Unions defer 3-day strike as banks raise pay hike offer to 15%
Mumbai: Bank employees and officers' unions have deferred a three-day strike scheduled in March after banks raised the wage hike offer to 15 per cent, reported Business Standard on Saturday.
"In today's talks with Indian Banks' Association (IBA), apart from a 15-per cent increase in payslip cost, progress was made on some of our other demands as well. In view of this positive development, our agitation has been suspended and the three-day strike has been deferred", United Forum Bank Unions (UFBU) said.
Banking sector unions had given a call for a three-day strike starting Wednesday, March 11, in a move that would have crippled services for six days on the trot. This is because there are two other holidays — Holi and the second Saturday of the month — apart from Sunday. C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary of All India Bank Employees Association ( AIBEA) said one more round of bipartite talks was held at the IBA office in Mumbai.
The IBA team was led by Rajkiran Rai G, Chairman of the Negotiating Committee. These talks came after a two-day strike on January 31 and February 01, 2020, said AIBEA, which is a constituent of UFBU.
The demand for a five-day a week in banking will be taken forward in further discussions. In addition to the 15-per cent pay-hike offer (previous one was 12.5 per cent), encashment of privilege leave at five days a year is also on the agenda.
As for improvement in Family Pension, the matter recommended to Government will be expedited.
IBA agreed that some improvement on the pension front would be worked out for the retirees under earlier settlements aftter calculating the cost. The banker's association has agreed to discuss all other issues as well, Venkatachalam said. The previous wage settlement elapsed in October 2017, and a new deal, effective November 2017, was reached with IBA. The finance ministry had earlier issued instructions for negotiations to begin six months ahead of the date of expiry of the last settlement.
