UFBU and IBA meeting postponed

The Conciliation meeting between UFBU and IBA that was scheduled to be held on 22 April has been postponed to 30 April.Bank Employees are protesting against non-fulfillment of demands such as 5 Day Banking and adequate recruitment of staff. 

Earlier, meeting was held on 18.03.2025 but any decision would not be arrived at. So next meeting was scheduled for 21.03.2025. In that meeting, the strike was deferred and UFBU said that a consensus had been arrived for most of the demands.

What UFBU said in last meeting on 21.03.2025?

Serious negotiations on our demands began the morning before today's adjourned conciliation meeting. There were representatives from the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA).

The Finance Minister (FM) and the DFS Secretary had a fruitful conversation regarding the desire for five-day banking, according to the Joint Secretary of DFS, who joined the meeting via video chat.

The IBA suggested more talks on important topics like hiring, Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI), and other difficulties. The implementation of five-day banking is one of the topics that the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) promised to personally monitor.

The adjourned meeting will take place again during the third week of April. It was agreed to delay the strike scheduled for the 24th and 25th by one or two months in light of these encouraging developments.

All units are hereby informed that the strike has been postponed, and a detailed circular will be issued soon.

Key Demands Raised by Bank Employees

• 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.

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This PSU Bank Union announce Strike on 21 and 22 April

The bank's most recent transfer policy has drawn harsh criticism from the All India UCO Bank Officers' Federation (AIUCBOF), which describes it as "anti-officer" and a willful attempt to restrict workers' rights. General Secretary Sandeep Chowbey has written to the Managing Director and CEO of UCO Bank, requesting that the updated transfer policy, which was issued on March 29, 2025, be immediately withdrawn and that officers' employment conditions be improved.

Frustrated by the lack of response from the management, AIUCBOF has announced a nationwide organizational agitation starting April 2, 2025, and a two-day strike on April 21-22, 2025. The union has warned that further action may be taken if their grievances are not addressed. The federation has raised several objections regarding the transfer policy, such as:

• Unilateral Changes: The policy was revised twice in five months without incorporating officers’ inputs.
• Deterioration of Service Conditions: Key provisions, such as repatriation rules, transfer exemptions, and work-life balance considerations, have been altered against officers’ interests.
• Anti-Lady Officer Provisions: AIUCBOF has accused the bank of not implementing transfer benefits for female officers in the true spirit of the policy.
• Reduction in Maximum Retention Period: The allowed tenure has been reduced from 13 years to 8 years, causing distress among officers.
• Unfair Performance-Based Transfers: The bank has linked punishment transfers to performance, a move AIUCBOF calls subjective and prone to misuse.

Attack on Trade Unions Alleged

The union has also accused the bank of attempting to weaken trade unions by reducing exemptions for office bearers and introducing arbitrary restrictions on union leaders’ tenure. AIUCBOF warns that this move threatens the democratic representation of officers within the bank. Apart from the transfer policy, AIUCBOF has highlighted other longstanding issues, including:

• Acute staff shortages, forcing officers to perform clerical duties.
• Excessive work hours and unpaid overtime leading to health hazards.
• Workplace harassment, including misbehavior from senior management and punitive transfers for raising concerns.
• Lack of financial relief, such as TDS absorption on perquisites, despite other banks providing this benefit.

AIUCBOF has urged UCO Bank to reconsider the policy and hold discussions with officers before implementing any changes. The federation maintains that officers in Scales I, II, and III are crucial in driving the bank’s business and should not be subjected to arbitrary policies that undermine their rights. With the April 21-22 strike looming, the ball is now in UCO Bank management’s court to address officers’ grievances and avoid disruption in banking services.

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Latest Update on Bank strike -Why Strike Deferred?

Today, a meeting of UFBU and Bank Unions was held with the government representatives. Earlier, meeting was held on 18.03.2025 but any decision would not be arrived at. So next meeting was scheduled for 21.03.2025. Today, the meeting was attended by Bank Unions, IBA and Bank Management. As per the details available, the strike has been deferred. Consensus has been reached for most of the demands.

