Bankers' Club

Wage negotiations under bipartite settlement for workmen of public sector banks may resume soon. But it is unlikely that bank officers’ associations will join the discussions. The wage revision of public sector bank employees is due since November 2017.

Officers’ associations are not agreeable for the proposal to link a part of the salary to performance and exclude senior scales from the negotiations.

“The officers’ unions have not been able to come. We have decided we can’t keep waiting. We are expecting the next meeting shortly; we will try to complete the negotiations,” said CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association according to Hindu Business Line.

This could be the first time that bipartite wage settlement negotiations would happen partly i.e., only for workmen staff.

Earlier, IBA had proposed a 10% hike in the present 11th bipartite settlement.  Negotiation between IBA and UFBU stalled since October last year due to a proposal to link a part of the variable component of the salary to the bank’s performance.

Bank unions contend that the bonus component on top of the salary can be linked to the profit, but linking the variable to performance can adversely impact staff wages.

Some banks have given the IBA mandate to negotiate only up to scale III. It is speculated that salary of officers in senior management in scales IV, V, VI and VII to be decided outside bipartite talks.

About 14 banks have since then agreed to give a full mandate, but State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Indian Bank are yet to agree.

Four officers’ organisations, including the AIBOC, the All India Bank Officers’ Association, the Indian Natioanl Bank Officers’ Congress and the National Organisation of Bank Officers also met IBA Chairman Sunil Mehta on these issues.

The unions also demand five days working in banks and better retirement and family pension benefits, and improved housing and leave benefits.