The three days long strike by public sector banks deferred
Source: IT News / Raju Vernekar

Imphal, March 01 2020: The three day long strike from 11 March to 13 March by over 10 lakh employees across the county was deferred following "satisfactory" talks between representatives of nine bank employee unions and Indian Bank Association (IBA) Chief Rajkiran Rai on Saturday.

In talks with IBA, apart from a 15 per cent increase (from earlier 12.5 per cent), in payslip cost, progress was made on some of our other demands as well, United Forum Bank Unions (UFBU) said.

"In Saturday's talks with IBA, apart from a 15 per cent increase in payslip cost, progress was made on some of our other demands as well.

In view of this positive development, our agitation has been suspended and the three-day strike has been deferred", UFBU said.

Bank unions had threatened to go on a three-day strike from March 11-13 to protest over delay in pay revision and other demands.

The strike was timed in such a way that it would have a major impact on the banking operations for around a week.

The decision to defer the strike has given tremendous relief to bank customers during ensuing Holi festival since the strike would have badly affected banking operations for nearly a week due to a series of offs....08 March 2020-Sunday, 09 March and 10 March, Holi, 11 March to 13 March-bank strike, 14 March-second Saturday and 15 March..Sunday.

The unions were demanding a 20 per cent hike on payslip components with adequate loading.

In the latest round, IBA improved its offer to 12.5 per cent, which was acceptable to the bank unions.

All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) said in a statement that in the bipartite meeting, which was held between the unions and IBA, discussions were held in respect of offer of increase in pay slip cost to 15 per cent, demand for five-day banking among others.

It also added that IBA has agreed to discuss all other issues raised by the unions.

Our talks with IBA are moving in right direction and as such the strike has been deferred, the AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said and added that hopefully employees' demands are expected to be resolved.

Earlier the bank employees had joined Bharat Bandh on 8 January and had proceeded on strike on 31 January and first February.

In Maharashtra around 40,000 employees and officers are working in nearly 10,000 banks.

The employees affiliated to different unions including AIBEA,AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF,INBOC, NOBW and NOBO organised under the banner of the UFBU, have been protesting increase in workload, non-filling of vacancies, non-implementation of pay hike etc.

The pay revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017 .

All the government schemes such as Jan Dhan, Mudra, Adhar Linkage, Social Sector Insurance Scheme, Social Sector Pension Schemes, Digital India, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana etc.

are centred around banking.

These schemes have drastically increased the workload at the counter.

On the other hand, banks have not filled in vacancies arising out of death, resignation, retirements and promotion.

" In last bipartite , weekly off on Two Saturday were given.

This time with the extension in alternative banking channel such as ATM, Mobile Banking, RTGS,NEFT,NET Banking and digital banking initiative of the government, we have demanded weekly offs on all the remaining Saturdays.

Besides updation of pension and improvement in family pension to the retirees" is another demand, UFBU Convenor Devidas Tuljapurkar said.

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