Wake UP Call For Bank Staff

Pannvalan Pann Writes on Facebook

The sole objective of asking for hike in pay slip components this time is not to take into account its impact on superannuation benefits. Central Government staff have been getting their salaries revised through each CPC and then automatically the resultant benefits flow to terminal benefits too.

  Then, why UFBU (especially AIBEA) shall add the estimated superannuation benefits to the proposed wage hike, so as to present a rosy picture?

This is quite misleading and highly condemnable. What IBA has failed to do, UFBU is doing. Is UFBU an extended arm of IBA?

UFBU gives me Ten Rupee note and want me to believe it is indeed a Twenty Rupee note. I may believe also. But, when I take it to the market place, I find that the same note is worth only Ten Rupees, not Twenty Rupees.

Kamlesh Chaturvedi Writes as under

This is the clarification I have received from a union leader on payslip components:

"There are various heads under payslip components like : Basic Pay, FPP (Fixed Personal Pay), PQP (Professional Qualification Pay), Special Pay, DA (Dearness Allowance) , HRA ( House Rent Allowance), CCA (City Compensatory Allowance ) etc. These are the regular payment made to employees and generally comprised of so called Pay Slip of Month.

There are also other costs which are not include...d on Payslip but paid to employees like cost of Superannuation i.e. Provident Funds, LFC, NPS , Gratuity, Medical reimbursement etc.

IBA Agrees to hike the salary on Payslip by 12.5% excluding the retirement benefit."

In my opinion Payslip Hike is detrimental, disadvantageous and prejudicial to the interest of young bankers because those who are under NPS the basic pay+DA component is important.

PSU Bank Staff Among Lowest Paid in State-Indian Express

KOCHI: It may be hard to believe, but a daily wage labourer earns more than a PSU bank clerk earns in Kerala.  In fact, the starting salary of PSU bank employees is lower than even a primary school teacher, going by a presentation made by the All-India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), at the wage negotiations. As per the AIBOC comparison, a bank clerk gets a starting salary of Rs 15,000 per month, which is much lower than the salaries of the other similar white-collar employees, including Central Government officers, college lecturers and even primary school teachers. 

A primary school teacher earns Rs 31,000 per month, same as what a bank officer earns. A Central Government employee enjoys a starting salary of Rs 52,000 per month. But, the top earner is the college lecturer, at Rs 56,000 per month.

AIBOC also noted that a daily wage labourer gets Rs 750, which is higher than the Rs 500/day a PSU bank clerk gets.  Pressing home their demand for wage hike, the unions pointed out that the operating profit of PSU banks for the fiscal 2013-14 stood at Rs 1,27,000 crore.

If the wage hike demand is met, the total outgo would only be about Rs 6,000 crore for 10 lakh PSU bank employees.  But, when it comes to writing off loans, especially corporate loans, the banks are quite liberal. According to the AIBOC, the PSU banks have written off Rs 34,409 crore worth loans in 2013-14. 

Following talks with the Indian Banks Association, which upped the hike offer by 1.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent, the bank unions have deferred the one-day nationwide  strike planned for Wednesday. The talks are expected to continue on Wednesday.  The bank unions are also planning a complete shutdown of the banking industry from January 21 to 24. The unions have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from March 16, if demands are not met.

 

What Strategy Now Aam Banker Needs to Follow To Get the Maximum Possible Hike in Salary?-By Rajesh Goyal

On 6th January, 2015, UFBU has withdrawn one day strike as IBA offered to increase the pay slip component from 11% to 12.5%.   UFBU was well aware that it is far far below the expectations of the Aam Banker, and thus they kept a lollypop ready by adding a sentence that negotiations will continue on 7th January, 2015.  Thus, hoping against hope, Aam Banker kept on thinking during the night that may be UFBU may go for hard bargaining on 7th January, 2015, to have some sizeable further increase.

However, it was just after 11.00 AM on 7th January,  that the following message was flashed on the following lines

 

“Discussions continued today with I.B.A..  U.F.B.U. insisted on further increase over 12.5%. I.B.A. wanted some more time. Sub committees formed to deal with other issues like medical scheme, 5 days' banking, regulated working hours, pension issue etc..   Next meeting to be fixed soon.”

