Our friend Shri Pannvalan has prepared a concerted plan of action from our side to remind the UFBU bosses of their responsibilities towards us when they go for ...talks. Please make necessary additions to the draft format of the email furnished hereunder and mail it to your unions and their apex bodies.
FORMAT OF EMAIL
Dear Sirs,
We are deeply disappointed by the pace of the wage negotiation talks and the progress made so far. The quantum of wage hike proposed falls far short of the members’ expectations. We request you to take into account the aspirations of majority of the members and also the wages drawn by people working in other sectors – Government, Railways, Oil Companies, Coal, Steel and Power Sectors, other institutions in Public Sector (Central/State), I.T./Software, Higher Educational Institutions (giving UGC scales), Institutions of national eminence/importance, Infrastructure, Pharmaceuticals, Exports, Shipping and Logistics, Large Corporates and MNCs, Private Sector Banks, RBI, Exim Bank, NABARD, IDBI, SIDBI, NBFCs and large Financial Institutions. Even primary school teachers in central government schools earn more salaries than bank officers.
We need not tell you that the staff of Railways who already receive much higher wages than us have beefed up their plans to go on indefinite strike to press their demands. Many loss making PSUs like BSNL pay higher wages and extend larger and new, additional benefits to their employees. Many of them pay bonus/ex gratia also, each year.
But we bank employees have sunk to the bottom of the organized sector. Already our wages are 40% lower than that of central government employees. Against this background, the announcement regarding constitution of 7th CPC has been made 2 years ahead of its schedule. It has come as a rude shock to us and accentuates our worries and concerns.
Already by agreeing for merger of D.A. at 4440 points, as against 4876 points demanded, we may stand to lose 20% in our revised Basic Pay. Therefore, any further compromise made on the quantum of hike will cause great irreparable harm to our interests – in the present and the future.
When many more new bank licences are in the offing, there will be huge exodus of talented personnel, if our compensation package is unfair and not in tune with the market rates.
Coupled with high volume of superannuation cases from 2013 onwards which will continue up to 2018, loss of talented and experienced personnel will result in colossal damage to the ‘public sector banks’ in particular. Unless we arrest the trend, things will slip out of our control and we shall not be blamed by our future generations for our mistakes and failure to take timely action.
Those who joined public sector banks during the past 5 years feel that their hopes have been dashed, on seeing the compensation given to them and the pathetic working conditions to which they are exposed. It is not good for the banking industry.
We earnestly request you go to the next round of talks to be held on 19th January, 2015, remembering all these points. Please do not accept anything less than 30% hike in the ‘pay slip components’ as a layman understands. In other words, we want our present gross pay to go up by not less than 30% and there shall be no ambiguity or prevarication on this count.
We request you to keep the larger interests of lakhs of bank employees in your mind, before arriving at a decision that will have a long term impact on their welfare, their career and the rest of their life.
With best regards,
Place:
Date: (Signature)
Dear Sirs,
We are deeply disappointed by the pace of the wage negotiation talks and the progress made so far. The quantum of wage hike proposed falls far short of the members’ expectations. We request you to take into account the aspirations of majority of the members and also the wages drawn by people working in other sectors – Government, Railways, Oil Companies, Coal, Steel and Power Sectors, other institutions in Public Sector (Central/State), I.T./Software, Higher Educational Institutions (giving UGC scales), Institutions of national eminence/importance, Infrastructure, Pharmaceuticals, Exports, Shipping and Logistics, Large Corporates and MNCs, Private Sector Banks, RBI, Exim Bank, NABARD, IDBI, SIDBI, NBFCs and large Financial Institutions. Even primary school teachers in central government schools earn more salaries than bank officers.
We need not tell you that the staff of Railways who already receive much higher wages than us have beefed up their plans to go on indefinite strike to press their demands. Many loss making PSUs like BSNL pay higher wages and extend larger and new, additional benefits to their employees. Many of them pay bonus/ex gratia also, each year.
But we bank employees have sunk to the bottom of the organized sector. Already our wages are 40% lower than that of central government employees. Against this background, the announcement regarding constitution of 7th CPC has been made 2 years ahead of its schedule. It has come as a rude shock to us and accentuates our worries and concerns.
Already by agreeing for merger of D.A. at 4440 points, as against 4876 points demanded, we may stand to lose 20% in our revised Basic Pay. Therefore, any further compromise made on the quantum of hike will cause great irreparable harm to our interests – in the present and the future.
When many more new bank licences are in the offing, there will be huge exodus of talented personnel, if our compensation package is unfair and not in tune with the market rates.
Coupled with high volume of superannuation cases from 2013 onwards which will continue up to 2018, loss of talented and experienced personnel will result in colossal damage to the ‘public sector banks’ in particular. Unless we arrest the trend, things will slip out of our control and we shall not be blamed by our future generations for our mistakes and failure to take timely action.
Those who joined public sector banks during the past 5 years feel that their hopes have been dashed, on seeing the compensation given to them and the pathetic working conditions to which they are exposed. It is not good for the banking industry.
