STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The public sector banks’ employees and officers expressed dissatisfaction on the casual attitude of Indian Banking Association (IBA) over the undue delay in settling the demands for wage revision.
These employees under the banner of Jammu Province Bank Employees Federation (JPBEF) on Tuesday assembled at Shalamar Chowk and staged a protest in support of their demands.
General Secretary of the Federation, Arun Kumar Gupta who apprised the employees that on the call of Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Mumbai, one more round of conciliation was held at Mumbai on 17th December 2014, wherein the IBA expressed its inability to move forward in its offer of increase in wages. “Further, IBA informed that it has asked all the banks to revisit the mandate given to IBA earlier to negotiate with unions on wage revision”, he added.
“United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) firmly protested the action of IBA in calling for re-visiting the mandate and termed it as nothing but a deliberate/unwarranted instigation and provocation, which would further complicate the process of wage negotiations,” he said.
Gupta expressed his dissatisfaction on the casual attitude of IBA even to the deep resentment of the employees and officers over the undue delay in settling the demands for wage revision and also expressed his displeasure over government’s lack of response. “On the other hand, bank employees and officers have shown their determination and faithfulness to achieve the target of 10 crore bank accounts under Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojna scheme well before 26th January 2014”, he said, adding that the bank employees never lagged behind in the successful implementation of all government sponsored programmes/schemes.
Ashwani Pradhan, another member of JPBEF emphasised that the indifferent and recalcitrant attitude of the IBA in sticking to its offer of 11 per cent increase in pay slip components despite the flexibility shown by UFBU by offering to reduce its demand and further negotiate on the same for the sake of an amicable early settlement.
Those who joined the protest include R.K Bamba, Vijay Zutshi Vice Presidents, Manjit Singh Secretary; Hardev Singh Assistant Secretary, R.K Bhat Organising Secretary, Ganesh Kumar General Council Member, T.K Tikoo Treasurer, V.K Dutta General Secretary PNBOA and V.K Pandita.
