SHILLONG: The United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU), the apex co-ordination body of 9 trade unions of bank employees and officers has decided to go ahead with the 2-day strike on January 31 and February 1, 2020.
The union has given the call for agitational programmes including strike on January 31 and February 1, 2020, (2 days), March 11, 12 and 13, 2020 ( 3 days ) and indefinite strike from April 1, 2020
They maintained that Wage Revision Settlement for bank employees and officers due from November, 2017 and the unwarranted delay by Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) in this regards which prompted the union to go for a strike.
The union demands the Wage Revision Settlement at 20% hike on pay-slip components with adequate loading thereof, 5 Day Banking, Merger of Special Allowance with Basic Pay, Scrap New Pension Scheme (NPS), updating of pension, improvement in family pension, allocation to Staff Welfare Fund based on operating profits, exemption from Income Tax on retirement benefits without ceiling, uniform definition of business hours, lunch hour, etc. in branches, introduction of leave bank, defined working hours for officers, equal wage for equal work for contract employees/business correspondents.
Criticising the IBA, the union said that the IBA did not make any offer on wage increase until May, 2018 when they made meagre offer of 2 % increase. After series of discussions in the last 30 months, the IBA has improved their offer only to 12.25% while in the last settlement, the government had approvaed a hike of 15%.
During the recent period the prices have gone up steeply and the workload on the banking workforce has also gone up enormously. Hence bank staff expect a fair and reasonable hike in wages in the current settlement. Hence there is huge disappointment and resentment about the present offer of IBA and their rigid approach.