Minister’s clarification on question of strike by bankers

Strike by Bank Employees – Minister’s Clarification : UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 502 ANSWERED ON: 20.07.2018

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
LOK SABHA

Question : SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the frequent strikes being called for by the bank employees to consider their demands and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether this has become a farce by bank employees going on strike every now and then, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(c) whether the Government has taken any decision to ward off any future strikes by banks that hinders the daily routine of the customers across the country, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor and the stand of the Government in this regard?

Answer : The Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance

(a) to (c): Intimations of calls for strike given by unions/associations of employees of various Public Sector Banks in support of their demands are received from time to time. As per inputs of the Indian Banks’ Association (which, inter alia, carries on negotiations with labour unions on behalf of bank managements on their specific mandate),demands raised by workmen unions or officers’ associations are discussed between the managements of banks and the unions/associations in appropriate forums, with a view to settle the issues raised amicably through mutual discussions/negotiations. Further, all efforts are made to avert strike whenever a strike call is given, which may include conciliation proceedings before the Chief Labour Commissioner.

Upon receipt of the intimations, Government issues an advisory to banks regarding maintenance of banking operations during the strike through appropriate steps for avoiding inconvenience to the general public, including adequate loading of cash in ATMs, ensuring operation of clearing houses, internet banking and core banking solution, etc.

Source: Lok Sabha

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Bank, insurance unions threaten strike during Parliament’s winter session

The Co-ordination Committee of Bank, Insurance and Finance Sector Unions (CCBIFU) on Saturday said a would be called during the winter session of the Parliament if the government does not revise its policies on banking and insurance sectors.

“If the government does not revise its policies on banking and insurance sector and would continue with their existing policies, the CCBIFU will decide to go on a strike during the winter session of the Parliament in December, 2018,” Committee Chairman C.H. Venkatachalam said in a statement.
The Committee was formed to protest against what are termed as attacks on the banking and insurance sectors like foreign direct investment (FDI), disinvestment and other sectoral reforms.

The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), General Insurance Employees All India Association (GIEAIA) and All India LIC Employees Federation (AILICEF) constitute the commitee.
While Venkatachalam, the General Secretary of AIBEA, is the Committee’s Chairman, K. Govindan, General Secretary of the GIEAIA is the Convener.
According to Venkatachalam, banks represent hard earned savings of the common people.

“Today it is more than Rs 115 lakh crore. If banks are privatised, the people’s money will be in the hands of the capitalists. The only problem in the banks is the huge bad loans due from the corporate borrowers,” he said.
“Instead of taking action to recover the bad loans, banks are sought to be handed over to them. In LIC also there are huge bad investments which are non-performing. There must be a thorough parliamentary probe into all these investments,” he added.

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Extended support to all India strike on 31st July

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Bank Strike: Bank staff threaten to intensify stir in July, August

The United Forum of Bank Unions(UFBU) on Tuesday threatened to intensify their stir in July and August against the 'meagre' two per cent salary hike, officials said. The bank employees had observed a two-day strike on May 30 and 31 against the hike.

The United Federation of Bank Unions, the umbrella organisation of nine bank unions, met here and congratulated the staff for observing the two-day strike, general secretary of the federation CH Venkatachalam said. 

"It has been decided to further continue the struggle with more strikes. Having regard to the need for an amicable solution, it was decided to meet the higher authorities in the government and the banks", he told PTI.

"However, if no solution is forthcoming in these meetings, the United Forum of Bank Unions will proceed and announce more agitations", he said. Meanwhile, a report from Tirupathi quoted senior vice-president of the National Confederation of Bank Employees, VVSR Sarma as saying that the bank staff would intensify the stir in a phased manner in July and August to press for their demands.

"Prior to intensifying our agitation, United Forum of Bank Unions decided to submit a memorandum on the wage hike issue and other banking developmental issues to finance minister Arun Jaitley by this month-end," he said.

