Bank unions on Friday decided to postpone their two-day nationwide strike called for March 24 and 25 after they received positive assurance from both the Finance Ministry and the IBA on their demands, including a five-day work week and adequate recruitment in all cadres.
The strike call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine bank employees' associations. The decision to defer the strike was taken before the Chief Labour Commissioner who had called all parties for a conciliation meeting.
UFBU is a collective that includes nine bank unions representing more than eight lakh employees and officers in public sector banks, private sector banks, foreign banks, co-op banks and regional rural banks.
What were the assurances given to the bank unions?
Representatives of Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the finance ministry assured to deliberate on demands raised by unions. The UFBU had also demanded immediate withdrawal of the recent directives of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) on performance review and performance-linked incentives (PLI), which threaten job security and create division amongst employees.
"IBA proposed to further discuss issues like recruitment and PLI and other issues. The Chief Labour Commissioner informed that he will directly monitor the issues including implementation of 5 days banking," All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), general secretary C H Venkatachalam said.
AIBEA is one of the members of UFBU. The other members include All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), and Bank Employees' Confederation of India (BEFI).
The Chief Labour Commissioner has fixed April 22 as the next date of hearing and asked the IBA to submit the progress report on UFBU's demands.
What was the demand of the unions?
The demands include adequate recruitment in all cadres, regularise all temporary employees, implementation of a five-day work week, immediate withdrawal of the recent DFS/government directives on performance review and PLI, which threaten job security, create division and discrimination amongst employees and officers, violate the Eighth Joint Note, and undermine Public Sector Bank's (PSB) autonomy; safety of bank officers/staff against the assault/abuses by unruly banking public; filling up the post of workmen/officer directors in PSBs; resolution of residual issues pending with IBA; amending Gratuity Act to increase the ceiling to Rs 25 lakh on the lines of scheme for government employees along with exemption from income tax.
(With input from agencies)