AIBOC Announced Nationwide Bank Strike
In a significant move to address pressing challenges faced by the banking sector and its members, the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) has announced a two-day nationwide strike, tentatively scheduled for February 24 and 25, 2025. This decision was finalized during the 102nd Executive Committee Meeting held on January 6, 2025, via a virtual platform.
Key Demands Raised by AIBOC
- Adequate Recruitment: Address the shortage of staff across all cadres in banks.
- Five-Day Work Week: Implement a five-day work week for the banking industry.
- Withdrawal of DFS Directives: Demand the immediate withdrawal of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) directives on performance reviews and the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which threaten job security, create divisions among employees, and undermine the autonomy of public sector banks (PSBs).
- Safety of Bank Staff: Ensure protection for bank officers and staff against customer assaults and abuses.
- Fill Vacant Posts: Expedite the appointment of workmen and officer directors in PSBs.
- Resolution of Pending Issues: Resolve residual issues with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
- Amend the Gratuity Act: Increase the gratuity ceiling to ₹25 lakhs, similar to government employees’ schemes, and provide income tax exemptions.
Issues Opposed by AIBOC
- Micromanagement of PSBs: Stop undue interference by the DFS in policy matters, which undermines the autonomy of PSB boards.
- Unfair Labour Practices: End discriminatory and exploitative practices in the banking industry.
The executive committee has proposed to initiate agitation programs immediately after serving the strike notice later this month. Detailed schedules will be shared with all state units and affiliates.
AIBOC leaders have urged all affiliates to prepare for the upcoming struggle by conducting meetings at all levels to communicate the resolutions. Members are encouraged to organize grassroots-level engagements at district and branch levels to strengthen unity and foster commitment to the movement.
Addressing members, AIBOC leaders said, “The path ahead is challenging, but our collective strength and solidarity will guide us. History has shown that we can overcome adversity through unity and determination. Together, we will safeguard our legitimate rights and uphold the integrity of the banking sector.”
The banking fraternity is now gearing up for a significant battle to ensure justice and fairness for employees while protecting the sector’s autonomy and stability. Further updates will follow as the agitation programs unfold.
Bank Officers Union announces All India strike against New Transfer Policy
The All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Association has declared a strike in protest against the bank management’s new anti-officer transfer policy. According to the circular, officers who have completed 6 years in the officers’ cadre within their current zone can request a transfer to another zone of their preference after this period. The union views this policy as unjust due to the lengthy 6-year duration and is demanding a reduction in the required duration.
The BOB Officers’ Union has threatened an All India Strike if the revised transfer policy is not revoked. They argue that the current policy imposes undue hardship on officers and are advocating for a more flexible approach to transfers.
- Black Badge/Black ribbon wearing from Monday, 29th April.
- Submission of Memorandum to all Regional Heads addressed to our Bank’s MD&CEO by team of Office bearers/Activists on 30th April 2024 evening.
- Demonstrations outside all Regional Offices on one evening during the period 1st May to 4th May 2024, taking into account the election model code of conduct as applicable in the relevant area.
- All India Strike on 7th June 2024, after General Elections are over. In the meantime, we shall serve Strike Notice to the Bank.
The last year transfer policy/IZT were exercised with criteria of 3 years for lady officers and 4 years for Male officers and now with policy being changed to 6 years, the sudden increase in the minimum relaxation tenure for this IZT(Inter Zone Transfer) exercise is creating panic among the officers and demoralising concerned officers and their family members, who have been posted outside the parent zone during previous IZT exercises.
Earlier officers with age of 55 are eligible for retransfer to their parent zone or to the zone of their choice, now in this IZT policy the age criteria has been increased to 58 years which is ruthless.
The IZT policy eligible period for the employees being 6 years is very long and staying away from families is unbearable, which adversely impact family life of the officer’s.
Since 2019 there is no recruitment in Bank and all previous IZT batches have been retransferred with 3 / 4 years ( lady staff 3 years) criteria, Management’s sudden shift to 6 Years minimum tenure is demoralizing officer employees as there is no work life balance in our bank due to IZT Transfers.
Many of the lady officers were undergoing fertility treatments and still were transferred midway and suffered due to delay in treatment due to IZT Still there are some officers whose IZT request has been rejected in earlier IZT exercises for shortage of a day or two with respect to the cutoff date. But these officers has been identified by the Management during the IZT 2019-20 and relieved late by the respective zonal office/regional office which in turn effected the officers during retransfer to the parent zone.
The Management is thinking that they have given enough concession for women and men under the IZT policy but they have forgotten that most of the employees who have undergone IZT posting have been undergoing physical and mental agony, since many of the officers have left their families back at their parent zone due to health problem of parents/in laws, nontransferable employment of spouse, education problem of children etc. This IZT policy has further demotivated and shut down the hope of these officers of getting back to their family.
Every year all the officers of the bank are obeying the instructions of the top management and undergoing the IZT even though they are facing some personal problems with a hope that they will be transferred back to the parent zone after completion of 3 years’ service.