Source- Times of India

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AIBEA circular about successful strike and PSB stats

Press release of AIBEA general secretary of C.H. Venkatachalam and announced 48 hours continuous all india bank strike successfully commenced.

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Bank Strike For 2 Days Begins Today. Salary Withdrawal, ATM Services May Get Hit

Banking operations could be hit as employees of state-run banks go on a two-day nationwide strike starting from today. The bank strike comes after a two per cent salary hike failed to convince the bank unions and several rounds of talks between banks and the unions of their employees did not make any headway. The wage revision for all banks is due since November 1, 2017.

Since the bank protest dates coincides with the month end, salary withdrawals are likely to get affected. ATM transactions may also take a hit. Besides, deposit in branches, FD renewal, government treasury operation, money market operation would see the impact of the strike. Online banking operations, however, will be available at all times.

All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), general secretary C H Venkatachalam said. "It is kind of an insult to the employees of public sector banks...to be offered this kind of meagre hike. We had no other option but to go on strike, forgoing two days'' salary," All India Bank Officers'' Confederation (AIBOC) joint general secretary Ravinder Gupta said.

Bank union leader Ashok Gupta told NDTV that bank unions are not ready to accept a wage hike below 14-15 per cent. The Indian Banks' Association has refused to discuss their demands, he said.

In the last wage revision in 2012, employees had received a wage rise of 15 per cent, news agency PTI cited West Bengal convenor of UFBU Siddhartha Khan as saying.

Following the refusal, the United Forum of Banking Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, called for a nationwide bank strike against wage hike proposed by the Indian Banks' Association.

Vice-President of National Organisation of Bank Workers, Ashwani Rana, told ANI, "On May 30-31, around 10 lakh bank employees all over India will be on strike over the issue of wage revision."

ATM security guards are also likely to participate in the bank strike.

The United Forum of Banking Unions has demanded early wage review settlement, sufficient increase in salary, improvement in other service conditions and wage revision settlement for all officers up to scale VII.

The Chief Labour Commissioner supported the issues and asked Indian Banks' Association to respond positively. He had also said that officers and employees have to be paid for hard work and not based on profit.

Most of the banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bank of Baroda (BoB), have already informed their customers that functioning of branches and offices will be impacted if the strike takes off. However, the functioning of private banks like ICICI, HDFC, Axis and Kotak Mahindra is expected to be normal except for delays in cheque clearance. Withdrawal and cash deposit in the branches of public sector banks would be affected.

"We urge our customers to make the maximum use of digital banking services like UPI, MahaMobile app, internet banking facilities for their transactions. We have ensured that our digital banking systems and ATMs (for those who need cash) are available at all times for the convenience of our customers," Ravindra P Marathe, MD of Bank of Maharashtra, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

There are as many as 21 public sector banks that control 75 per cent of the total business in the country.

On May 5, the Indian Banks' Association offered 2 per cent hike which was rejected by unions calling it unjust. The Association refused to revise wages for all officers citing poor financial condition of banks. Large public sector banks had reported huge losses in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2018 owing to mounting bad loans.

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Conciliation failed – 30 & 31 May 2018 all India Bank Strike Stands

On Bank Unions 2 days strike notice Chief Labour Commissioner(CLC) called conciliation meeting to avoid 2 days proposed all India Bank Strike. Since Indian Banks Association (IBA) has not given any revised offer for wage revision United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to proceed for 2 days all India Bank Strike on 30th and 31st May, 2018 for the demand of early wage revision and against the 2% offer of wage hike given by Indian Bank Association (IBA).

Bank employees wage revision is due w.e.f. 1.11.2017. A charter of demand was submitted by Unions in the month of July 2017.

Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India was very much interested to give wage revision w.e.f. 1.11.2017 itself and written 2 letters to IBA for early wage revision. But IBA late started the negotiations and in 10 rounds of meetings only management issues and non financial issues were discussed. On 5th May 2018 meeting IBA offered 2% hike which was rejected by Unions and decided to go for 2 days all India Bank Strike on 30th and 31st 2018.

