Bank employees to go on strike from February 25-28

IBA had proposed to improve wage hike offer from 12.5% to 13% and said that the 19.5% rise sought in wages by the unions was unacceptable

Following last week's failed negotiations between the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the umbrella organisation of bank unions, over wage hike, the latter has decided to go on strike from February 25 to February 28 seeking revision in wages.  

The UFBU includes All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), National Confederation of Bank Employees, Bank Employees Federation of India, Indian National Bank Employees Federation, Indian National Bank Officers Congress, National Organisation of Bank Workers, All India Bank Officers Association and National Organisation of Bank Officers.

"Since the increase in offer of 0.5 per cent by IBA was paltry, inadequate and not satisfactory, UFBU has decided to revive the strike programme. There will be four days' all India bank strike at Public Sector Banks (PSBs) from February 25-28," said UFBU Gujarat chapter convener Ajay Badani, who is also the general secretary of SBI Employees' Union.  

IBA had proposed to improve wage hike offer from 12.5 per cent to 13 per cent and said that the 19.5 per cent rise sought in wages by the unions was unacceptable because of the strenuous financial performance of the banks.

Badani, in a press meet organised here on Monday, said "Bank employees are not responsible for rising Non Performing Assets (NPAs). Top executives of the bank and political pressure are putting stress on NPAs. We seek 19.5 per cent revision in wage in view of increased volume of work and manpower shortage."

He further alleged that Corporate entities are responsible for rising NPAs of Public Sector Banks for which bank staff are being made to suffer.

The proposed strike, as per UBFU, is expected to affect transactions worth Rs 12,000 crore in public sector banks in Gujarat. UFBU said that if negotiations fail further, the unions would go on indefinite strike from March 16.