Bank Employees to get 15% increase in wages – Strike from 25th Feb called off – 10th Bipartite Wage Settlement

Bank Employees to get 15% increase in wages – Strike from 25th Feb called off – 10th Bipartite Wage Settlement

 PSU bank employee unions withdraw strike call, settle wages: Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Employee unions of public sector banks today withdrew their strike call following an agreement with the management on 15 per cent wage hike.

"In today's talks, wage revision settled at 15 per cent with effect from November 2012," United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) Convener M V Murali said.

The bank unions had threatened to go on 4-day nation-wide strike from February 25 demanding 19 per cent hike in wages. The wage hike was due from November 2012.

At a meeting today in Mumbai, PSU banks employee unions and bank management, Indian Banks' Association (IBA), agreed on 15 per cent wage hike and entered into an agreement for it.

National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) Vice President Ashwini Rana said: "We are not happy as our expectation was that bank staff would get what was given to them last time -- 17.5 per cent increase in wages".

The bank employees will now also get holidays on two Saturdays in a month.

"Long pending demand of holiday on second and fourth Saturdays for the bank employees have also been reached," AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said.

Last week, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had appealed to bank employee unions to call off their strike as talks were on for a revision of wages of employees.

The Minister said banks are already in negotiations with their unions and associations for wage settlement and "the bipartite negotiations in a cordial manner is the only available tool for settlement".

The wage revision of public sector bank employees has been due since November 2012.

Earlier, unions had deferred one-day strike scheduled for January 7 as IBA improved the wage hike offer to 12.5 per cent from 11 per cent earlier.

There are 27 public sector banks in the country with a combined employee strength of about 8 lakh. There are about 50,000 branches of these banks across the country.

Read at Economic Times

PSU bank staff to go on two-day strike from Feb 20

PSU bank staff to go on two-day strike from Feb 20

Normal banking operations may be hit as employees unions of public sector banks have decided to join the two-day strike call given by central trade unions beginning February 20 to press for wage hike in the backdrop of rising inflation.

The nation-wide strike call has been given by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) consisting of nine national level unions including AIBEA, NCBE, BEFI, INBEF, NOBW and AIBOC in support of their demand.

Apprehending disruption in their normal banking operation, many banks have already informed their customers about the proposed strike.
 
"A section of the bank’s employees may participate in the proposed strike on the said date, if the strike materializes. In view of the above, it is likely that the normal functioning of the bank branches and offices may get affected," Corporation Bank said in a statement.

Delhi State Bank Employees Federation said, clearing function of RBI will be affected and other banking operations.
 
Meanwhile, sources said, banks would be taking steps to ensure that public do not face problem at least on the cash front during the strike period.
 
Banks would be feeding additional cash in ATMs to take care of cash needs of their customers.
 
Bank unions are also opposing banking sector reforms and any plan for merger of banks.
 
The bank strike is part of general strike call given by all 11 central trade unions including Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC).

Source: DDI News