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Monday 25 November 2013

Lackadaisical attitude of the Government/IBA in the area of wage negotiations


AIBOA'S Circular No.17/VI/2013
November 22, 2013

To:
ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES


Dear comrades,
UNCONCERNED ATTITUDE FORCE
THE UNIONS TO GIVE THE STRIKE CALL
ON 19TH DECEMBER 2013. 
The meeting originally fixed to be held on 21st November 2013 at Mumbai was preponed to the Wednesday the 20th November 2013 at 15.00 hrs at Chennai.  
The representatives of Unions had the benefit of the sharing of the information of the meeting held with Government of India at Delhi on 14th November 2013.  Between the last meeting held on 11th October 2013 and till this meeting, the development in the Banking arena and also the oft repeated proposals of mergers and takeovers echoed through the press by the Controller of the financial system, forced the representatives to resist the proposed moves through collective and decisive strength of Bankmen.

As the issues affecting the Industry and also the workforce are equally important, it was decided unanimously to call upon the entire workforce to observe the Strike on 19.12.2013.

We call upon the members and Units to make all out preparations to execute the call of strike with seriousness.
Onward to strike on 19th December 2013.
Yours comradely,
/S.NAGARAJAN/
GENERAL SECRETARY

The content of the communication released by the Convenor UFBU is reproduced:
A meeting of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) was held in Chennai yesterday i.e., 20th November 2013 under the chairmanship of Com. K K Nair, Chairman of UFBU and the representatives of all constituent unions/associations of UFBU were present.
The developments in the areas of wage negotiations, reform policies of the Government in the banking sector, the speed with which the Government is proceeding in implementation of reforms were reviewed and extensive deliberations were made on the issues confronting the bank employees.


The meeting noted with concern, the lackadaisical attitude of the Government/IBA in the area of wage negotiations that resulted in inordinate and undue delay in the process of negotiations.  Taking into consideration the insignificant progress in the process of negotiations despite a lapse of more than a year since commencement of the process and the financial pressure on employees due to high inflation, the representatives of all constituent unions of UFBU unanimously decided to press the demands through agitation programmes including strike action as there is no positive response from the Government/IBA to settle the 10th Bipartite Wage Settlement at the earliest.


The meeting also expressed its strong protest against the various measures being taken by the Government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the name of financial reforms inasmuch as the proposals like allowing foreign banks to enter India in a big way with near ‘national treatment’, which would enable them to take over our banks, the discussion paper released by RBI recently on Banking Structure in India and the thinking of RBI to consider granting of licenses to open Private and Foreign Banks under New Bank Licensing Policy, etc., are designed to eliminate the public sector character in the Country which are not in the interests of general public, who have faith and feel more secured with the Public Sector Banks. 


Further, the meeting condemned the recent decision of NABARD to convert the Primary Agriculture Co-operatives (PACs) as Business Correspondent (BC) of District Co-operative Credit Banks (DCCBs), thereby around 2.2 lac permanent employees working in PACs would be affected and adopted a resolution extending solidarity support to the agitating employees of PACs.


Considering all the above aspects, the meeting decided to give a call for     
All India Bank Strike for one day on 19th December 2013 demanding
·         IMMEDIATE WAGE REVISION
·         TO STOP BANKING REFORMS
Details of agitation programmes will be issued in due course.
The representatives of all the constituent Unions of UFBU further decided to meet on 23rd December 2013 to review the position and chalk out further agitation programmes, if need be.
Comrades, there is no significant progress in the 10th Bipartite Wage negotiations even though it was initially assured by IBA to conclude the wage negotiation process at the earliest.  It is disappointing to note that even the rate of increase is not yet offered by the negotiating authorities despite the lapse of more than a year.  We are left with no option except to resort to agitation programmes including strike action.
Comrades, let us march on with all the strength at our command and make agitation programmes a grand success not only to achieve reasonable wage increase at the earliest but also to thwart the anti-public and anti-national moves of the policymakers in the name of financial reforms.”

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