PSU Bank Staff Are Lowest Paid Staff

PSU Bank Staff Among Lowest Paid in State-Indian Express 07.01.2015
 
KOCHI: It may be hard to believe, but a daily wage labourer earns more than a PSU bank clerk earns in Kerala.  In fact, the starting salary of PSU bank employees is lower than even a primary school teacher, going by a presentation made by the All-India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), at the wage negotiations. As per the AIBOC comparison, a bank clerk gets a starting salary of Rs 15,000 per month, which is much lower than the salaries of the other similar white-collar employees, including Central Government officers, college lecturers and even primary school teachers.  A primary school teacher earns Rs 31,000 per month, same as what a bank officer earns. A Central Government employee enjoys a starting salary of Rs 52,000 per month. But, the top earner is the college lecturer, at Rs 56,000 per month.
 
AIBOC also noted that a daily wage labourer gets Rs 750, which is higher than the Rs 500/day a PSU bank clerk gets.  Pressing home their demand for wage hike, the unions pointed out that the operating profit of PSU banks for the fiscal 2013-14 stood at Rs 1,27,000 crore. If the wage hike demand is met, the total outgo would only be about Rs 6,000 crore for 10 lakh PSU bank employees. 

But, when it comes to writing off loans, especially corporate loans, the banks are quite liberal. According to the AIBOC, the PSU banks have written off Rs 34,409 crore worth loans in 2013-14.  Following talks with the Indian Banks Association, which upped the hike offer by 1.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent, the bank unions have deferred the one-day nationwide  strike planned for Wednesday. The talks are expected to continue on Wednesday.  The bank unions are also planning a complete shutdown of the banking industry from January 21 to 24. The unions have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from March 16, if demands are not met.

Following Are the Views Expressed by Sri Kamlesh Chaturvedi on Facebook-23.04.2015

Whereas sources close to leaders of UFBU are busy in spreading the news that issue of holiday on 2nd and 4th holiday has been cleared by RBI and is being pursued with Government, following communication purported to have been issued by IBA is reflecting different story. The communication is addressed to sponsored banks of RRBs and it informs :

(1) As the functioning of Clearing Houses, RTGS/NEFT and Currency Chests are required to be closed on second and fourth Saturdays of the month, matter has been taken up with RBI requesting them to accord their consent. 

 This clearly shows that RBI has not yet permitted Holidays for second and fourth Saturday of the month. It further indicates that perhaps RBI has raised query with regard to RRBs which are not members of IBA and which enter into separate settlement with their unions. This communication points out another hindrance of Regional Rural Banks agreeing to observe Second and Fourth Saturdays as Holidays, which was not shared with us.

(2) The Communication further informs that matter was discussed in the managing committee of the IBA held on 7th April and members agreed that "there was a case for implementation of five days week in banks." 
 
(3) The communication makes it clear that IBA is working on curtailment of Holidays declared under Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. There has been no communication from our unions on this point. If IBA succeeds in its attempt of curtailing Holidays which have already been declared as Holidays, it will prove the calculation of Full Day Working on all Saturdays in lieu of holiday on Second and Fourth Saturday shared with us by our leaders as wrong.
 
जब कोई बड़ा नेता बन जाता है, उसका बताने का अंदाज रहस्मय हो जाता है. आज की वार्ता पर अधिकारियों के सबसे बड़े संगठन के सबसे बड़े नेता जी ने जो सूचना साझा की है, दिलचस्प और मजेदार है. आइये हम भी नेता जी की सूचना का रसास्वादन लें :

Meeting of Sub group of IBA was held today on other issues of officers at Mumbai. Many issues including PQA, FPA,CAIIB Increment, tax on perks,allowance for naxal affected areas, LFC etc. were discussed. Our concerns of structuring of pay scales were also shared and discussed with the IBA. The meeting was positive. Next round of talks is expected next week.
नेता जी बता रहे हैं आज बहुत सारे मुद्दों पर वार्ता हुई जिसमें एफपीए, पीक्यूपी, सीएआईआईबी इन्क्रीमेंट, पर्क्स पर टैक्स, नक्सल प्रभावित क्षेत्रों के लिए भत्ता, एलएफसी आदि पर वार्ता हुई. वेतन संरचना को लेकर हमारी चिंता को भी साझा किया गया और वार्ता हुई. वार्ता सकारात्मक रही. अगले दौर की वार्ता अगले हफ्ते सम्भावित है.

