Government E- Portal

February 28, 2017

The All India Strike today at the call of United Forum of Bank Unions was a total success in all the Banks all over the country. Nearly 10 lacs of employees, officers and Managers of Public sector banks, old generations private banks, foreign banks, Regional Rural Banks and Co-op. Banks participated in the strike. We convey our greetings to all our unions and members for leading the struggle from the front and contributing for the splendid success of the strike. It was a massive success, indeed.

Strike success in all centres: As per reports reaching us from various centres like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jammu, Rajkot, Agartala, Jamshedpur, Cochin, Patiala, Ambala, Agra, Dehradun, Guwahati, Raipur, etc. as well as from various parts of Tamilnadu, the strike has been overwhelmingly and enthusiastically participated by the employees and officers. Most of the branches remained totally closed down. Normal banking services like receipts and payments, remittances, cash transfer to and fro currency chests, money market operations, Government treasury operations, clearing operations, etc. were severely affected. Despite attempts of RBI to defeat the strike by keeping clearing houses to function, the major clearing operations in the country were disrupted.

The strike became necessary because of the Government’s ostrich-like approach in understanding the demands and coming forward to resolve the same by discussions. Even very reasonable demands like payment of overtime wages for extra hours worked during demonetisation period has not been settled.

Adequate capital denied to Banks: The strike was to protest against the continued attempts to privatise the Public sector Banks which are the main engine of growth of our country’s economy. When everyone admits that our Banks need more than Rs. 2 lac crore capital, in this year’s Budget, only Rs. 10,000 crores has been announced. Thus, Banks will get crippled and starved of capital and business growth will be adversely affected. This is a game-plan to privatise the Banks.

Bad loan recovery, the only priority: The main and alarming issue of increasing bad loans in the Banks is also being overlooked by the Government. Bad loans are more than Rs. 13 lac crores in the Banks. No effective measures are being taken to recover the bad loans. On the other hands, these bad loans are being sold at throwaway prices to private Asset Reconstruction Companies or are being written off from the hardearned profits of the Banks. Thus bad loans have become a daylight loot by big corporate and industrialist. Our demand for taking criminal action on willful defaulters is being willfully neglected.

Recruit permanent staff – Don’t outsource: When nearly 2 lacs permanent vacancies exist in the Banks, instead of filling up the same through recruitment of permanent employees, efforts are afoot to outsource these jobs to contract employees. This is totally unfair for public sector banks to do.

During demonetisation period, employees and officers have strained to their maximum by working long hours till midnight but adequate overtime wages and compensation has not been paid so far. The entire cost of demonetisation is put on the head of the Banks which will affect our profits this year. In all fairness Government should reimbursed the cost to the Banks.

Even our reasonable demands to initiate the process for wage revision negotiations, improvements in gratuity and pension, etc. are being overlooked by the Government.

Hence the strike became inevitable. Today’s strike is a warning bell to the Government. If they do not come forward to resolve our demands amicably, further agitations and strikes will be planned and decided.

We once again congratulate all our units and members for making the strike a total success. Today’s strike has added one more chapter to the long history of our struggles. Let us get ready for more and more struggles in our onward march to meet the increasing attacks and challenges.

    

February 26, 2017

We are sure that all efforts are being taken by all our units in all the States and in every Bank to make the UFBU’s call for All India Strike on 28th February, 2017 a total success. In the light of the increasing attacks on account of the Government’s anti-public sector policies, defending public sector banking is very important. Fighting back all attempts to privatise the PSBs is a paramount duty.

When Banks are facing challenges, Government has announced recapitalization of just Rs. 10,000 crores in this year’s Budget. This means that either the business of the banks will get choked or Banks will be compelled to tap private capital from the market thus diluting public sector character.

We have seen how the Government is bulldozing all protests and opposition by issuing Gazette notification on merger of 5 Associate Banks with SBI unmindful of its adverse implications.

Similarly, while bad loans are bulging every quarter without any let up, no stringent measures are being taken to recover the NPAs but efforts are afoot to float a Bad Bank to whitewash the books of the Banks and to conceal and camouflage bad loans from public attention.

Instead of filling up the vacancies of employees and officers with permanent staff, every effort is being made to outsource regular jobs aimed at crude exploitation of the unemployed youth. There are intensified proposals to amend all labour laws to suit the employers and private corporates.

Even on the issues and demands pertaining to employees and officers, the Government’s attitude is negative and managements’ approach is also casual.

When the whole country had witnessed the outstanding work done by the employees and officers during the post-demonetisation rush period in the branches by working day and night, even the compensation to be paid to the staff is not paid in full. There are many other important issues which are being ignored by the management and the Government.

Hence, UFBU has given the call for this All India Strike.

Conciliation meeting on 21st February by CLC: Based on the strike notice served by UFBU on IBA, the Chief Labour Commissioner of the Central Government had called for a conciliation meeting at Delhi on 21st instant. In this meeting the Finance Ministry and IBA did not take any initiative to resolve the demands and hence it was decided to go ahead with the strike. The CLC advised the Finance Ministry and IBA to initiate the dialogue with the UFBU for amicable settlement of issues, so that proposed strike is averted.

IBA’s negative stand: In view of this advice of the CLC, the IBA reluctantly wrote to UFBU offering to hold a discussion but on the condition that the strike should be withdrawn first. UFBU replied that meeting can be held before the strike and if solutions are worked out, strike can be avoided. But IBA deliberately insisted on their stand and thus thwarted any discussions with UFBU.

