Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 30: A massive demonstration of all public sector banks employees and officers was held here today at Shalamar Chowk, under the banner of Jammu Province Bank Employees Federation to protest against the delay in settlement of wage revision of bank employees
Addressing the demonstrating employees and officers, Arun Kumar Gupta, general secretary of the Federation, apprised the employees that the wage revision for bank employees is due from November 1, 2012 subsequent to the expiry of the last bipartite settlement on October 31, 2012.
He said, “The common charter of demands, separately for workmen and officers were submitted by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to India Banks’ Association (IBA) on October 31, 2012 i.e, before the expiry of last bipartite settlement. UFBU has been requesting, since the start of negotiations, for a time-bound approach to hold the negotiations on its demands and for conclusion of wage settlement within a reasonable time.”
Gupta alleged that UFBU has shown its willingness to adopt a flexible approach in order to finalize the settlement expeditiously, but the same is not being reciprocated by IBA. Thus, once again, Bank employees are pushed to the path of agitation and struggle, he added.
He said IBA is quoting the reasons of non-affordability of banks and is stubborn in its offer of 11% increase in pay slip components as against the demand for respectable settlement with due consideration of the difficulties that are faced by the employees on account of high rate of inflation, which has eroded the salaries of the employees to a great extent. In the said circumstances, we demand immediate settlement of wage revision for bank employees, he added.