Bank employees on war path, stage demonstrations

Business Bureau :

IN THE wake of call given by United Forum of Bank Unions comprising all nine unions of the banks namely AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO staged a massive demonstration in front of Bank of India, Kingsway on January 27. The demonstration was a preparatory programme for the ensuing two days bank strike to be held on January 31 and February 1.

The bankers under the banner of UFBU are striking to press their demands for reasonable resolution and satisfactory wage settlement and immediate settlement of long pending demands like the ‘Wage Revision Settlement’ at 20% hike on pay slip components with adequate loading thereof, five days banking, merger of special allowance with basic pay, scrap NPS, updation of pension, improvement in family pension, allocation to staff fund based on operating profits, exemption from Income Tax on retrial benefits without ceiling, uniform definition of business hours and lunch hours .

The striking bank employees also demanded introduction of leave bank, defined working hours for officers and equal wage for contract employees and business correspondents. Satyasheel Rewatkar, Chairman EMBEA, conducted the programme and highlighted long pending issues of the bankers, resulting which they are constrained to proceed on ensuing two days strike on January 31 and February 1. V V Assai, General Secretary of BEFI while addressing gathering warned of the grave situation ahead and requested and to stay united for realising legitimate demands. Suresh Bobhate, Joint Convener of UFBU said that even after 27 months of negotiations the Indian Banks Association (IBA) has maintained its high headedness and have turned a Nelson’s Eye in resolving the issues.

He called on all the constituents of UFBU to join hands and be united in the fight against IBA respectively, in resolving bank employees demands. He stressed that if all the UFBU constituents stay together, then the IBA and Government will be left with no other option than to budge to banker’s reasonable demand for a satisfactory wage revision and other ancillary demands. Mahendra Dhondse of AIBOC and Vijay Meshram, General Secretary of AIBOA emphasised on the importance of unity and requested all the constituents to stay united in fighting the high headedness of IBA.

The demonstration was led by Jaiwant Gurway, General Secretary of EMBEA, Chendil Iyer and Ashok Atkare who raised slogans for realising bankers long pending demands. Nagesh Dande of INBOC said that demands can only be met with united struggle under the banner of UFBU. He also stated about the dilly-dally approach of the IBA and Government in settling bankers legitimate demands. Bank employees in large numbers took part in the demonstration.