Bank Unions Announce 2-Day Nationwide Strike on Jan 31 & Feb 1

New Delhi, January 16, 2020:

Bank unions of India have called for a two-day nationwide strike on January 31 and February 1 after wage revision talks with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) failed.

The two-day bank strike came after a nationwide strike on January 8. This would be the second bank strike this month and it coincides with Budget day. It may be mentioned here that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would present her second Budget on February 1 and the Economic survey will be presented on January 31.

ALSO READ: Tripura BJP gets new Chief as Manik Saha Replaces Biplab

A statement issued by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) read, “We had informed all of you about the rigid approach of the IBA on our demands for a fair wage revision settlement. In this background, the meeting of UFBU held at Mumbai on 13.01.2020 came to the unanimous and inescapable conclusion that intensified agitational actions have to be resorted to press our demands for reasonable resolution and satisfactory settlement.”

The UFBU has demanded wage revision settlement at 20 percent hike on Pay slip components with adequate loading thereof, five working days, merger of Special Allowance with Basic Pay, scrapping of New Pension Scheme(NPS), updation of pension, improvement in family pension, allocation to Staff Welfare Fund based on Operating Profits, exemption from Income Tax on retiral benefits without ceiling and a uniform definition of Business Hours, Lunch Hour, etc. in bank branches.

ALSO READ: Clause 6 Panel Granted 1-Month Extension by Home Ministry to Deliver its Report

UFBU has also sought defined working hours for officers and equal wage for equal work for contact employees or business correspondents.

Speaking with Inside Northeast, the General Secretary, Assam Provincial Bank Employees' Association, Dilip Sharma said, “The bipartite talk with the Indian Banks’ Association did not yield any constructive decision. Our last discussion was on January 13. In this meeting, they offered us 12.5 percent hike on Pay slip components after negotiating for two long years. There has been no pension upgradation. The family pension is very meager. The Indian Banks’ Association has to settle all these issues."

ALSO READ: Meghalaya to Make Nokrek Bio Reserve a ‘Carbon Neutral’ Resort

In the name of reforms, the government is going to close down 10 banks. Covering all these issues, we have called on the strike on January 31 and February 1. The Bank Unions will also observe another strike, this time a three-day nationwide bandh on March 11, 12 and 13.

The Banks will be observing indefinite strike from April 1 onwards if their demands are not met.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.