6 Days Nationwide Bank Strike In December in Banks
Bank branches will remain closed for upto 6 days in December owing to bank strikes being called by banking union. The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) has announced that it will go on strike on various days in the month of December 2023, demanding adequate recruitment and opposing outsourcing of permanent jobs.
AIBEA general secretary C H Venkatachalam had pointed out via his tweet that unemployement has risen significantly since 2019 to 2023, demanding adequate reqruitment in all banks and opposed outsourcing of regular jobs.
AIBEA said that in the month of December 2023, the banking association will go on for 6 days strike. Check out the following dates:
December 4: There will be an all India bank strike in Punjab National Bank (PNB), Punjab and Sindh Bank and State Bank of India (SBI)
December 5: There will be an all India bank strike in Bank of Baroda and Bank of India
December 6: There will be an all India bank strike in Canara Bank and Central Bank of India
December 7: There will be an all India bank strike in Indian Bank and UCO Bank.
December 8: There will be an all India bank strike in Union Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra
December 11: There will be an all India bank strike in all Private Banks.
Why PSU bank employees strike on 27th June defer
In a significant move, bank unions on Thursday agreed to drop their earlier announced all-India strike call for June 27. The decision came during a conciliatory meeting held in the Capital under the chairmanship of the Chief Labour Commissioner S C Joshi, on Thursday.
The conciliatory meeting held on June 21 had remained inconclusive and the unions stood by their strike call. The CLC had called for another conciliatory meeting on June 23 to prevent the strike.
There was a change of stance by the bank unions at Thursday’s conciliatory meeting after the IBA agreed to commence negotiations on their demands from July 1.
“Another round of conciliation meetings was held today in Delhi by CLC. We reiterated our demands. IBA agreed to commence negotiations on our demands on July 1. Hence, it is decided to defer our agitation and strike on June 27,” C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), told BusinessLine after the meeting.
The breakthrough is significant as the IBA has not been communicating with the bank unions for the last one-and-a-half years, sources said.
The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) was represented by Brajeshwar Sharma, Senior Advisor (HR & IR), at today’s meeting, while the Department of Financial Services (DFS) was represented by Deputy Secretary Kul Bhushan Nayyar. Representatives of both Catholic Syrian Bank and Singapore-headquartered DBS Bank were also present at the meeting.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), a representative body of nine bank unions, had given the strike call for June 27. The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) is one of the nine unions which form part of the UFBU.
The main demands of the unions include introduction of five-day banking (all Saturday and Sundays to be holidays) and scrapping of NPS for post April 2010 employees/officers and implementation of the old pension scheme for them.
One other demand is to extend wage revision in CSB Bank (Catholic Syrian Bank ) and DBS Bank (formerly Lakshmi Vilas Bank), sources said.
RBL Bank says banking operation may be hit due to 2-day strike
RBL Bank today said some of its branches would also be impacted by the strike call given by bank unions on March 28, 2022, and March 29, 2022. “The workmen unions represented by the All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) and All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) had served the notice of strike declaring that their members propose to go on strike on March 28, 2022, and March 29, 2022, for the demands stated therein," the bank said in a statement.
The Ratnakar Bank Officers’ Organisation and Ratnakar Bank Employee Union of our Bank are affiliated with the AIBOA and AIBEA, respectively. RBL Bank has said the employees of the bank associated with the aforesaid unions may participate in the strike.
Private sector RBL Bank this week said the Reserve Bank has granted an extension of three months to its interim MD and CEO Rajeev Ahuja. "We wish to further inform that on request of the Bank, RBI vide its letter dated March 17, 2022, has approved the extension of the term of Rajeev Ahuja, interim Managing Director & CEO of the Bank for a further period of three months with effect from March 25, 2022, or till the appointment of a regular MD & CEO, whichever is earlier," RBL Bank said in a regulatory filing.
On December 30, 2021, the private sector lender had said the Reserve Bank had approved the appointment of Ahuja as interim managing director (MD) and CEO for a period of three months with effect from December 25, 2021, or till the appointment of a regular MD and CEO. The RBL Bank stock closed at ₹136.45, up ₹3.1 or 2.32 per cent, on the National Stock Exchange on Friday.
Bank unions given call for two-day nationwide strike against proposed privatisation of PSBs
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, has given a call for a two-day strike from December 16 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders. In the Union Budget presented in February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the privatisation of two public sector banks (PSBs) as part of its disinvestment plan.
The government has already privatised IDBI Bank by selling its majority stake in the lender to LIC in 2019 and merged 14 public sector banks in the past four years.
The government has listed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, for introduction and passage during the current session of Parliament.
In view of this, UFBU has decided to oppose the move for privatisation, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said in a statement.
Strike notice for December 16 and December 17, 2021, has been served by UFBU on the IBA, he said.
Hence, he said, for the past 25 years, under the banner of UFBU "we have been opposing the policies of banking reforms which are aimed at weakening public sector banks".
Members of UFBU include All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), 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).
Others are Indian National Bank Employees Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO).
In a developing country like India, where banks deal with huge public savings and they have to play a leading role to ensure broad-based economic development, public sector banking with social orientation is the most appropriate and imperative need, he said.
