Bank unions to wait for next round of talks-
The Hindu 15.04.2014
Following a positive response from the Indian Banks’ Association on pension-related issues, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to wait till the next round of bipartite talks for wage revision.
At a meeting in Mumbai on Friday, UFBU representatives dwelt on periodical update, a uniform dearness allowance rate for all pensioners, revision of the family pension formula, switching over from the new pension scheme to the defined benefit pension scheme for new recruits from 2010, cent per cent reimbursement of entire expenses, housing facilities for all and five-day banking.
UFBU and IBA Again Force Helpless Bankers To drink "Khoon Ka Ghoont"-By Sri Rajesh Goyal (allbankingsolutions.com)
I have restrained myself in writing anything for last few weeks as I have read Union leaders openly saying the declaration of election model code will not have any impact on negotiation talks. A number of leaders have opened told their cadre that negotiations will progress without any problems even after declaration of elections. I was wondering that our calculations must be wrong, and I thought of waiting for the meeting of 14th March, 2014 to see what commitment in terms of wage increase is given by IBA in this round of talks. Finally now the cat is out of the bag and initial reports indicate as follows (The detailed circular is still awaited at the time of writing this article):-
"In today's meeting with IBA (14.03.2014), pension related issues and improvements in some of the other service conditions as per our charter of demands have been discussed. The response of the Management is positive. The next round of meeting will be held in the middle of April".
I am sure the blood of most of the bankers must have boiled when they would have read the above two lines. Each passing day, they wait for a good news and wait for negotiations while holding their breath. Ultimately, a two liner is issued which does not show any progress in the negotiations. Thus, I feel once again UFBU and IBA have forced helpless bankers to drink 'khoon ka ghoont'.
The above two lines indicate the following :-
- There was discussion only on pension related issues and certain service conditions i.e. those which have no financial impact
- There is no commitment by Management (diplomatic answer for such talks is 'management is positive');
- The meeting has been fixed after a period of more than one month (i.e. when the election process will be half way through)
Thus the above is only a diplomatic way used as a face saver to make fool of the cadre that talks are continuing. If any one of them would have been sincere, they would have started the talks with the wage revision i.e. the hike which now banks and IBA are ready to pay? We know it very well that all the issues relating to service conditions are discussed as 'miscellaneous issues' only after the agreement is reached about wage hike, completion of drawing of scales etc. Thus, I am of the firm view that IBA must have clearly told that in view of election moral code and new government in waiting, they will not talk anything which involves financial liability. As a face saver to show that elections have no impact, they diverted the talks to "other service conditions", even on which IBA has not given a commitment and might have given a word that they will look into these positively.
Banks know it well that all these demands are part of the Charter of Demands which was submitted over 16 months ago. NOw after 16 months, IBA is required to be again reminded and they say they will look into these with positive outlook. Great achievement in talks held after months.
Now, another question arises, why next meeting is to be held only after more than 1 month? What stopped IBA and UFBU to again sit for negotiation after 10 or 15 days? This is nothing but delaying tactics, which by now each and every banker understands very well and we need not repeat the same.
Thus, now you need to keep drinking the blood oozing out from the wounds being inflicted regularly by UFBU and IBA and then lick on the wounds till next meeting when they will again scratch the wound.
The full details we can discuss only when the detailed circular is issued by UFBU.
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