ALL INDIA BANK STRIKE ON 18TH DECEMBER 2013
UFBU CIRCULAR No. UFBU/2013/9 dt.
2.12.2013
STRIKE PREPONED –
ALL INDIA BANK STRIKE ON
18TH DECEMBER 2013
The representatives of Constituent Unions,
after due consideration of the request of the comrades of certain
States for change in date of strike since 19th December 2013 is a
declared holiday for their State(s), hence decided to prepone the All
India Bank Strike to 18th December 2013.
Accordingly, it has
now been decided to have All India Bank Strike on 18th December
2013.
Members are aware of the decision of UFBU to call for
One Day Strike demanding
• IMMEDIATE WAGE REVISION
• TO
STOP BANKING REFORMS
WHY DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE WAGE
REVISION?
Wages and service conditions in the banking sector are
governed by the industry-level bipartite settlements signed between
the Indian Banks Association and the trade unions of bank employees
and officers. Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks and Foreign
Banks who give their mandate to the Indian Banks Association are
party to the Settlements and hence are covered by the same.
The
last Bipartite Settlement on revision of wages and service
conditions, otherwise known as 9th Bipartite Settlement, was signed
on 27-4-2010 covering the period from 1-11-2007 to 31-10-2012. Hence
the 9th Bipartite Settlement came to an end on 31-10-2012.
Consequently, revision of wages and other service conditions have
become due as from 1-11-2012.
In view of this, as per the
decision of the United Forum of Banks Unions, common set of demands
for the employees and officers was submitted to the Indian Banks
Association on 30-10-2012.
UFBU has been requested the IBA to
adopt a time-bound programme to hold the negotiations on the demands
and to expedite the Settlement as early as possible.
Even
though the formal negotiations started in February, 2013, only 5
rounds of discussions have taken so far viz. on 22-2-2013, 22-4-2013,
7-6-2013, 12-8-2013 and 12-10-2013 i.e. one round of discussion once
in two months.
It will be appreciated that the alarming and
unabated price rise have seriously eroded the income of the employees
and hence the wage revision has become all the more important. The
Consumer Price Index has gone up by almost 2400 points under
(1960=100) Index series since November, 2007. Hence wage revision to
catch up with the high inflation and price rise has become an urgent
necessity.
Similarly, the workload in the bank branches has
gone up substantially due to increase in total volume of business and
also due to non-provision of adequate staff and officers in the
branches. Employees and officers are working under a lot of stress
and strain. The job profile of the staff has also undergone a change
and all these require to be properly remunerated with adequate
increase in wages. For this reason also the wage increase has become
important.
But unfortunately, the IBA is delaying the
Settlement and during the last one year, not even their minimum offer
has been indicated to the Unions.
HENCE, THIS DEMAND FOR
IMMEDIATE WAGE REVISION FOR BANK EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS.
WHY ARE
WE AGAINST BANKING SECTOR REFORMS?
Banks in India today have
nearly Rs.75 Lacs crores as Deposits representing the hard-earned
savings of the people of the country. Hence banking institutions have
to be properly regulated. It is because of these defined regulations
and predominantly being under public sector, that our Banking system
was saved from the global crisis. Because of de-regulation and
liberal banking policies, many Banks in many countries including in
USA and Europe have collapsed. Indian banks were saved because of our
strong regulations and being in public sector.
But in the name
of Banking Sector Reforms, the Government is taking various steps and
measures to liberalise and de-regulate the banking sector.
Recently,
the RBI has announced in its discussion paper that the Government’s
Equity capital in the Banks can be reduced to less than 51% which
means nothing but privatisation of our public sector banks.
The
Discussion Paper also proposes that the Banks may resort to merger of
Banks to become international Banks. Our Banks are meant for our own
economic development and hence this is clearly unwarranted. Further
merger has its own adverse implications to the detriment of the
employees and officers working in the Banks.
RBI has also issued
recent guidelines by which it is proposed to give the Foreign Banks,
near national status and even a scope to take over our domestic
Banks. Already, the foreign capital and investments in our Banks have
been increasing and now the move is to allow the foreign banks to
take over our Banks.
In the name of Reforms, the Banks are
also outsourcing the regular jobs in the Banks on contract basis thus
increasing the risks involved. The problems faced in the ATMs on
account of outsourcing are there for everyone to see. The Notice of
Strike has already been issued today by UFBU and the details of
Agitation Programmes are as under:
05-12-2013 Letters by all
Constituent Unions of UFBU and their affiliates addressed to
Chairman, Indian Banks Association
06-12-2013 Mass Demonstrations
in all State capitals and other major centres
16-12-2013 Badge
Wearing
17-12-2013 Mass Demonstrations, rallies, processions at
all centre 18-12-2013 ALL INDIA STRIKE – demonstrations,
rallies
Comrades, please make the Agitation Programmes and the
All India Bank Strike on 18.12.2013 a Grand Success. Please display
our solidarity and strength to achieve reasonable Wage Revision at
the earliest and thwart the anti-public and anti-national moves of
the Government in the name of reforms.
Sd. M V Murali,
Convener
March to strike on 18th December, 2013
Yours
Comradely,
C.H. VENKATACHALAM
GENERAL
SECRETARY
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