Circular No.61/2020
21st September 2020
To all Units, Affiliates, Office Bearers, CC & GC Members
Dear Comrade,
WAGE REVISION TALKS
We came across Unstarred Question No. 1358 raised in Lok Sabha by Shri S.
Venkatesan, Hon’ble Member of Parliament on 19th Sept. 2020 related with 5 day
week and Enhancement of family pension which was answered by Shri Anurag Singh
Thakur, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance.
In respect of 5 day week, Hon’ble Minister told, “In exercise of the powers conferred
by section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, Government vide notification
dated 20.8.2015 had declared the second and the fourth Saturdays of every month
as public holiday for banks in India. No change in the same is currently under active
consideration of the Government”. We can assume that the matter is yet to be
referred to the Government by IBA.
In the matter of Enhancement of Family Pension, to specific question whether the
matter has been referred to the Govt. by IBA for approval as announced by the
Chairman, IBA on 22.07.2020; the Hon’ble Minister replied saying that only
consensus was arrived between the IBA and unions/associations. We understand
that a serious difference exist between the recorded reply in Lok Sabha and
announcement of IBA, Chairman. Moreover, immediately after the signing of MoU
some organisations issued circulars congratulating the Govt. for according approval
to the enhancement of family pension. We have addressed a letter to the IBA
Chairman today to clarify the current status of this sensitive issue. The letter is
appended below.
We understand that no further development has taken place in the matter of
updation/revision of pension. The IBA, throughout the negotiation process was
never serious on this issue. Rather, they proposed for ad hoc increase of pension in
phases in lieu of RBI formula. We must not allow to dilute the demand of updation/
revision of pension in RBI pattern irrespective of development regarding family
pension.
The contradictory stance adopted by IBA negotiating team in the matter of merger of
special allowance with basic pay has been exposed once again with the information
available on the meeting of Working Group for Workmen held on 17th Sept. 2020. It
is known to all that IBA, all along, opposed merger of special allowance with basic
pay due to incremental cost of superannuation benefits; while at the fag end of the
negotiation they denied to concede the demand on the plea of ‘subjudiced matter’.
Now it seems that discussion is taking place for further increase in percentage of
special allowance to distribute available fund. This is what we apprehended and to
avoid such an eventuality it was suggested that loading should be decided at the time
of distribution of fund on multiple heads.
It is emphatically clear that IBA is very much inclined to deprive the bank employees
including retirees of their legitimate demands through final settlement. Hence, we
should continue our campaign among the bank employees and officers regarding evil
designs of IBA.
With greetings,
Yours comradely,
(Debasish Basu Chaudhury)
General Secretary
