This is the call of the day after humiliating offer given by IBA on 14.12.2013
Why indefinite strike by bank employees is unavoidable?
Government understands the language of violence, disturbances in
public life and destruction of public property. Bank employees in general are
very much simple and devoted workers. Bank employees avoid strike for wage
revision as far as possible and believe in dialogue process with IBA. But it is
very much painful that clever and flatterer CMDs of banks who represent Indian
Bankers Association are willfully ignoring the genuine demands of bank
employees and wasted ten months time for nothing . Bank employees on the other
hand have patiently tolerated the casual attitude of IBA for last ten
months and awaiting patiently and peacefully the positive response from IBA
members and union leaders .
Wage revision of bank employees is due since November 2012 and the charter of demand was submitted to IBA and Ministry of Finance in July 2012. Government and its representative IBA has been postponing or avoiding even dialogue process for last ten months. It is sad that government understands the importance of any demand only when strikers burns the buses and trains, create road jams, blocks movement of train and what not. This has been seen in the case of strikers of other departments.
Government comes out of hibernation only when huge loss is incurred to exchequer. Ministers and the competent authority or labour commissioner have not understood the gravity of the matter, Genuinity of demand of bank employees, and seriousness of frustration among bank staff due to delay in wage settlement even after lapse of ten months after the charter of demand should not be taken lightly by government of India and the IBA, Indian Banks Association an body which takes part in negotiation with banker's united forum on the issue of wage revision or other relevant demands.
Government has not tried to assess, understand and realize that workload on bank employees have multiplied during last two decades due to almost ban or regulated policy adopted by government on employment in banks during eighties and nineties, large scale removal of employees under voluntary retirement scheme VRS of the year 2000, the continuous natural retirement, dismissal and death of bank employees without fresh recruitment of at least same number of employees.On the contrary wage structure of bank employees has faced continuous erosion in pay despite relentless price rise whereas there has been continuous and disproportionate higher rises in pay of central government and state government employees.
It is known to all that there has been technological upgradation in banks to a large extent during last five to six years. It was also made possible only by the hard labour done by experienced bank employees for more than 12 hours a day. Without disturbing customer service bankers took it a challenge, accepted new technology and converted most of the bank’s branches as CBS branch.
Banks opened thousands of new branches and ATM, introduced
E-Banking, Mobile banking, SMS banking, tele-banking and now engaged in serving
the unbanked villagers in the name of financial inclusion. Many other customer
friendly services have been added for the comfort and satisfaction of central
government as well as its customers.
There has been continuous improvement in the services extended by
bankers and it will not be an exaggeration to say that it is the only banks run
by Government which extends services to the maximum possible satisfaction of
its customers even in far flung areas and on the contrary all other department
of the government or most of the PSUs have failed to please their customers.
Such paradigm shift occurred only due to efficiency exhibited by bank employees
without disturbing routine normal works.
After adoption of Core Banking Solution ( called as CBS), Banks has introduced several other non-banking products like Insurance, demat service, share trading, selling of mutual fund products, tax collection, old age pension payment and many other products. It is only bank employees who accept newer and newer challenges and strive hard to please customers. It is unfortunate that bank employees are still in bad taste in corridors of Ministers. During last ten years number of bank staff has come down from 800000 to 700000 whereas number of branches has almost doubled.
It has to be kept in mind that there has been continuous wage erosion of bank employees during last two decades whereas on the contrary there has been quantum jump in the salary of state and central government employees through fifth and sixth pay commission report implementation. Frustration has been increasing among bank employees due to indifferent attitude of IBA and inordinate delay in completion of Xth Bipartite Settlement..
After adoption of Core Banking Solution ( called as CBS), Banks has introduced several other non-banking products like Insurance, demat service, share trading, selling of mutual fund products, tax collection, old age pension payment and many other products. It is only bank employees who accept newer and newer challenges and strive hard to please customers. It is unfortunate that bank employees are still in bad taste in corridors of Ministers. During last ten years number of bank staff has come down from 800000 to 700000 whereas number of branches has almost doubled.
It has to be kept in mind that there has been continuous wage erosion of bank employees during last two decades whereas on the contrary there has been quantum jump in the salary of state and central government employees through fifth and sixth pay commission report implementation. Frustration has been increasing among bank employees due to indifferent attitude of IBA and inordinate delay in completion of Xth Bipartite Settlement..