 

I kept on waiting for more details but till writing of this article at around 9.00 PM, have not been able to get any further updates.   What does the above message means?  

 

 For me it means even if a meeting started  at 10.00 AM, there was no hard bargaining or detailed discussions as the meeting must been over by 11.00 AM i.e. less than hour, as above message was in circulation around that time.  

 

Thus, today’s meeting (7th January) was a mere formality and no serious discussions seems to have taken place and UFBU’s lollypop melted in first hour itself and IBA was given free hand to choose the timing of next meeting.  We all now that Sub Committee’s will work at the usuall snail’s pace with all the pulls and pushes from various quarters and we can not expect much from these Committees.    Next date of meeting is yet to be announced.

 

 

A scan through various posts on various facebook blogs and other social media websites, clearly indicates the highest level of frustration among Aam Banker for deferring the strike on offer of mere hike to 12.5%.   Even local union leaders have criticized their central leaders, as they have to face the wrath of the bankers at their offices (they have to face the Aam Banker at branch / administrative offices).   However, UFBU has remained unmoved and they have yet to issue their official circular and the arguments or facts placed before IBA for higher wage increase.   No UFBU leader wants to talk about Charter of Demands submitted in October 2012 (26 months back).   Even after 26 months of delay, IBA wants more time.

 

Now, Aam Banker may cry or use foul language at social media websites, one thing is clear and has now become past that UFBU has deferred one day strike for mere increase of 1.5% on earlier offer.    No one can this as 7th January is over and there was no strike.   Thus, now Aam Banker and UFBU leaders have to think of what strategy they need to adopt in the next meeting which is likely to take place some time after 18th January, 2015, but before 21st January.

 

There is a strong feeling among Aam Banker that UFBU is playing a fixed match and their leaders are watching only their own interest and are least bothered for Aam Banker.

 

Although Aam Banker has already been given a setback by 26 month delay and IBA’s mere offer of 12.5%, I still see a ray of hope if UFBU is forced by its cadre to continue their struggle and not accept anything below 19.5% (that is what is now demanded by UFBU) and go on strike if IBA does not agree to this demand.     If IBA does not offer the same, a majority of the bankers are in a mood to go on 4 day strike beginning 21st January, which has still not been withdrawn officially.   

 

Therefore, now officers and employees across India working in all the PS Banks needs to gear up (including the young brigade which has been created in last few months) immediately and take up with their local unit leaders and submit their individual letters that if central leadership agrees to lower the wage hike below 19.5%, they will leave the association immediately on conclusion of the BPS.    

 

They should also mention that no further subscription and levy will be payable by them if the agreement is below 19.5%.   Let a clear message be sent to UFBU leaders that enough is enough and Aam Banker is in no mood to compromise further to the truncated current demand of 19.5%.   If IBA does not agree, it will be IBA responsible for 4 days strike.

 

Let central leadership receive thousands and thousands of such letters from individual bankers on daily basis within next one week.   This needs to be taken up seriously and on war footing by young bankers and ensure that such letters of individual bankers reach the UFBU leaders so that they do not cry foul if later on these bankers decide to leave the association / unions.  

 

This is last hope I see in the current situation.   Stop crying and act now and ensure that at least you get 19.5% which is the current demand of UFBU.    Ensure that your leaders do not stoop below this level.  I know this deal of 19.5% rise is far less than the expectations of the bankers and you will still be far behind central govt employees, but in the current scenario UFBU can not go beyond 19.5% as they have already reduced demand to this level.

 

Once this BPS is concluded at 19.5%, and not satisfied with UFBU performance review your membership issues with the associations now being represented by UFBU. 

 

If young bankers fail to rise to the occasion, I can assure you that your settlement will be around 13.5% or so.   Now it is choice of the Aam Bankers, what exactly they want.   I can only say Good Luck to serving Aam Banker as this settlement is not going to benefit me in any way as I am already retired.  Issues relating to retired personnel are yet to be discussed and are on low priority at the moment.