Why at the time of bank employees wage revision question of Profitability comes.

UFBU demands that Govt should advice the IBA to give respectable and justified wage revision as early as possible to avoid 2 days proposed all India Bank Strike.

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PSU bank unions threaten to go on strike on May 30-31 against proposed 2% wage hike

Over 10 lakh bankers in government and private banks will go on a 48-hour strike starting on May 30, an All India Bank Employees Association leader said.

The United Forum of Bank Unions proposed the strike beginning 6am on May 30, till 6am on June 1, demanding early revision of wages. The wage revision has been due since November 1, 2017.

"The strike notice has been served to Indian Banks Association representing the bank management and the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), New Delhi," C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA, told IANS.

The UFBU is an umbrella body of nine unions in the banking sector representing staff and officers. Wage revision talks between UFBU and IBA held in Mumbai on May 5 had ended in a failure.

Mr Venkatachalam said the IBA offered an increase of 2 per cent over the total wage bill of the banks as on March 31, 2017.

In the last 10th Bipartite Wage Settlement that was made effective from November 1, 2012, the IBA had agreed to a hike of 15 per cent over the total wage bill.

The unions had rejected the IBA offer, Mr Venkatachalam said.

While the government had asked the IBA to conclude the wage revision settlement before November 1, 2017, the latter has been delaying, he said.

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Wage Revision : Bankers to strike work on 15th March

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions in the Indian banking sector, on Tuesday decided to strike work on March 15 to press for early finalisation of wage revision in banks, said a union leader.

"The UFBU has decided to go on strike on March 15. The wage revision was due in November 2017. The union's have also charted out other protest programmes," All India Bank Employees' Association General Secretary C.H.Venkatachalam told IANS.

He said a decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of UFBU held in Mumbai on Tuesday.

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Nationwide bank strike called on Dec 27 deferred

The nation-wide bank strike called on December 27 by the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and the All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) stands deferred.

This follows the IDBI Bank Management agreeing to complete the wage settlement within a month, C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA, told BusinessLine here.

The assurance came at the conciliatory meeting convened by the Chief Labour Commissioner with the bank staff unions over wage revision at IDBI Bank that is due from November 1, 2012.

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All-India bank strike on December 27 over wage revision in IDBI Bank

The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) - two of the biggest unions in the banking sector - have called for an all-India strike on December 27, demanding the implementation of the long overdue wage revision in IDBI Bank. The United Forum of Bank Unions, an umbrella body of nine bank unions, has reportedly support the strike call.

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AIBEA calls for two-day 24th and 25th october 2017 all-India strike in IDBI Bank

IDBI Bank employees will conduct two days The All India Strike on 24 and 25 october along with the members of various bank unions demanding Over-due wage revision.

The wage revision for employees and officers of IDBI Bank is due from November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2017 on the lines of settlement in all other banks, AIBEA General Secretary, CH Venkatachalam said in a statement.

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Bank unions call for all-India strike on August 22

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the umbrella organisation of five employee unions and four officer unions of state-run banks in the country, has given notice of their decision to go on nationwide strike on 22 August 2017 to protest reforms in the banking sector and other issues.

 

"The UFBU has observed that instead of taking urgent remedial measures to recover the alarmingly increasing bad loans in the banks which are threatening to drive the banks into a serious crisis. Steps like memorandum of understanding (MoU), prompt corrective action (PCA), Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, Ordnance on non-performing assets (NPAs), and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) are only aimed to clean the balance sheets at the cost of the banks, which represent hard earned savings of the people, instead of recovering money," says CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary of All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA).

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Bank workers to go on strike on February 28

Around 10 lakh bankers will now go on strike on February 28 to demand recovery of bank loans that have since turned bad and action against willful loan defaulters as well as solution to cash crunch post-demonetization, a top union leader said on Tuesday.

"Earlier, three unions had given the strike call. But now all the nine bank unions have agreed to go on strike and hence the February 7 strike has been withdrawn," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), told IANS.