गौर कीजिये नेता जी ने रहस्मय तरीके से खुद कहा है कि बहुत सारे मुद्दों पर वार्ता हुई जिसमें उल्लिखित मुद्दे शामिल हैं. यानी कुछ ऐसे मुद्दों पर भी वार्ता हुई जो बताये हुए मुद्दों मेँ शामिल नहीं हैं. अब वे मुद्दे क्या हैं? नेता जी ने खुद इसे साझा नहीं किया, बल्कि यह कार्य अपने नज़दीकी भक्तों के लिए छोड़ दिया कि वे अपने अपने तरीके से उन मुद्दों पर जो उनका मन करे नेता जी की तरफ से साझा करके लोगों को भ्रमित कर उनका ध्यान मुख्य मुद्दों से हटाने की प्रक्रिया में लगे रहें,नेता जी के पास तो उपयुक्त समय आने पर फैलाई गयी बातों का खंडन करने का अधिकार सुरक्षित है.

ऐसी ही नेता जी द्वारा साझा नहीं की गयी सूचना है कि शनिवार अवकास के मुद्दे पर प्रगति हुई है और अब यह मुद्दा रिज़र्व बैंक की और से केंद्र सरकार को भेजा गया है.

विश्वस्त सूत्र बताते हैं कि वेतन संरचना के मुद्दे पर आईबीए ने कहा कि अंतिम रुख स्पष्ट करने के लिए उसकी एचआर कमेटी को अभी दो दिन का और समय चाहिए. सूत्र यह भी बताते हैं की आईबीए की प्रबंध समिति की बैठक ३० अप्रैल को प्रस्तावित है, उसके बाद ही वेतन संरचना सहित सभी आर्थिक मुद्दों पर सार्थक वार्ता हो सकेगी.

सौ टके का सवाल यह है कि जब नेता जी की सूचना से इसके अलावा और कोई अर्थ नहीं निकल रहा कि आज बहुत से मुद्दों पर वार्ता हुई,तो फिर ऐसी सूचना को साझा करने का क्या तुक है? यह बात तो एक एक बैंक कर्मी भली भांति जानता है कि उसके नेता नवंबर २०१२ से वेतन बढ़ोत्तरी के लिए वार्ता कर रहे हैं.
नेताजी ये फेसबुक और व्हाट्सप्प वाले लोग क्या जानें कि आप "शीघ्र, उचित और सम्मानजनक" वेतन वृद्धि के लिए ढाई साल से कितने चिंतित रहे हैं, चिंता और फ़िक्र में आपका वजन रोज़ कम हुआ है, नवंबर २०१२ के बाद अगर कोई आज आपको देखे तो ठीक से पहचान भी न पाए, आप सूख के काँटा हो गए और इन फेसबुकियों को यह समझ नहीं आ रहा कि २३ फ़रवरी को हुई सहमति से उपजी वेतन संरचना की गणित इतनी पेचीदा है कि आर्यभट्ट तक उसे ९० दिन में हल नहीं कर सकते जबकि आप उससे पहले कर लेंगे. लेकिन नेता जी यह बात तो समझ आती है कि आईबीए की एचआर कमेटी को रुख स्पष्ट करने के लिए दो दिन का समय चाहिए, लेकिन यह बात गले के नीचे नहीं उतर रही कि आपको समय क्यों चाहिए ? आखिर यूनियन और एसोसिएशन ने भी तो वेतन संरचना की होगी जिस पर रुख स्पष्ट करने के लिए समय माँगा गया है, आखिर अपने सदस्यों के साथ वह वेतनमान और महंगाई भत्ते का फार्मूला साझा करने में कौन सी परेशानी है जो आप हमें दिलवाना चाहते हो? अरे हम लोग कैसे जानेंगे कि नेता जी क्या दिलवाने वाले थे और आईबीए क्या देने को राज़ी हुई?

All of you are aware of the Notification issued by Department of Financial Services, Government of India on Transfer of Female Employees.

