IBA Is Open for Talks----Government Trying To Mislead And Divide Bankers ?

Open for talks with unions, says IBA chief-Business Line 09.01.2014  (My views given below)

K. P. M. BASHEER                                                                                                                 KOCHI, JAN. 8: 

     

With the two-day strike by the United Forum of Bank Unions hardly a fortnight away, the chief executive of the Indian Banks’ Association, Mohan V. Tanksale, has said the bank managements are open for negotiations.

“The IBA is open for negotiations with the unions on their demands,” Tanksale told Business Line. “We have invited them for discussions for January 29.”

He said the IBA, which represents the managements of nationalised, private and foreign banks in the country, had already offered a five per cent hike in salary. He also pointed out that the Chief Labour Commissioner had called the bank unions and the IBA for reconciliation on January 13, ahead of the proposed strike by UFBU on January 20-21.

Wage revision

UFBU, a collective of ten major unions of bank employees and officers, is planning to go on a nation-wide strike starting from the morning of January 20 to press for its demand for wage revision. The unions say the customary five-year wage revision settlement has been delayed by more than a year. The two-day strike is a follow-up to the December 19 strike which had forced the banking industry to shut down for a day. Prior to the strike, the IBA had offered a five per cent increase in monthly salary, but the UFBU declined the same saying it was too low to even start the negotiation process.

C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All-India Bank Employees Association and former convenor of UFBU, said the IBA’s stand was totally disappointing and was forcing the unions to go on strike.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/banking/open-for-talks-with-unions-says-iba-chief/article5554325.ece

My Observation :___I am surprised to hear misleading statements from the side of Indian Banks Association (IBA).

When I read the news Today on 9th of January 2014 that IBA Is Open for Talks, One immediate question which comes to my mind is whether Government is Trying To fool bankers and Mislead And Divide Bankers ?

In first round of talk they did not listen to demands which were urgent and passed time on non issues 

In second round they offered a hike of 5% which may clearly give the message to union leaders that IBA is not interested to accept wage hike as proposed by bank unions.

When bank gives a call of two days strike on 20 th and 21st of January, IBA call for talk on 29th of the month again giving clear message that they are not afraid of strike call given by union leaders of the bank

Now IBA again gives the message in media that they are open to talks with UFBU. They simply want to pass time so that they may pass the burden of settlement to new government keeping in mind that election code of conduct may be put in force sometimes in the month of February.

 Obviously It is totally a farce and ridiculous statement. If they are really serious, they should immediate resume talk and decide the matter by having daily discussion till the settlement is arrived at .Bank settlement is not a complicated case and do not involve any need of technical know-how.IBA nad the government has simply to decide the burden and the rest will be decided jointly by IBA and UBFU in two or three sittings. 

Unfortunately bank unions are also not giving serious thought to forthcoming election and they are  not ready to understand the bad intention of IBA behind delaying the wage settlement.

As a matter of fact this government weighs all matters, all agitations and all strike from vote bank angle. This is why they did not give much value to Anna movement and challenged them to fight election and change the rule. Now AAP is formed and now UPA government has understood the importance of public movement. But is too late. They failed to read and properly assess the intensity of public anger against price rise and corruption and now they are trying to commit the same mistake by underestimating the anger of bank employees on delay in wage settlement.

Similarly UPA government led by Congress Party will come to senses when too much loss is caused to Nation and to Indians by frequent strike.

Manmohan Singh did not take any action to contain price rise and simply wnt on telling the common men that price will come in control in next quarter which never came. Now he has understood that Congress Party lost the last election in five states only because of public anger against rampant corruption and uncontrolled  price rise.

Congress Party allowed Corruption to grow and did nothing to stop it. Now after defeat in election they are talking of Lokpal Bill.

All public sector banks are suffering due to political misuse of banks. Assets are bad to great extent. But government does not want to stop exploitation of banks for enlarging vote bank by imposing their dictates on banks such as rapid expansion of branch without proper check and balances and without proportionate growth in quality and quantity of manpower, imposing sky touching lending targets on banks and   forcing banks to achieve such unachievable lending target and forcing bankers to lend without taking required safety measures, forcing banks to lend at lower rate and accept deposit at higher rates and so on.Now to add fuel to fire , Government has asked banks to pay interim dividend so that government can reduce fiscal deficit.

When banks suffer loss and when Non-performing assets assumes dangerous proportion they blame bankers and refuse wage hike .

IBA is nothing but second side of the same coin. Members of IBA are nothing but mouth of Ministry of Finance and that of Government of India. They do not bother if entire banking industry collapses due to burden of bad debts and increasing frauds. When people of India revolt and raise their voice against misuse of public fund by politicians , then only the government will come to senses and think of real reformation. Now when AAP is taking against corrupt officials without loss of time, leaders of ruling Congress Party   are puzzled, worried and at a fix.

Banks suffer primarily due to mismanagement by top officials and political exploitation of public fund, but it is always the staffs who have to pay the price and who are denied respectable wage hike. And the most painful is that union leaders of Bank unions are silent spectators.

It gives energy when some of union leaders are exposing how high value bad debts are increasing in government banks and how ministers, politicians, top bankers who are part of IBA and who are really responsible for rise in bad debts are not held accountable for loss likely to occur on banks and who are not punished but promoted by corrupt team of rulers..

Members of IBA and ministers who have caused loss to banks to the tune of  lacs of crores of rupees by making wrong finances or by not taking proper action against defaulting borrowers are now talking of profitability of banks and using profitability tool  to deny respectable wage hike .I remember the proverb, “  Sau Chuhe mar kar billi haz ko chali.”