Bank Strike on 28th Feb.2012

All the Central Trade Unions ( BMS- INTUC- AITUC- HMS- CITU- AIUTUC – AICCTU – TUCC – UTUC – LPF – SEWA ) have jointly given a call for General Strike on 28th February, 2012 against the anti-labour and anti-worker policies of the Government with the following issues and demands: 1) Concrete measures to contain price rise 2) Concrete measures for linkage of employment protection with the concession / incentive package offered to the entrepreneurs 3) Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws 4) Universal security cover for the unorganized sector workers without any restriction and creation of a National Social Security Fund with adequate resources in line with the recommendation of NCEUS and Parliamentary Standing Committing on Labour 5) Stoppage of disinvestment in Central and State Public Sector undertakings. 6) No contractorisation of work of permanent / perennial nature and till then payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the industry / establishment. 7) Amendment of minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the Schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs. 10,000 per month with indexation. 8) Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of Bonus, Provident Fund; Increase in the quantum of Gratuity. 9) Assured Pension for all 10) Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98. Bank Strike: Five lacs of bank employees under the banner of AIBEA support these demands and has decided to join the strike call. AIBEA will also focus its following demands on the occasion of the strike: Oppose implementation of Khandelwal Committee recommendations Oppose Banking Law ( Amendment ) Bill and other reform measures Oppose outsourcing of regular bank jobs Demanding stringent measures to recover bad loans in banks Oppose undue delay in settlement of pending demands We oppose Khandelwal Committee recommendations The Government appointed the Khandelwal Committee on staff related matters and this Committee has given various anti-employee recommendations like: Abolition of industry-wise common Wage Revision Settlement existing since 1966 and introduce bankwise wage revision Abolition of existing uniform wage pattern for bank employees/officers and introduce differential incentive based salary Free hand to managements to outsource all regular banking jobs and give them on contract basis. No recruitment of clerks in Metro/Urban areas. Compulsory rural service of 3 years for clerical staff in Banks Minimum qualification for recruitment of clerks to be Graduation Minimum qualification for recruitment of subordinate employees to be 10th Std Reduction in promotional opportunities for clerical staff All these are anti-employee measures and hence UFBU opposes the same We oppose Banking sector reforms: Banks represent the hard earned savings of the people of this country. The total Deposits in the Banks today have crossed Rs. 55 lacs crores. Hence the Banks have to be strengthened so that the problems that the Banks faced in USA and other countries faced are not faced by our Banks. But unfortunately, the Government is bent upon liberalizing our banking sector. Some of the measures are: Amending Banking Regulations Act and Bank Nationalisation Act Reduce Government’s Equity Capital in Government/nationalised Banks. Availing Loan from World Bank to contribute to the capital of Banks. Merger of Public Sector Banks Allowing more Foreign Capital in our Banks Allowing more voting rights in Banks for foreign capital Encouraging private capital in nationalised Banks Allowing corporate houses to start their own Banks Write off of huge bad loans of corporate sector Converting Bad Loans of defaulting companies as capital investments of Banks in the same defaulting company. All these measures are against the interest of our banking sector and hence UFBU opposes the same. We oppose outsourcing of regular bank jobs: The Bank managements, in violation of the existing bilateral settlement, are attempting to outsource all regular bank jobs to private contract agencies. This will affect the job security of the employees and job opportunities for the young educated youth. This will also endanger the interests of the bank customers as many banks have bitter experience with the contract employees in various countries. We demands stringent measures to recover bad loans: Bad Loans/NPAs in the Banks are increasing. In the last one year, Rs. 70,000 crores of bad loans have been added. Pepople’s money is being looted by the corporates. Government must take stringent measures to recover these bad loans. We demand immediate settlement of our Demands: Many important issues like implementation of mutually agreed scheme on compassionate ground appointments/financial compensation to family of deceased employees, regulated working hours for officers, adherence to stipulated working hours for clerks, introduction of 5-Day banking, improvements in pension scheme for retired employees, improvement in Staff Welfare Schemes, etc. are pending for a long time without any solution.