The adjourned conciliation meeting took place today from morning. There was serious discussion on our demands. Iba and DFS were present. 

Joint secretary of DFS spoke on video call and informed about the positive discussion FM and DFS secretary had on the issue of 5 Day banking. Iba proposed to further discuss issues like recruitment and PLI and other issues. 

CLC informed that he will directly monitor the issues includi ng implementation of ,5 days banking. The meeting has been adjourned to be held again in the third week of April. 

In view of this positive development it was felt necessary to postpone our strike for a month or two. Units are thus informed that our strike on 24th and 25th is postponed. Detailed circular being issued. UFBU.

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This PSU Bank Announced Strike, All branches will remain closed on 20th March

Employees of the Bank of Maharashtra have declared a statewide walkout for March 20, 2025. The strike will resume on March 20, 2025, as the conciliation negotiations with management have failed. The other bank unions have also expressed their complete support to Bank of Maharashtra association. 

Bank of Maharashtra Employees have been asking the government and bank management to comply with their demands, but nobody has taken notice. With the following demands, the strike has now been declared.

Recruitment of PTS through Absorption of Temporary PTS:

Employees are demanding the absorption of Part-Time Sweepers (PTS) who are currently working on a temporary basis into permanent positions. The union argues that these employees have been serving the bank for years and deserve formal employment with proper benefits.

Adequate Recruitment in Sub-Staff and Clerical Cadre:

The union has raised concerns over staff shortages in sub-staff and clerical positions, which are affecting the efficiency of banking operations. They are calling for immediate recruitment to fill vacancies and ensure smooth functioning.

Filling Up of Special Assistant Posts as per Agreement:

Employees claim that certain posts of special assistants have remained vacant, despite previous agreements that mandated their filling. The union is demanding the implementation of the agreed-upon staffing policies.

Restoration of Bipartisan Practices:

The union has accused the bank management of unilaterally making decisions without consulting employee representatives, leading to dissatisfaction among staff. They are demanding the restoration of a bipartisan approach in decision-making, where employee unions have a say in policies affecting workers.

Restoration of Union Offices:

Employees are also demanding the reinstatement of union offices within bank premises, arguing that these offices play a crucial role in addressing employee grievances and ensuring effective communication between the workforce and management.

Honoring the De Jure Recognition Agreement:

The union has insisted that the bank management adhere to the De Jure Recognition Agreement in both letter and spirit, ensuring that employee rights and agreements are respected.

The banking industry will be significantly impacted by the strike. Additionally, the UFBU has declared a strike for March 24 and 25, 2025. Employees of Punjab National Bank have also declared a strike for March 28 and 29, 2025. The lack of employees is the biggest issue the banks are dealing with. Banks have been experiencing a staffing shortage for a while, but no one is taking notice. Other employees are compelled to work longer hours due to a staffing shortage, which has an adverse effect on their physical and emotional well-being.

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Why Bank Unions announced Strike and other trade unions support this Strike?

 

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Latest Update on Bank Strike: Reconciliation Meeting Held Today

 
A reconciliation conference involving the IBA, bank associations, and bank management was held today. This conference was attended by the labor commissioner and the management of all public sector banks. On March 24 and 25, 2025, Bank employees announced a strike, prompting the demand for the reconciliation meeting. 

 Due to demands like 5-day banking not being met, the bank associations have declared a strike. The meeting was place today, but no agreement could be reached. Therefore, the next meeting is scheduled for March 21, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. 

 The CLC office was the location of the meeting. The bank management, DFS, and IBA were all present. Every topic was covered. Regarding the concerns, particularly recruitment, 5-day banking, and unilateral PLI, there was no improvement.

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UFBU announced two days strike in PSU Bank

The United Forum of Bank Unions has declared a two-day strike for March 24 and 25, 2025. The union has made proposals for public sector banks to implement five-day banking and hire enough employees. The union's demands and the strike timeline are listed below.

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Agitation and Strike call by AIBEA

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