All India Bank Strike on 18th December, 2013
Ludhiana: 6 December 2013: (Rector Kathuria//Punjab Screen): On the call given by United Forum of Bank Unions, officers and employees in all the public sector banks are observing All India Bank Strike on 18th December, 2013 demanding
*Immediate Wage Revision
*To stop unnecessary Banking Reforms
In the chain of agitational programmes framed by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), UFBU (Ludhiana Unit) today held a massive demonstration in front of State Bank of Patiala, Zonal Office, Ludhiana. Com. Sudesh Kumar, Chairman, Punjab Bank Employees Federation, Com. Naresh Gaur, Convener, United Forum of Bank Unions, Com. Rakesh Khanna, Secretary, Associate Banks Officers' Association (Ludhiana Unit), Com. Charanjeev Joshi and Com. Gurmeet Singh, AIBOA addressed the bank employees.
Addressing the bank employees, leaders of the Forum said that Wages and service conditions in the banking sector are governed by the industry level bipartite settlements signed between the Indian Banks Association and the trade unions of bank employees and officers. Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks who give their mandate to the Indian Banks Association are party to the Settlements and hence are covered by the same. The 9th Bipartite Settlement came to an end on 31-10-2012. Consequently, revision of wages and other service conditions have become due as from 1-11-2012. In view of this, as per the decision of the United Forum of Banks Unions, common set of demands for the employees and officers was submitted to the Indian Banks Association on 30-10-2012. UFBU has been requested the IBA to adopt a time-bound programme to hold the negotiations on the demands and to expedite the Settlement as early as possible. The alarming and unabated price rise have seriously eroded the income of the employees and hence the wage revision has become all the more important. The Consumer Price Index has gone up by almost 2400 points under (1960=100) Index series since November, 2007. Hence wage revision to catch up with the high inflation and price rise has become an urgent necessity. Similarly, the workload in the bank branches has gone up substantially due to increase in total volume of business and also due to non-provision of adequate staff and officers in the branches. Employees and officers are working under a lot of stress and strain. The job profile of the staff has also undergone a change and all these require to be properly remunerated with adequate increase in wages. For this reason also the wage increase has become important. But unfortunately, the IBA is delaying the Settlement and during the last one year, not even their minimum offer has been indicated to the Unions.
Banks in India today have nearly Rs.75 Lacs crores as Deposits representing the hard-earned savings of the people of the country. Hence banking institutions have to be properly regulated. It is because of these defined regulations and predominantly being under public sector, that our Banking system was saved from the global crisis. Because of de-regulation and liberal banking policies, many Banks in many countries including in USA and Europe have collapsed. Indian banks were saved because of our strong regulations and being in public sector. But in the name of Banking Sector Reforms, the Government is taking various steps and measures to liberalise and de-regulate the banking sector. Recently, the RBI has announced in its discussion paper that the Government’s Equity capital in the Banks can be reduced to less than 51% which means nothing but privatisation of our public sector banks. The Discussion Paper also proposes that the Banks may resort to merger of Banks to become international Banks. Our Banks are meant for our own economic development and hence this is clearly unwarranted. Further merger has its own adverse implications to the detriment of the employees and officers working in the Banks. RBI has also issued recent guidelines by which it is proposed to give the Foreign Banks, near national status and even a scope to take over our domestic Banks. Already, the foreign capital and investments in our Banks have been increasing and now the move is to allow the foreign banks to take over our Banks. In the name of Reforms, the Banks are also outsourcing the regular jobs in the Banks on contract basis thus increasing the risks involved. The problems faced in the ATMs on account of outsourcing are there for everyone to see.
Ludhiana: 6 December 2013: (Rector Kathuria//Punjab Screen): On the call given by United Forum of Bank Unions, officers and employees in all the public sector banks are observing All India Bank Strike on 18th December, 2013 demanding
*Immediate Wage Revision
*To stop unnecessary Banking Reforms
Addressing the bank employees, leaders of the Forum said that Wages and service conditions in the banking sector are governed by the industry level bipartite settlements signed between the Indian Banks Association and the trade unions of bank employees and officers. Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks who give their mandate to the Indian Banks Association are party to the Settlements and hence are covered by the same. The 9th Bipartite Settlement came to an end on 31-10-2012. Consequently, revision of wages and other service conditions have become due as from 1-11-2012. In view of this, as per the decision of the United Forum of Banks Unions, common set of demands for the employees and officers was submitted to the Indian Banks Association on 30-10-2012. UFBU has been requested the IBA to adopt a time-bound programme to hold the negotiations on the demands and to expedite the Settlement as early as possible. The alarming and unabated price rise have seriously eroded the income of the employees and hence the wage revision has become all the more important. The Consumer Price Index has gone up by almost 2400 points under (1960=100) Index series since November, 2007. Hence wage revision to catch up with the high inflation and price rise has become an urgent necessity. Similarly, the workload in the bank branches has gone up substantially due to increase in total volume of business and also due to non-provision of adequate staff and officers in the branches. Employees and officers are working under a lot of stress and strain. The job profile of the staff has also undergone a change and all these require to be properly remunerated with adequate increase in wages. For this reason also the wage increase has become important. But unfortunately, the IBA is delaying the Settlement and during the last one year, not even their minimum offer has been indicated to the Unions.
Banks in India today have nearly Rs.75 Lacs crores as Deposits representing the hard-earned savings of the people of the country. Hence banking institutions have to be properly regulated. It is because of these defined regulations and predominantly being under public sector, that our Banking system was saved from the global crisis. Because of de-regulation and liberal banking policies, many Banks in many countries including in USA and Europe have collapsed. Indian banks were saved because of our strong regulations and being in public sector. But in the name of Banking Sector Reforms, the Government is taking various steps and measures to liberalise and de-regulate the banking sector. Recently, the RBI has announced in its discussion paper that the Government’s Equity capital in the Banks can be reduced to less than 51% which means nothing but privatisation of our public sector banks. The Discussion Paper also proposes that the Banks may resort to merger of Banks to become international Banks. Our Banks are meant for our own economic development and hence this is clearly unwarranted. Further merger has its own adverse implications to the detriment of the employees and officers working in the Banks. RBI has also issued recent guidelines by which it is proposed to give the Foreign Banks, near national status and even a scope to take over our domestic Banks. Already, the foreign capital and investments in our Banks have been increasing and now the move is to allow the foreign banks to take over our Banks. In the name of Reforms, the Banks are also outsourcing the regular jobs in the Banks on contract basis thus increasing the risks involved. The problems faced in the ATMs on account of outsourcing are there for everyone to see.
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