To add fuel to fire media has tarnished the image of bank
employees by creating false hype that bankers are high wage islanders. As a
matter of fact wage disparity has added much discomfort to bank staff and their
families .Indifferent attitude of government has widened to such a large extent
that unemployed youth who join services in bank get disappointed in a year or
two and constrained to leave the service and to opt for better avenues in
private companies. There has been sharp change and reversal in choice and
preference of job seekers. Three decades ago fresher used to prefer joining
bank service than even IAS and IPS services. Present position is that even
fresh graduate and post graduate prefers peon’s job in central services than
joining as officer in a bank.
It is worthwhile to mention here that despite low wages and high work load it is banks which have been earning profit continuously and growing in profit year after year. On the contrary most of other businesses run by government are either showing loss or showing fall in profit or there is position of complete stagnation or on the verge of closure. Even companies like BSNL is likely to book loss to the tune of Rs10000/- crore and more. Indian airlines are running in losses in thousands of crores. All oil companies, fertilizer companies and many PSU are in losses and running on the aid and ventilator provided by Government. It is surprising that government had happily increased salary of even loss making companies by 30 to 60% through sixth pay commission on the eve of election just to enhance their vote bank and the same government thinks it fit to ignore genuine demand of 20% wage hike of bank employees on flimsy ground
Government instead of listening to banks argument in favour of their demand for at least 40% wage hike has been postponing dialogue on one plea or the other for ten months It is to kept in mind that bankers are dealing in money and any dilution in honesty, sincerity and devotion of bank employees may cause irreparable damage to intrinsic health of banks. As of now corruption in banks is undoubtedly lower than all other departments of Government and other PSUs. Exodus of quality people may be harmful to banks. It is an open secret that banks have been used by politicians to enlarge their vote banks.
It is worthwhile to mention here that despite low wages and high work load it is banks which have been earning profit continuously and growing in profit year after year. On the contrary most of other businesses run by government are either showing loss or showing fall in profit or there is position of complete stagnation or on the verge of closure. Even companies like BSNL is likely to book loss to the tune of Rs10000/- crore and more. Indian airlines are running in losses in thousands of crores. All oil companies, fertilizer companies and many PSU are in losses and running on the aid and ventilator provided by Government. It is surprising that government had happily increased salary of even loss making companies by 30 to 60% through sixth pay commission on the eve of election just to enhance their vote bank and the same government thinks it fit to ignore genuine demand of 20% wage hike of bank employees on flimsy ground
Government instead of listening to banks argument in favour of their demand for at least 40% wage hike has been postponing dialogue on one plea or the other for ten months It is to kept in mind that bankers are dealing in money and any dilution in honesty, sincerity and devotion of bank employees may cause irreparable damage to intrinsic health of banks. As of now corruption in banks is undoubtedly lower than all other departments of Government and other PSUs. Exodus of quality people may be harmful to banks. It is an open secret that banks have been used by politicians to enlarge their vote banks.
I therefore submit this open letter to IBA, Ministry of Finance,
RBI, Prime Minister of India and request all concerned to have a day to day
basis dialogue process so that Xth Bipartite settlement is signed amicably
without resorting of strike by bank employees.
If delay is
not stopped by GOI and IBA in amicable settlement, I have no doubt that bank
staff will lose their patience, move on indefinite strike and ultimately
boycott Congress Party and UPA in forthcoming General election. Bank employees
leave no stone unturned to serve the common men at lowest cost by serving even
in rural areas and in critical places. They deserve better treatment for
overall growth of the country, for good health of banks and for soundness of
Indian economy.
If bank staff
are not given respectable wage hike without much delay , it may have large
scale adverse consequences on all economic front and repercussion on social
welfare schemes , not to speak of winnability of Congress Party in
forthcoming election in state assemblies and for Parliament
I am very much confident that learned Finance Minister will take
necessary steps to ensure signing of wage hike settlement latest by 30th September 2013.and payment of arrear
to all bank staff from November 2012 in the salary of November 2013.
but what our great ufbu netas are doing? since 99% of the ufbu leaders are not in service, they are not interested to go for indefinite strike..and also they are on the pay rolls of political parties, they are least bothered about the pace in which the negotiations are going...who will bell/kill the cat?
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