We earnestly request you go to the next round of talks to be held on 19th January, 2015, remembering all these points. Please do not accept anything less than 30% hike in the ‘pay slip components’ as a layman understands. In other words, we want our present gross pay to go up by not less than 30% and there shall be no ambiguity or prevarication on this count.
We request you to keep the larger interests of lakhs of bank employees in your mind, before arriving at a decision that will have a long term impact on their welfare, their career and the rest of their life.
With best regards,
Place:
Date: (Signature)
IBA expects wage revision to be amicably concluded by mid-February-Business Standard-18th January 2015
Sub-groups of bank management, workers unions to meet on Monday to discuss matters related to service conditions
The Indian Banks' Association is expecting the wage revision, for which it is in discussion with various unions including the United Forum of Bank Unions and National Confederation of Bank Employees, could be concluded amicably by February 15, 2015.
The IBA has set up three sub-groups consisting of representatives from the unions and officers' associations and IBA to discuss some of the topics related to the service conditions, other than wage increase, it said in a letter to the United Forum of Bank Unions and National Confederation of Bank Employees.
The three sub-groups formed were to discuss about the health insurance scheme proposed by IBA in lieu of the existing hospitalisation reimbursement scheme, matters related to workmen unions and matters related to officers' associations, excluding related to wage increase, which is being discussed seperately.
As per the letter, the sub-group to discuss Charter of Demands of Officers' Associations was scheduled on January 14, while the sub-groups on proposed health insurance scheme and the one to discuss Charter of Demands of workmen unions is to be held on January 19, 2015.
"Further, as the meeting of the Managing Committee of IBA is scheduled on January 31, 2015 in which the development of the Negotiating Committee meetings held on January 6 and 7 as well as the discussions being held in abovementioned sub-groups will be discussed, we intend to hold the next Negotiating Committee meeting in first week of February, 2015, to discuss further with the Unions/Associations and try to conclude the exercise of wage revision amicably by February 15, 2015 as expressed by the Chairman, Negotiating Committee in the last meeting," says the letter.
"We expect that Unions/Associations will also come forward and settle the issue amicably with the spirit of bipartism," added the letter.
C H Venkatachalm, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said that these sub-group meetings would be discussing other service conditions including the health insurance scheme, which the workers seeking an improvement and the IBA in principle agreed to, and not the basic wage settlement.
Further discussions on the service conditions and insurance scheme would be discussed on Monday, he said. The date for discussions on wage settlement has not been finalised, he added.
It may be noted that the Bank unions under UFBU is expected to go on strike from January 21 to 24, seeking an early and reasonable wage settlement. Earlier, the union has deferred the strike scheduled on January 7, on being satisfied with improvement in offer in wage hike by IBA, from 11% to 12.5% hike, during the talks held on January 6.
The unions expressed hope that the talks scheduled on January 7 would see more improvement. It was in this meeting, the decision to set up sub-groups were taken, according to the IBA's letter.
The IBA has set up three sub-groups consisting of representatives from the unions and officers' associations and IBA to discuss some of the topics related to the service conditions, other than wage increase, it said in a letter to the United Forum of Bank Unions and National Confederation of Bank Employees.
The three sub-groups formed were to discuss about the health insurance scheme proposed by IBA in lieu of the existing hospitalisation reimbursement scheme, matters related to workmen unions and matters related to officers' associations, excluding related to wage increase, which is being discussed seperately.
As per the letter, the sub-group to discuss Charter of Demands of Officers' Associations was scheduled on January 14, while the sub-groups on proposed health insurance scheme and the one to discuss Charter of Demands of workmen unions is to be held on January 19, 2015.
"Further, as the meeting of the Managing Committee of IBA is scheduled on January 31, 2015 in which the development of the Negotiating Committee meetings held on January 6 and 7 as well as the discussions being held in abovementioned sub-groups will be discussed, we intend to hold the next Negotiating Committee meeting in first week of February, 2015, to discuss further with the Unions/Associations and try to conclude the exercise of wage revision amicably by February 15, 2015 as expressed by the Chairman, Negotiating Committee in the last meeting," says the letter.
"We expect that Unions/Associations will also come forward and settle the issue amicably with the spirit of bipartism," added the letter.
C H Venkatachalm, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said that these sub-group meetings would be discussing other service conditions including the health insurance scheme, which the workers seeking an improvement and the IBA in principle agreed to, and not the basic wage settlement.
Further discussions on the service conditions and insurance scheme would be discussed on Monday, he said. The date for discussions on wage settlement has not been finalised, he added.
It may be noted that the Bank unions under UFBU is expected to go on strike from January 21 to 24, seeking an early and reasonable wage settlement. Earlier, the union has deferred the strike scheduled on January 7, on being satisfied with improvement in offer in wage hike by IBA, from 11% to 12.5% hike, during the talks held on January 6.
The unions expressed hope that the talks scheduled on January 7 would see more improvement. It was in this meeting, the decision to set up sub-groups were taken, according to the IBA's letter.
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