Staff demands 23% hike in salaries

Tribune News Service

Jind, December 3

Work was stalled across public sector bank branches today as employees went on strike on the call of United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU), representing five workmen unions and four officers’ associations, to protest the delay in the revision of their salaries.

The employees sat on demonstrations in front of their offices and raised anti-government slogans. They demanded immediate revision of their salaries as there had been no revision for the last two years.

The protesting employees said the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) wants them to reconsider their demand of wage revision. “We have already brought down the wage revision hike demand from 25 per cent to 23 per cent, but the IBA is still not ready to consider our demand. The IBA is offering a mere 11 per cent hike which is not acceptable to the employees,” the employees said, adding the last wage revision was undertaken in November 2012.

“The bank managements and the Union Government have been preparing anti-employee policies. It’s surprising that we have to go on strike to get our legitimate revision of salaries,” alleged TP Singh, state senior vice president of State Bank of Patiala employees union.

The protesting employees alleged their unions had been discussing the issue of revision of their salaries with the concerned authorities of Union Government and bank managements since 2012, but there was no action from authorities even after giving repeated assurances to the unions.

Punjab National Bank Employees’ Union members led by circle sectary SD Sinhsar also protested in front of main branch located in HUDA market and announced to intensify their agitation if the government failed to take the required measures at the earliest.

The employees had earlier held a strike on November 12, but today they announced to intensify their agitation if the government failed to announce a hike in their salaries as per their demands.

Will strike indefinitely if govt does not ‘concede’

Kurukshetra: Banking operations were affected today as the bank employees of public sector banks of Northern Zone observed a one-day strike to press for immediate wage revision.

Hakam Singh Choudhary, circle president of All India Punjab National Bank Officers’ Association, said, “We were compelled to take this route as the government and the IBA didn’t show any positive move. The wage revision of bank employees was due since November 2012 and the motive of the strike is to protect our rights.”

Hakam Singh said, “If our demands are not met, we will go on a two-day strike in the coming days and then may go on an indefinite strike too. The banks will remain closed and the IBA and the government will be responsible for this.”