Make the strike a total success: The only way we can respond to this negative attitude of IBA-Government combine is to make the strike a massive success with all our unity and strength.

F.No.S-11012/2/3(17)/RBI/2015/RBD/74-124

Government of India

Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure

Controller General of Accounts

Mahalekha Niyantrak Bhawan,

E-Block, GPO Complex, INA. New Delhi-110023

Tel: 24665384, Fax: 24649365 E-mail: sao-rbd@nic.in

Dated 23rd February 2017

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has given a nationwide strike call on 28th February, 2017. Banks are likely to remain closed on that day and even files for the e-payment of salary for the month of February 2017 which is due for 28th February, 2017 may not get processed resulting in salary of Central Government employees not being disbursed on 28th February 2017.

There being banks holidays on account of Maha Shivaratri (24th February, 2017) at many places, 4th Saturday (25th February, 2017) and Sunday (26th February, 2017), Hence, salary e-payment files processed on PFMS/COMPACT should be uploaded today i.e. 23rd February, 2017 with NPB of 27th February, 2017. If such files have already been uploaded with NPB of 28th February, 2017 the same also would need to be changed to facilitate payment of salaries on 27th February, 2017.

All Ministries/Departments are requested to take necessary action to upload their salary payments e-files latest by 23rd February, 2017 with NPB of 27th February, 2017 so that salary to the Central Government employees are paid in time.

All accredited banks are also requested to follow the above directions and release the salary for the month of February 2017 on 27th February 2017.

15-2-2017

Our units and members are aware that the period of our current 10th Bipartite Settlement would come to an end by October, 2017 and a revised Settlement (11th Bipartite Settlement) has to be worked out to be effective from November, 2017. In order to negotiate and settle the 11th BPS, we need to submit our Charter of Demands.

Accordingly, the issue was discussed amongst our five workman Unions viz. AIBEA, NCBE, BEFI, INBEF, and NOBW and a broad summary of the Charter of Demands has been finalised.

Shortly, our 5 unions will meet and a full-fledged Charter of Demands containing the details of each of the demand would be finalized. In the meantime, we have submitted the Broad Summary of the Demands to the IBA today.

The demands submitted to the IBA are furnished herein for the information of all our units and members.

Yours comradely,

1. Revision and improvement in Pay Scales by merger of Dearness Allowance upto October, 2017 and with additional loading thereon.

2. Merging Special Allowance with Basic pay.

3. Improvements in Special Pay, PQP, FPP and Stagnation Increment

4. Revised DA formula and improvement in compensation against price rise.

5. Provision of housing accommodation/quarters for all clerical and substaff and payment of HRA on the lines of officers.

6. Introduction of Education Allowance

7. Substantial increase in Transport Allowance /reimbursement of petrol cost

8. Improvements in leave benefits and LFC entitlement; Introduction of Leave Bank system.

9. Increase in Annual Medical Aid and review for improvements in medical insurance scheme . Unilateral changes in the scheme to be withdrawn. The rate of medical Insurance after retirement to be discussed with the unions before renewal.

10. Bonus for all employees without any ceiling

11. Removal of ceiling on Gratuity under the Gratuity Act.

12. Total exemption from Income tax on entire retirement benefits including Leave Encashment.

13. DA linked defined and assured pension scheme in lieu of NPS

14. Introduction of 5 Day banking service in the remaining weeks of the month apart from 2nd. And 4th. Week.

15. Improvement in Special Area Allowance and special compensatory provisions for North East, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir

16. Regular banking jobs and services not to be outsourced and all existing contract employees to be regularized and absorbed

17. Adequate recruitment of clerical and substaff in all Banks

18. Implementation of Supreme Court order on equal wage for equal work for existing temporary and contract employees till the vacancies are filled up by regular employees.

19. Proper implementation of compassionate ground appointment scheme . The clause of 5% quota in respect of total recruitment to be deleted.

20. All part time employees to be converted as full time employees

21. Improvement in Other Allowances and other service conditions like Diem Allowance/Halting allowance, hotel rent reimbursement, Project Area Allowance, etc.

22. Deletion of Para 522(1) of Sastry Award

23. Disciplinary Action Settlement – review of certain provisions like Clause 5 (j) which are being misused.

24. Better compensation on transfer of employees on deployment policy

25. Restoration of BSRB

26. Intra-cadre career progression scheme for Award staff.

27. Improvement in pension scheme on the lines of Government scheme on rate of pension, periodical updation, family pension, same DA for pre 2002 Nov. retirees, etc.

28. Revision in Ex Gratia Pension for pre-1986 non SBI retirees.

29. Follow up of the issues covered by Record Note dated 25-5-2015

30. Extension of medical scheme and LFC to retirees as in the case of in service employees

31. Uniform guidelines on quantum and rate of interest on staff loans

32. Improved housing loan to staff at nominal interest

33. Allocation of fund Staff Welfare Schemes based on Operating profits and setting apart a portion of it for schemes for retirees

34. Improvement in guidelines in relation to physically challenged/ differently abled employees

35. Special provisions for women employees on the lines of 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

36. Uniform guidelines on fitment for Ex-servicemen joining the Banks.

37. Improvement in remuneration of Daily Deposit Collectors

38. Parity in wages and service conditions for RRB employees.

39. Internal and external relativity to be maintained.

40. Settlement to be effective from 1-11-2017 for next three years.