Bank employees to go on strike on Nov 12

Strike seeks immediate settlement of wage revision

Bank employees will observe a one-day strike at the national level on November 12. The strike is for the immediate settlement of wage revision, said C D Jossan, state convenor of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).

The bank employees will observe one day zonal strike in each Zones in the first week of December. There will be a strike in the Southern Zone comprising of Andhrapradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilanadu and Telengana on December 2.

The strike in the Northern Zone will be on 3rd and on the 4th Eastern Zone will observe strike. In the Western Zone strike will be on December 5, he added.

He told Business Standard that wage revision for bank employees is due from November, 2012 subsequent to the expiry of the last Bipartite Settlement.

UFBU has been demanding for a time-bound approach to hold the negotiations on its demands and for conclusion of wage settlement within a reasonable time.

But Indian Banks Association (IBA) has inordinately delayed the negotiation process and there is no significant progress in the wage negotiations despite a lapse of nearly two years' time.

The formal negotiations have started in February 2013 and hardly 13 rounds of discussions have so far taken place between IBA and UFBU.

IBA is quoting the reason of non-affordability of banks and is stubborn in its offer of 11% increase in pay slip components, as against the demand of UFBU for a respectable settlement with due consideration of the difficulties that are faced by the employees.