike of 7th January, 2015.
 We would like to inform the background which led to the decision of one day strike.
 IBA, vide their Letter No. CIR/HR & IR/XBPS-1/996 dated 2nd December, 2014,
had advised the member banks to update their respective Boards on the present status 
of the wage negotiations developments, its financial implications and if felt necessary,
 revisit the mandate. 

This being a very serious development was discussed in the Working Committee Meeting of Confederation held on 8th December, 2014, at Delhi. 
The Central Office drafted a letter and sent to all its Affiliates for onward submission 
to the Management of the respective Banks to thwart IBA’s tactics of delaying Wage Revision 
and also to obviate the possibility of tinkering with the earlier mandate. 
It was also decided that the same stand would be taken by our Representatives on the boards, 
when the agenda comes for discussion. 

Comrades, this indeed is a very grave development which cannot be ignored. 
The UFBU Constituents met in Mumbai, on 17th December, 2014, subsequent to conciliation talks.
 One of the constituent of UFBU apprised of having taken a decision to call for one day strike 
on this issue and wanted other constituents to join the strike.

 We expressed our view and apprehensions over the effectiveness of one day strike, 
as the issue would have been placed and discussed in many Bank’s Boards by then. 
Since the Affiliate was firm to go on one day strike in first week of January, 2015, 
UFBU decided to observe the strike on 7th January, 2015, for the sake of solidarity 
and to avoid any confusion. 

Comrades, the call of four days strike from 21st to 24th January, 2015 is unprecedented 
and unheard in the history of Banking Industry as a whole. 
The dates are preceding two holidays as 25th January being Sunday and 
26th January a National Holiday. 
Consequently, the Banking will come to a grinding halt for six days. 
Our membership have long being demanding an action like this, but comrades, 
for winning a bigger battle, many small wars have to be won. 
A lot of preparations are required to be undertaken for making our call a tremendous success. 
A thorough action programme is required to be chalked out for preparation at the grass root level. 
Let each one of us make it a mission to make the strike call a huge success 
so that its impact shakes the walls of apathy of the higher authorities. 
This is our fervent appeal to each member of ours, to implement 
all the joint agitational calls given by UFBU religiously.

About 10 lakh bank employees to go on strike on 22-23 August

New Delhi, August 21: Around 10 lakh bank employees and officers working in 27 public sector banks including State Bank of India (SBI) and 12 old generation private sector banks and eight foreign banks will resort to two days nationwide strike on 22nd and 23rd August, says United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). UFBU is the umbrella organisation of five employee unions and four officer unions of state-run banks in the country.
The Chief Labour Commissioner has called the bank union on 21st August for a conciliation meeting on strike notice, the statement added. The UFBU said it is against the proposed banking sector reforms, unilateral imposition of the Khandelwal committee report and want appointment on compassionate ground.
"The banking reform measures are retrograde but the government is still pursing the same and hence our protest," the statement said.
The Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2011, which is before Parliament, contains provisions such as raising of shareholders' voting rights from 10% to 26% in private banks and suppression of bank boards.
There are about 87,000 branches of public sector banks across the country. The state-owned lenders control about 75% banking business.
UFBU is opposed to recommendations of the Khandelwal Committee which was appointed by Central Government to suggest changes in Human Resource policies in the banks. Here are the points raised by the UFBU...

1. From 1950s, we have common wages and service conditions.  Now, this committee has recommended Bank specific wage structure based on profitability, productivity etc.
2. All these years we have uniform wage and service conditions.  Now, the committee wants introduction of fixed and variable pay concept.  A portion of wage will be fixed and balance will vary according to performance.  This is impracticable in the banking sector and will result in division of employees and promote sycophancy.
3. The committee has also recommended that settlements with unions on transfer of employees to be reviewed and to give free hand to the managements to transfer employees from place to place.
4. The Committee has suggested 50% of officer vacancies should be filled directly from the market instead of promoting clerks.  This will seriously affect the career of employees.
5. The report says that minimum qualification for appointing a clerk should be graduation.  All these years, matriculates are eligible to join the Banks.  Now, lakhs and lakhs of such unemployed youth will be deprived the opportunity.
6. Similarly, so far, the qualification to join the banks as peon / class IV employee is 8th Standard failed.  The committee says that it should be matriculation.  This is also absurd.
7. The Report says that Banks should not make any appointments in the urban areas but workload in the banks warrants the same.
8. The committee has suggested outsourcing of all the regular bank jobs which is unfair labour practice.

"All these measures are anti-employee and anti-trade union and they are targeted to attack collective bargaining. Further overlooking the settlement the Government is giving unilateral guidelines on various service conditions. UFBU is opposed to such unilateralism," the bank unions have said.
UFBU would held massive rallies in all district places and cities across the country.  Nine unions, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation Of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation Of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organisation Of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation Of Bank Officers (NOBO) have given the call for strike under the UBFU umbrella.