Clarification On Progress On Bipartite Talk

ALL INDIA BANK EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION Central Office: “PRABHAT NIVAS” Regn. No.2037 Singapore Plaza, 164, Linghi Chetty Street, Chennai-600001 Phone: 2535 1522, 6543 1566 Fax: 4500 2191, 2535 8853 e mail ~ chv.aibea@gmail.com & aibeahq@gmail.com 
  
CIRCULAR LETTER NO. 27/121/2015/17
19th March, 2015
TO ALL OFFICE BEARERS, STATE FEDERATIONS ANDALL INDIA BANKWISE ORGANISATIONS

Dear Comrades,

1. Ongoing negotiations on wage revision and other improvement in service conditions: Units are aware that the Minutes of Discussions signed by us with the IBA on 23-2-2015 covering 15% increase towards cost of payslip components and amounting to Rs. 4725 crores coupled with full holidays on 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month are significant breakthrough in the given circumstances and as compared to previous wage revision. Our other demands are also being discussed and sorted out and already understandings have been reached on some of the issues. 

  The details of agreed issues have already been circularised by us for the information of our members. The construction of revised payscales and other issues will be taken up in further rounds of discussions. In the meantime, all sorts of misinformation, wrong information, rumours are being spread by vested interests about distribution of load to various items, etc in order to create confusion amongst the members. Our units are to keep off from such attempts and not fall a prey to the same. As and when any development is there, we shall keep our units informed.

2. Full holiday on 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month: On this also, various types of wrong information are in the market. Working Hours are service conditions which are part of the provisions of Bipartite Settlement. The relevant provisions have to be duly amended at the time of full-fledged settlement. Negotiable Instruments Act has to be amended and RBI also has to issue revised instruction on banking hours. In the meantime, based on our Minutes of Discussions, IBA has taken up the issue with the Government and RBI for due changes pending amendment to our Settlement. 2 Saturdays as holidays can be implemented only after completing these formalities. Hence units would appreciate that all these procedures would take some time. 
 
3. WhatsApp messages, SMS, etc: Oflate we observe that all types of unconfirmed information are being forwarded/circulated amongst our members through WhatsApp messages, SMS, etc. All these only contribute to avoidable confusions and we are required to clarify these questions every now and then disturbing our time and energy. Our units are requested to advise all concerned that any information related to wage revision, etc. are to be forwarded only if they are emanated from AIBEA or our State Federations. Technology can be used but not abused.

Yours Comradely,

C.H. VENKATACHALAM
GENERAL SECRETARY

Rural banks told to cut jobs, outsource ops-Times of India 20th March 2015

KOLKATA: The Narendra Modi government has directed regional rural banks to become slim by cutting jobs and outsource non-core functions such as IT maintenance, cash remittance and housekeeping.

The decision may not force RRBs to lay off people but these banks, which collectively employ around 80,000 at present, would need to downsize their future hiring plans by at least 10-12%.

The government told them to handle higher volume of business with a lesser number of employees in a core-banking environment backed by modern IT infrastructure.
The move is aimed at improving productivity and profitability of these banks.This is based on the recommendations of SK Mitra committee on HR policy for RRBs, which was set up three-years back but its suggestions were buried under the carpet by the UPA-II government. SK Mitra was then the executive director of National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development.

The Modi government wants RRBs to follow the recommendations.The nation's banking system has 56 RRBs with 19,400 branches and a collective business volume of Rs 4.50 lakh crore. They lend primarily to small farmers and artisans. "The committee had suggested steps with a view to improve productivity in RRBs," Mitra told ET on Thursday .
"RRBs need to redeploy people and re-skill them according to the need. The future profile of RRB employees should match the requirement of modern banking," he said. RRB employees have decided to resist this move as they see this as being impractical given the nature of RRB business.