He said around 10 lakh bankers -- ranging from officers to clerks -- belonging to nine unions will resort to strike on February 28.

The three unions that gave the February 7 strike call were AIBEA, All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) and the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI).

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Bank employees to hold all India strike on February 7

Three bank employees' organisations are planning to conduct all India strike on February 7, 2017, seeking the banks and the government to address issues concerning demonetisation and bad loans.

The All India Bank Employees'Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) have issued a joint circular to its members announcing various protest including joint mass demonstrations, dharana and one-day strike starting from January 30, 2017.

The organisations alleged that the cash crunch is continuing and most of the ATMs are still non-functional, which lead to tension in banks. They alleged that while everyone appreciated the hard work of the bank employees, officers and managers in managing the situation in the banks, there is reluctance and hesitation in extending proper compensation for the extra hours of additional work.

"When the ordinary and common people are made to face such problems in the name of curbing black money, the big defaulters of bank loans are getting scot-free. No action is being taken against the increasing menace of huge bad loans in the banks except provisions from profits, write-offs and desperate sale of NPAs," says the circular.

The demands they put forward include the demonetisation issues such as ensuring supply of adequate cash to all banks including regional rural banks and co-operative banks; restore all ATMs immediately and ensure availability of cash in ATMs; announce CBI enquiry on instances of huge new currency notes with some big persons when branches are starving on cash and stop diluting autonomy of RBI in currency management.

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Bankers to strike against merger of SBI associates

Opposing the central government's decision to merge State Bank of India's (SBI) five associate banks with the former, around 45,000 employees of the associate banks will strike on July 12, said a top official.

The All India Bank Employees'Association (AIBEA) official said that on July 13, there will be a nationwide strike in all banks by AIBEA and All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC).

"Consolidation in the banking industry is not a priority now. On the other hand, recovery of the bad loans should be the priority. Prior to the July 12 strike we will hold series of demonstrations opposing the merger," CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA told IANS.

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IDBI Bank staff ordered to cancel March 28 strike call

The Karnataka High Court has asked the bank's employees not to go on a strike; they'd called for a nation-wide strike to protest against's government's plans of diluting stake.

The Karnataka High Court, in an order, has restrained IDBI Bank staff from going on a strike. The bank's employees had called for a four-day strike starting March 28-31, however, the HC has asked the employees to cancel the strike call with the financial year-end looming.

Employees of the bank had called for a nation-wide strike from Monday to oppose the government's plans to dilute its stake in the troubled state-run lender.Employees and officers of the lender under the banner of United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions have given the strike call.

Justice Raghvendra S. Chauhan said in his order "Needless to say, banking operations are essential to the functioning of a nation and fundamental to the lives its people. If the operations are brought to a halt, the domino effect will be felt not only on the people but also on the health of the economy. Since the strike will have a cascading effect, it is imperative that the respondents are prevented from carrying it out, especially when prima facie, there is a violation of IDBI (Staff) Rules of 1980".

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced plans of divesting the government's stake in IDBI Bank to below 50%.

"The process of transformation of IDBI Bank has already started. The government will take it forward and also consider the option of reducing its stake to below 50%," Jaitley said in the February 29 Budget speech.

Earlier, the United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions had demanded a written assurance from the government that "their shareholding in IDBI Bank will not be less than 51% at all times as assured on the floor of the Parliament".

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RRB employees call two-day strike on Thursday and Friday

Regional rural banks (RRB)employees and officers have called for a two-day all India strike on Thursday and Friday to protest against the government's plan to privatise these entities

and outsourcing of banking services. They are also demanding pension-provident fund facilities in line with mainstream commercial banks.

All India Rural Bank Employees' Association said that rural banking services would come to a halt on these two days as employees of 56 RRBs will join the strike.

RRBs have about 2000 branches across the country. They are also demanding introduction of compassionate appointment scheme in line with sponsor banks retrospective effect and uniform and equal gratuity payment scheme. 

Source : Economic Times

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