Regional Conference Held by State Bank of India Officers' Association Chandigarh Unit

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Chandigarh 07^th August:- The workforce in the Banking Industry is preparing for a strong protest action during the next couple of months in order to convey their resentment over the recent initiatives of the Government of India with the sole purpose of dismantling of Public Sector Units, in particular in the banking industry through a number of legislative moves in the Parliament which are against the interest of the Common man. The Officers and workmen in Banking Industry are calling for a strike on 22^nd August, 2017 all over the country, declared Com. Deepak Kumar Sharma, the General Secretary of the State Bank of India Officers Association, Chandigarh Circle in a event organized by the SBIOA. He was addressing a large gathering of officers in the Regional Conference of Chandigarh Regions 1, 2 and 5, spelling out the details of the plan of action of the Bank employees and Officers. The Banks will come to a standstill on 22^nd August 2017 due to the massive participation of the workforce numbering over one million from the banking industry under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions, he declared. Speaking on some of the burning issues in the Banking industry, Com. Sharma, drew the attention of the press towards the huge NPA's created by the Corporate Sector and how the Banks are unable to recover the loans. The Government has been continuously complaining about the performance of the banks highlighting the growing NPA's with a sinister design to privatize the banking industry. As regards the banking sector there is a long list of issues affecting the industrial harmony in the banking industry such as the acute shortage of staff, the failure of the banks to take necessary steps to fill up the vacancies arising on account of vast expansion as well as the retirement in the banks.

The unions under the banner of UFBU submitted comprehensive charter of demands since the current bipartite is getting expired on 31^st of October 2017 and the new wage structure is due from 1^st November 2017.  The IBA is yet to commence the dialogue with seriousness.  There are unnecessary obstacles in the form of restricted mandate from some of the banks in regard to negotiations in respect of senior executives insisting that the negotiations should cover officers only up to Scale III . However, UFBU has conveyed its strong objection and has insisted for comprehensive negotiations covering all the scales in the banking industry as hitherto. He also referred to some of the burning issues in State Bank of India in view of the merger of the Associate Banks with State Bank of India. A number of irritants in the area of implementation of merger have come up before the Association like placement of officers, the relocation of offices, the structural changes that are being contemplated due to the increased number of branches, creation of new modules, the new regions etc. The Circle Association and Federation are committed to protect the interest of their colleagues from the erstwhile Associate Banks until they are provided sufficient comfort to cope up with the changed environment. The popular scheme that the Management is bent upon implementing in the name of Career Development Scheme has a lot of potential for the industrial unrest in the bank.

One of the major issues that are irritating the industrial relations in the banking is the non-appointment of Officer Director on the Boards of the Banks.  A number of Boards are without the representatives. Yet another major issue that is eluding solution is the issue of extending the benefit of enhanced ceiling of Gratuity as extended to the Central Government employees with effect from 1.1.2016

Com. Deepak K Sharma, the General Secretary and Com Vijendra Trighatia, the Dy General Secretary clarified a number of issues raised by the members. The other speakers included Com C S Nanda, Zonal President and Arun Sikka, Assistant General Secretary.