Bank Unions meet Jayant Sinha to press for early wage revision

Indian Banks' Association assured that wage issue will be resolved by the first week of February

A section of public sector bank employees unions today met Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha to press for early wage revision.

A meeting comes two day after the unions deferred their four-day strike that was to begin today as Indian Banks' Association (IBA) assured that wage issue will be resolved by the first week of February.

National Organisation of Bank Workers and National Organisation of Bank Officers, under the leadership of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), met Sinha and submitted the memorandum on the demands of the bank employees, said a statement by the unions.

In a representation to Sinha, it said honest negotiations which could break any stalemate. There was a rise of 17.5 per cent (Rs 4,816.00 crore) on total establishment expenses during the last 9th Bi-partite settlement.

"We request you to kindly intervene and advise IBA to keep above at least the level of last wage revision. If our demand of 19.5 per cent on pay slip component is considered, it may cost (Rs 6,143 crore). So far IBA has offered only Rs 3,937 crore and gap is Rs 2,206 crore," it said.

Banking Service Recruitment Board (BSRB) should be reconstituted and all the recruitments in banks must be channelised through BSRB and state or region wise. Working of the IBPS is neither satisfactory nor transparent, it suggested.

Besides, minimum qulification for the post of clerk should be 12th pass instead of graduation. This will bring down the rate of exodus and after 5-6 years of service and banks can get trained and loyal officers, it recommended.

Delegation was represented by Pawan Kumar, Virender Kumar from BMS, Ashwani Rana and Manmohan Gupta from NOBW, S U Deshpandey and Bhale Rao from NOBO.