TO LEVY OR NOT TO LEVY!

General Secretary / Canara Bank Officers’ Association affiliated to AIBOC writes,…

TO LEVY OR NOT TO LEVY
Dear friends,

Few doubts in the minds of our cadres and it is always the style of CBOA that the cadres’ doubts are anticipated and be cleared too.

WHEN ARREARS WILL BE GIVEN?

As per the law of the land the settlement for the officers is documented as “ JOINT NOTE” with IBA will be brought in to effect after the amendment of the OFFICERS SERVICE REGULATIONS which would normally takes long time………

IBA may advise the banks to disburse immediately an ad-hoc amount, equivalent to the net arrears payable for the period from 1st November 2012 to 31st May 2015 and continue to pay revised salary and allowances on ad-hoc basis. IBA has agreed to make suitable recommendations to the Government in this regard for its consideration.”

It could be interpreted that the wage revision will come in to effect after it was duly passed by the respective boards on receipt of instruction from the Govt. for doing so.

We shall pursue with our bank to get it passed at the earliest so as to get the effect of the wage revision at the earliest.

WHEN THE SATURDAYS HOLIDAYS WILL BE DECLARED?

…………………It could be understood from the above the holiday issue is one of the agreed item and a part of the joint note to be respected by both the parties.

As it is learnt that the IBA got approval from the respective sponsoring banks of the RRBs, private banks and cooperative banks and also the clearance from the RBI. Now, it is in the hands of Govt. to be followed up by the IBA and in all probability it shall be introduced very shortly.

WHAT ABOUT THE OFFICERS GETTING LESSER NET PENSION AFTER THE WAGE SETHLEMENT?

It is clarified that the gross pension has seen the sizeable increase during the post wage settlement. In view of the 60% merger of the DA with basic now in this wage settlement, there is a sizeable increase in the incremental commutation ranging anywhere between additional Rs 4.00 to Rs.5.00 lacs, and there may be a reduction in net pension after the additional commutation amount, but there is no decline in gross pension.

To facilitate the retirees to chose as per item no 8 of the joint note a “ note” is provided which goes as follows:

“Note: Officers in service of the Banks as on 1st November 2012 and who have retired thereafter but before 25th May 2015 and who had opted for commutation of pension will have an option not to claim incremental commutation on revised basic pension.”

Nevertheless, the sentiments were duly conveyed to our Apex body.

WHAT ACTION ON SOME ANOMALY WITH REGARD TO ADDITIONAL STAGNATION INCREMENT?

In this regard General secretary, AIBOC has already addressed a letter to IBA which goes as follows:

“We refer to the Joint Note signed between IBA and Officers’ Association on 25.05.2015. The same provides for an additional stagnation increment for the officers in Scale II who have automatically moved to scale of pay of MMGS III and also for the officers in substantive Scale III, two years after receipt of 3rd and 4th stagnation increment respectively. The said provision has led to an anomaly, as explained below :

.........................In view of what has been stated above, we request you to kindly amend para 2 (C ) of Annexure 1 of the Joint Note by providing to the officers in substantive MMGS III, the fourth and fifth stagnation increment of Rs.1460/- each for every two completed years of service after receipt of third stagnation increment and rectify the anomaly.”

We shall follow up with our Apex body for rectifying the anomaly.

WHETHER LEVY WILL BE COLLECTED AND IF SO, HOW MUCH?

Levy is an amount which is collected by the respective organisations from their members after the wage revision to meet the expenditures incurred during the agitational period and also with a view to collect some lump sum amount to the organisation while the members receiving some lump sum in the form of arrears.

The members also used to contribute some amount uniformly as an expression of gratitude, involvement and commitment towards their respective organisation.

As far as CBOA is concerned, the amount which was collected as levy was totally converted as our own buildings in Chennai, Trivandrum, Mangalore and kolkata. The buildings are getting converted in to CBOA holiday homes to be used for our members and CHENNAI, TRIVANDRUM and KOLKATA have already done their job and others are on the job.

Regarding the collection of during the current wage season, I would like to leave it to the wisdom of the members to take a decision.

One option

We are about 20000 members and if we contribute about Rs. 2000 each on an average, we can accumulate about Rs. 4.00 crores which could be used for purchasing properties in ten places all over the country, worth of Rs. 40 lacs per unit to be used as holiday homes for the use of CBOA members.

Second option

No levy.

As your General secretary- the custodian of the CBOA funds, I am comfortable with the subscription with which we are able to carry out the organisational activities without any hitch.

Meetings are conducted throughout the country by all the regions

Regular branch visits are being carried out by the Regional office bearers.

CLJMs are arranged periodically.

Promotion coaching classes are organised effectively.

Central level youth conferences, leadership development programs and defence workshops are being conducted regularly.

CC meetings and EC meetings are organised in regular intervals.

The websites LIGHT CIRCLE, FRIEND AND GUIDE AND CBOA are regularly being upgraded and uploaded.

Occasional publications are issued regularly.

Honorarium to the retirees is being paid without any exception.

Benevolent claims are settled in record time to the claimants.

Medical reimbursement to the members are settled without fail.

No advance is allowed to be outstanding on any of the office bearer beyond a week.

ABOVE ALL I AM HAVING UNQUESTIONABLE FAITH AND CONFIDENCE ON EACH AND EVERY CBOA MEMBER THAT THEY WOULD BE ALWAYS READY TO CONTRIBUTE ANY SUM AT ANY TIME INCASE OF ANY DISTRESS TO THEIR BELOVED CBOA.

Thus I am leaving to all the office bearers to ascertain the members’ wish in their operational area and I am prepared to obey the directions of the members.

CBOA IS CARRYING OUT ITS ACTIVITIES FOR THE MEMBERS AND BY THE MEMBERS. DEMOCRACY AND TRANSPARENCY ARE THE PRIME TWO STRENGTHS OF CBOA.

MEMBERS ARE SUPREME AND LEVY WILL NOT BE COLLECTED EVEN IF IT IS OBJECTED BY ONE MEMBER.

LEVY HAS ANOTHER MEANING – THE ACT OF DRAFTING IN TO MILITARY SERVICE.

I WOULD RATHER INVITE ALL YOUR MILITANT PARTICIPATION IN OUR MISSION OF BRINGING OUR BANK AS NO.1 IN THE COUNTRY AND LEAVE A STRONG INSTITUTION TO OUR ASPIRING YOUTHS AS WE SENIORS INHERITED FROM OUR ELDERS.

CBOA ZINDABAD

MANIMARAN G V