a letter by Com. G V Manimaran of Canara Bank Officer Association/AIBOC

I am reproducing a letter by Com. G V Manimaran of Canara Bank Officer Association/AIBOC (too lenghty) for you.

When I reproduced a letter by Com. CHV/AIBEA some comrades branded me as pro AIBEA. When I commented NOBOW' recent decisions , they branded me anti BJP.
When I commented on certain decisions of UFBU youngster though I am against UFBU. 
This time I may branded as AIBOC supporter.

I want to make it clear here, this page is for sharing of all the news related to bank employees, and offering a platform for comrades to post their views and comments.
I have my own views as everyone of you have .

Off late some group of comrades(some are outsiders also) continuoisly posting views against UFBU and try to diverting attention of youngsters towards their agenda. I have no greivances.
After all they are doing the job assigned to them.
Every union will try to increse their membership using every opportunity.
 It is natural. Let us see how far they succeed.

Regarding hew and cry about reports, only in some Hindi news papers, about Pay commision for Bank employees, let us wait and see how the drama ends.

One more thing , I request comrades to post your views in English so that I can understand your views, as also all employees from Kasmir to Kanyakumari understand it.
Even Com. Rana/NOBW posted something in this page in Hindi.
I requested him to post in English. He has not responded.(but he find time to reply for commed in the same post in Hindi again).
I have waited for two days . No reply came. I have deleted the post. What else I can do ? Without knowing the contents how can I allow a post/comment?

Here is the letter by Com. G V Manimaran/CBOA/AIBOC
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Letter No: 63 from General Secretary

Dear Friends

I have been closely watching the chatting carried out by some of young brothers expressing their deep anguish on wage revision in what's up for the last two days.

While I wholeheartedly endorse the view of the youngsters that we are the lowly paid in the industry and we are deserving for a decent hike in emoluments, I could not appreciate their understanding on the trade union and its policies. I am unable to support their action of using abusive language on the tall leaders who are leading the organisation.

Friends,

1.    These trade unions only brought parity among the employees and officers in the industry which itself was a big task immediately after the nationalisation.

2.    These trade unions only ensured the 100% DA neutralisation which is being enjoyed by present generation.

3.    These trade unions only fought against the privatisation move of the GOI and thus the youngsters are proudly claiming that they are Nationalised Bank employees.

4.    These trade unions only brought pension to all the bank employees and officers which were elusive for bank employees till 1986.

5.    These trade unions only ensured the equal wages to all the bank employees/officers in the country, otherwise the workforce of Indian Bank, UCO bank and United bank bank workforce might not be receiving the same salary of other strong banks industry.

I can list out the achievements of trade unions in the respective banks infinitely which may run to pages but it is left to every individual banker to browse and understand.

Now, our common enemy is IBA and the Govt. who refused to compensate our hard labour and let us train our guns towards them.

You can blame the trade union leaders, incase they submitted a faulty charter of demands or they signed for lesser quantum. In the absence of both, any attempt to belittle the trade Unions, will weaken the movement and its bargaining power.

Let me try to place my understanding about the wage revision for your information.

2.    Trade unions in the banking sector must have started negotiating in an organised way after the nationalisation I.e., after 1969 only.

3.    Bank employees and officers were having different issues like uniform wages in all the nationalised banks, 100% DA neutralisation and obtaining pension to Bank employees.

4.    Accordingly our priorities in demands changed during every wage revision and we were able to get also.

5.    After 86 the priority before the trade union was to get the pension for bank employees as this social security scheme was eluding for the bank employees till then.

6.    After 90, the priority for the trade union was, of course till today, to fight against the Govt. move of privatising the nationalised banks.

7.    During late 90, the govt and IBA attempted to divide the bank employees in the name of strong and weak banks and accordingly to award wage settlement also. Indian Bank, UCO bank and United Bank of india were even tipped for merging with other banks or to get lesser emoluments. It was the prudent decision of the trade unions in the banking industry formed the UFBU on 13th March 1997 and waged a war against the designs of IBA and we could succeed also.

8.    In the process we got the pension scheme introduced in the bank and second option also was introduced to benefit the few who failed to opt for person at the first instance.

Thus it is not the first time, the trade unions had to fight for getting our rights and every time our seniors fought and sacrificed to obtain the present comforts.

I don't mean we are better placed and we don't have demands, but we have to fight for getting our demands to be met, not among ourselves but with IBA and Govt.

As usual, the priorities in front of the trade unions, more particularly to the officer organisations are peculiar and accordingly charter of demands were designed and submitted.

1.    As we are recruiting huge number of officers directly unlike in the past, AIBOC - an apolitical organisation commanding majority of the officers, have demanded the salary for officers matching to the risk and responsibility borne by the officers and not linking to the employees' salary in the name of relativity which was the practice so far.

2.    As the Composition of women officers became sizeable today, the charter of demands set apart a separate chapter to address the special problems of women officers first time in the history.

3.    To insulate the officers from the possible problems, the charter demanded a comprehensive accountability policy too.

Of course, the charter is full of demands on the welfare of officers and every one must go through to understand the seriousness attached by AIBOC in demanding our rights.

Among the various demands, our concentration is more on,

A. Disbursing the quantum as not lesser than the last wage settlement which comes to about 25%, in order to meet the additional demand of recently added huge workforce too.

