Bank Strike for 2 Days in May (30-31 or 28-29?)

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has proposed a 48 hours strike in Banks for early revision of salary of bankers. The IBA in a recent meeting made an absurd offer of 2% hike in bankers salary.

The strike is proposed to begin 6 am on May 30 till 6 am on June 1. [We do not understand the 48 hours concept beginning from 6 am and ending on 6 am because banks are open 10 to 5-6, so how the strike will take place from 6 am to 10 am and in night?]

UFBU stated that strike notice has been given to Indian Bank Association (IBA) and Labour Commissioner (Central), New Delhi.

Various bankers questioned the rationale of having strike on 30th and 31st May instead of 28th and 29th. Consequently AIBOC, AIBOA, INBOC and NOBO (four Officers’ associations) have suggested UFBU to change the strike on 28th May and 29th May to have better impact.

“The initial offer of the Indian Banks Association was meagre which was totally rejected by the constituents of the United Forum of Bank Unions…Bank employees and officers are already paid very low compared with the government employees as well as the private sector,” said All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) General Secretary D T Franco on May 5.

The agenda of strike is:

• IBA’s delay in resolving Charter of Demand
• Government’s casual approach to wage revision of bankers.
• IBA’s meager offer of 2% hike
• Partial mandate given by some banks only upto scale – III officers.

AIBOC, AIBOA, INBOC and NOBO (four Officers’ associations) held a meeting on 11th May in which they decided:

• Focus of strike should be on wage revision
• Write to DFS and chairman of 6 banks for fractured mandate
• Suggest UFBU to change the strike on 28th May and 29th May to have better impact.

UFBU has also planned demonstrations before branches in all centers on 17th, 24th and 29th May.