Bank employees protest delay in wage revision

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 6

A large number of bank employees held a demonstration in front of the zonal office of the State Bank of India (SBI) here on Thursday, protesting against the delay in wage revision, which has been pending for over two years.

The protest call was given by the United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU). The protesters raised slogans against the Union Government and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

UFBU leader KK Singla criticised the Centre and the IBA for not responding to their two-day strike held on January 31 and February 1. “Now we will go on a three-day strike from March 11. We are demanding at least 20 per cent hike in salary under the 11th Bipartite Settlement, which is due from November 2017. But the IBA has offered only a 12.25 per cent hike, which is lower than the increase under the previous wage revision,” said Singla.

The protesters said inflation had been on the rise in the past few years and the workload on the bank staff had also increased. Apart from their regular duties, bankers were also assisting the government in the implementation of various schemes, they said.

The deputy general secretary of the SBI Staff Association, Gulshan Oberoi, said: “The salaries of the bankers are lower than employees of financial institutions such as the RBI, SIDBI, NABARD and insurance companies. Also, while offices of the Central and state governments and financial institutions are closed every Saturday, banks are not given this facility.”