When management of Central Bank of India initiated no steps towards implementation of guidelines contained in above notification, Sri Subhash Sawant, General Secretary took up the matter with Sri Gajanan Kirtikar who is leader of Shiv Sena in Lok Sabha.
Just go through the reply given by Mr. Jayant Sinha, Hon'ble Minister of State for Finance.

Now a question arises, if Prime Minister has assured the banks that there would be "zero interference" in the internal working of the banks, then what was the need for Department of Financial Services to issue guidelines on transfer of female employees?

Guidelines are issued for implementation and Government must have ensured that these guidelines are being followed and implemented in true letter in spirits.

Its really surprising that Government earned appreciation for taking care of "hardship of female employees" thats what has been communicated through notification but when Banks did not implement the guidelines and such violations were brought to the notice of Hon'ble Minister, he is regretting and showing inability referring PM.

Not only this, Hon'ble Minister is helpless to interfere in the matter of transfer/posting on Compassionate grounds and Ex-servicemen which are given priority as per convention on humanitarian grounds.
These developments are indicative of Government behaviour towards bank employees.

 

HC restrains bank from passing final order in departmental inquiry against union leader Subhash Sawant- Times of India 16th April 2015

MUMBAI: In a major relief to veteran trade union leader Subhash Sawant, the Bombay high court has restrained the Central Bank of India from passing a final order in a departmental inquiry against him.

"The inquiry may go on, however final order may not be passed until further orders," Justice V M Kanade and Justice A R Joshi observed in a brief order.

The Central Bank of India employees union led by Sawant had taken out a procession against the bank in November. The union's contention was that the bank was facing a heavy resource crunch owing to steady growth in non-performing assets and poor recovery.

The union had demanded that the bank issue a red-corner notice against defaulters who had fled the country and that the management should take all employees and unions into confidence to draft a strategy to improve the performance of the bank.

Taking strong objection to the union's stand, a show-cause notice was served on Sawant, who retired six years ago, under the Pension Regulations, 1995. The bank contended that as a retired employee, Sawant's action had damaged the image of the bank and it amounted to misconduct.

Assistant general manager P N Ramanarayana wrote in a two-page notice to Sawant: "As a retired employee, Sawant has failed to maintain good conduct, which is evident from the news appearing in a section of the media ... he has disclosed the names of borrowers... his act constitutes a grave misconduct."

In his reply, Sawant submitted that the trade union had informed the management about the agitation and its intention to disclose the list of defaulters.

"The list of defaulters was on the bank's notice board," Sawant said.

Both the union as well as Sawant filed a writ petition before the high court, saying it was beyond the powers of the bank to conduct a departmental inquiry against a retired employee and reduce his pension.

A week ago, the court passed a three line order restraining the bank from passing a final order in the departmental inquiry until further orders.

Recovery of bad loan crucial for success of Make in India: Shiv Sena-23.04.2015

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch a special drive to recover outstanding loans to mobilize funds for the successful implementation of the Make-in-India mission.

In a letter to Modi, Shiv Sena Lok Sabha member Gajanan Kirtikar said a comprehensive action will have to be drafted for recovering loans to the tune of Rs 2.36 lakh crore which have been disbursed by nationalized banks.

Kirtikar suggested that for recovering the loans in a time-bound period, nationalized banks should dispose of properties of erring industrial houses. "In view of the SC verdict in the case of Sahara group chairman Subrato Roy and other landmark rulings in Maharashtra, nationalized banks should follow the same route to recover outstanding loans," Kirtikar said.

He pointed out that a section of prominent trade unions in Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai had launched an agitation not for pay revision or promotion but demanding recovery of bad debts. "I was told that bank employees are under constant stress lest their employers go into liquidation. To highlight the status of bad debts, workers had resorted to agitation. A whistleblower, Subhash Sawant, has filed a PIL despite the fact that the bank has initiated steps to stop his pension," the Sena MP said.

Kirtikar said utmost care should be taken that the drive should not halt on account of procedural or legal grounds.

"The drive should be carried out without fear or favour. Once the drive is launched, it will send a strong message to the debtors and the banks that outstanding loans will be recovered at any cost and the Centre will not write them off as was done in the past," he said.