B.  To maintain or increase the load factor to ensure the decent initial basic pay to the officers to match with the other equals in the industry.

C.  With a view to be in compatible with the other institutions in the industry and with a view to effect the cost saving, utilising the benefits of CBS and other alternate channels of Banking like ATM, Internet and Mobile Banking, we demanded 5 days Banking,

D.   In order to improve the living conditions of the officers, the introduction of regulated working hours was also demanded.

E.  Pension updation.

F.  100% DA neutralisation for the pre 2002 retirees

G.  Improvement in Family Pension,

WHY WE DEMAND:

1.  To replenish the huge exodus that 80% of the workforce on superannuation, within 5 years, it is very much necessary to attract the dedicated, knowledgeable and intelligent Indian Youth to join in a big way.

2.  Since the Banking Industry is a knowledge based industry, we will have to attract the educated Indian youth and must be retained in the Industry too which needs comparable monetary and non-monetary compensations.

3.  It may be inferred that primarily it is the responsibility of Govt. and IBA to recruit and retain the intellectual Indian Youth in order to save the Indian Banking Sector more particularly Nationalised Banks from becoming extinct.

4.  Of course the increase is required to meet the inflationary challenges and also to sharpen the competitiveness within the Industry.

JUSTIFICATION IN OUR DEMAND:

A. Rs.1385 crores constitute 12.25% was settled in 7th Bipartite Settlement, Rs.2200 crores constituting 13.25 was settled in 8th Bipartite Settlement, Rs.4816 crores constituting 17.50% was settled in 9th Bipartite Settlement.

B. Out of Rs.4816 crores about Rs.3005.43 crores constituting 10.92% of establishment expenditure was settled towards payslip component alone.

Thus it was genuinely expected the percentage towards payslip component cannot be lesser than 10.92% of total establishment cost of Rs.56292 crores.

This works out to 19.51% of the payslip component of Rs.31503 crores which justifies the demand of the trade union’s 25% increase in the payslip component.

OUR STAND:

PAYING CAPACITY

A.    Total Income of public sector Banks has gone up from Rs.315554 crores during 2008-09 to Rs.611658 crore during 2012-13.

B.  The operating profit increased from Rs.45495 crores during 2008-09 to Rs.121917 crores during 2012-13.

C.  The average establishment expenses to Total expenses are hovering around 13.80% only.

D.  There is a provision for standard assets at 0.40% works to out to Rs.20749 crores for the year 2013-14 which is the hidden profit of the Banks which need to be added with net profit.

E.   Pension corpus of all Nationalised banks and associate banks as on 31 03 2014 stands at Rs.113546.62 crores and its interest earnings is about Rs.8556.93 crores against the pension outgo of about Rs.7235.18 crores leaving a surplus of Rs.1321.75 crores for the same period in spite of shortfall in contribution by about eight banks and despite the average yield works out to lesser than 8.40%

Additional cost due to improvement in pay & pension,100% DA neutralisation and increase in family pension cannot be more than 25% of the present pension outflow of Rs.7235.18 crores which amounts to Rs.1800 crores approximately.

In the backdrop that the pensioners would come down as it is a close ended scheme which did not allow anybody to join after 2010 and there was no mass recruitment after 2000, a question arises in the minds of every pensioner what the Banks wish to do with this huge fund become surplus likely after 2045 which is the contribution every serving and retired prior to 2010

Thus banks are having enough paying capacity.

IMPROVEMENT IN INITIAL BASIC PAY: As mentioned elsewhere, it is imperative at this juncture to attract the talented Indian Youth to the Banking Sector and retain them too. Thus it was demanded a higher start for the youth to remain in the Nationalised Banking sector which amounts

to adding more from the allocation towards the Basic Pay after the merger of DA as agreed as on 1.11.2011.

It would gain positive impact in the pension too.

FIVE DAY BANKING: No need to say the need for 5 days banking and the very simple fact of Cost benefit arithmetic will prove that our demand is just.

THE UNLIMITED HOURS OF WORKING must undergo a change and it should be regulated in order to be on par with the international labour standards and also to retain the efficiency and energy level of officers.

Needless to elaborate the need for

a.  Updation of pension

b.  DA neutralisation tom the pensioners

c.  Improvement in the family pension

But, offer of the IBA is nowhere nearer to the justified demand of the organisations and we were driven to resort to announce various agitational programs.

Though the different organisations suggest different Styles of agitations the UFBU has taken the decision of Observing demonstration followed by one day strike etc.,

In view of the popular demand by the Various constituents of AIBOC, it is now decided to convene the emergency Executive committee meeting on 8th October at Delhi to take stock of the situation and intensify the agitation in case of need.

It is the high time and right juncture that the officers In the industry must take right decision applying all their intellectual faculties shedding emotions.

Few questions,

1.    Should we continue to be the part of the UFBU under this current scenario or to part our ways to fight for the Cause of officers exclusively?

2.    Is it not prudent and strategic to intensify the agitation by adopting " no late sitting"" not attending office on holidays and Sundays" etc.,and also to go for at least 3 to 5 days strike?

3.    Is it not prudent to delink all the non monetary benefits like regulated working hours and five day banking etc., to be fought after wage revision and fight only for monetary benefits like decent salary hike, pension updation, hospitalisation & medical benefits and related monetary benefits during the wage revision talks?

I invite your Intellectual reaction not emotional.

Manimaran G V