IDBI staff threaten to go on week-long strike

The All India IDBI Officers' Association (AIIDBIOA) on Wednesday declared that employees of the bank will go on a week-long strike starting March 26 if their wage settlement is not resolved in the meeting with the management on Thursday.

"We may be forced to go on a strike in March, 2018, if the wage revision for all officers is not resolved in tomorrow's (Thursday) meeting," Vithal Koteswara Rao A.V., General Secretary, AIIDBIOA told IANS.

Around 18,000 employees (officers and staff) and 12,000 outsourced staff would be participating in the strike that would likely begin on March 26, added Saurav Kumar, Secretary, AIIDBIOA.

Queried about the timing of the proposed strike -- financial yearend -- and the general view of the people about the government-owned banks, asking for funds from the government, mounting bad loans, Kumar told IANS: "We had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with management for turning around the bank in June 2017."

"At the time of signing the MoU, the management said the wage issue would also be settled soon as a motivational aspect for the staff," Kumar said.

He said the wage revision is due in the bank from November 1, 2012 onwards.

Employees and officers of IDBI Bank are not party to the Industry Level wage settlement between the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), Kumar said.

The strike will be held by the United Forum of IDBI Officers' & Employees (UFIOE), the umbrella body of officers and staff of the bank.

--IANS

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