As per directions of AIBOC Sectt. to all the State Secretaries, AIBOC Chandigarh sent a representation to Mrs. Kirron Kher, Member Parliament, Chandigarh UT Constituency. The contents of letter has been reproduced below for the information of members: ******************************************************************** Hon’ble Mrs. Kher, REPRESENTATION OF BANK OFFICERS FOR YOUR KIND INTERVENTION The All India Bank Officers’ Confederation is an apolitical, majority organization of the Bank Officers’ representing more than 2,80,000 officers working in the Banking Industry and are committed to the welfare of the people of the country. We are one of the major Affiliate of the United Forum of Bank Unions which has a membership of over 10 lakh officers and employees. We would like to represent to you the genuine grievances regarding the pending salary revision of over 10 lakh officers and employees of the Banking Sector, that is languishing with the Indian Banks’ Association since November, 2012, with the fervent hope that your kind intervention and valuable support will help in sorting out the issue amicably and lend solace to the entire Banking fraternity. Since the Nationalisation of the Banks in the year, 1969 and 1980, the Public Sector Banks predominantly along with the old generation Private Sector Banks and the RRBs etc., have been Growth engines of the Nation and have played a key role in the comprehensive all round Socio – Economic development of the country. The strategic role played by the Banks at the micro and macro level in transforming the Indian Banking Scenario from that of ‘Class Banking’, to ‘Mass Banking’, alongside development of Agriculture, small scale industries, village and Cottage Industries has no parallels. Infrastructure lending, priority sector lending, implementation of all the poverty alleviation programmes of the Government, lending to large corporate, promoting exports, generation of self employment and, as recently as now, opening of over 8 crores Jan Dhan accounts in record time is well known to the public as well as to the Government. The Indian Banks which have been the face of the Government have reached the nook and corners of the country through financial inclusion and branch opening in the remotest parts and difficult areas of the country, and have been successful in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the Government and also the public at large. It is needless to remind that when the entire global economy was struck by the financial crisis of the western world; Indian Banks stood tall and survived the crisis, protecting the wealth and the trust of the entire Nation. It is with great pain and discontentment, that today, over ten lakh employees and officers of such a large Banking Industry have to virtually plead with the IBA and Government for a rightful decent and legitimate salary revision that is overdue since November, 2012. All our pleas have fallen on deaf ears and hence we are making an appeal to you to please use your good offices to ensure a fair salary revision at the earliest. Following are few submissions for your kind consideration: 1. The salary revision of Bank employees and officers is a bipartite issue and the 9th bipartite expired on 31.10.2012. The 10th bipartite was due from 01.11.2012. The Banking Sector Associations and Unions under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) submitted their charter of demands on 31.10.2012. 2. Since then 14 rounds of negotiations have taken place. Apart from the cut-off date and DA merger nothing else has been agreed. In the last wage revision i.e., in the year 2007, we were given 17.5% wage hike on establishment cost along with another option of pension, cost of which was much higher than the cost of wage hike given. This time we demanded 35% due to unprecedented inflation. Whereas, the IBA began with an offer of 5% and have come up to 11%, that too on pay slip component, which is an insult to the hard and honest work combined with Risk, Responsibility, Accountability and Transferability of the officers and employees. 3. Since the last nine months IBA has not enhanced their offer from 11% despite our coming down from 35% to 23%. Our flexibility and willingness to negotiate has been taken as a weakness. Despite strike on three occasions and innumerable favourable observations made by the labour commissioners during Conciliation processes, the IBA has remained adamant, forcing us to toughen our stand and go for further agitations and strikes which will adversely affect the Industry and will cause the inconvenience to the Public. 4. The IBA is quoting that Banks do not have paying capacity. Whereas more than 75000 crores of the Industry went down the drain due to provisioning and write off on account of NPAs and bad debts during the last financial year. Our salary revision as per our demand of 23% would cost not more than approximately, Rs. 7000 crores, that too, for the next 5 years. 5. Our wage hike is paid out of the profits generated and earned by the employees and officers and not debited to any consolidated fund created out of tax payers’ money, as is the case with the Government employees. 6. The claim of IBA that the Banks need to raise capital of over 3 lakh crores to meet the Basel III norms is hollow. The increase in our salaries will cost around Rs. 7000 crores only and it cannot hamper or match the requirement of 3 lakh crores. 7. In all the comparable sectors, wage revision is at around 25% or more. The 7th Pay Commission is already constituted and a good revision is likely. The steel Authority of India, The Coal India Limited etc., have announced a very good wage hike, way ahead of offer given to us. It is painful that in respect of the sincere and hard working officers and employees of the Banking Industry, all sorts of arguments are being forwarded to deny a legitimate and fair wage revision. A decent salary package in the Banking Industry is one of the pre requisite to attract youngsters and academically well qualified employees from the market. An inferior compensation package will be a deterrent to the new entrants and also lead to large scale attrition, denting the image of the finance sector . Despite all our above grievances our officers and employees have been playing and shall continue to play a positive role in ensuring good customer service and for the all round development of the country through implementation of all the progressive plans, priorities of the Nation. We believe in the development of the Nation and the organization as we follow the principle of ‘Nation first, Organisation next and individual last’. We request your immediate indulgence in the matter through your recommendations by letter to the Hon’ble Finance Minister, or through your personal approach or by raising the issue at all appropriate fora and ensure that justice is done. Over 10 lakh Bank Officers and Employees fraternity along with their family members shall be grateful to you for this kind act of yours. Yours faithfully, --sd-- (DEEPAK KUMAR SHARMA) STATE SECRETARY
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 16:37:17 +0000