Dear Comrades,

Bipartite Talks on Charter of Demands on wage revision Discussions with IBA on 18-8-2018.

Joint Circular issued by AIBEA-NCBE-BEFI-INBEF-NOBW:


“As informed earlier, another round of Bipartite Talks (8th round of Small Committee discussions) was held by Indian Banks’ Association with our 5 Workman Unions yesterday at Mumbai. 

IBA team consisted of:
Shri Rajkiran Rai G (MD/CEO, Union Bank of India)–Chairman of the Committee
Shri B. Rajkumar, Dy. Chief Executive, IBA,
Shri M.K. Gupta, GM-HR, Bank of India,
Shri Punit Jain, GM-HR, PNB,
Shri T.S. Seshadri, GM-HR, Indian Bank,
Shri S.K. Suri, GM-HR, Allahabad Bank
Shri Sanjay Prakash, DGM-HR, SBI.
Shri S.K Kakkar,  Sr. Advisor-HR&IR, IBA
Shri K S Chauhan, Sr.Vice President, HR&IR, IBA

Our team consisted of representatives from our 5 Workman Unions as under:
Com C H Venkatachalam, AIBEA
Com Rajen Nagar, AIBEA
Com S K Bandlish, NCBE
Com Balaji, NCBE
Com Pradip Biswas, BEFI
Com Subhash Sawant, INBEF
Com Upendrakumar, NOBW.

The meeting took stock of the discussions held so far in the last 7 rounds of talks held between our Unions and the IBA’s Small Committee team and arrived at the following tentative understandings.

• Settlement will be effective from 1-11-2017.
• Settlement will cover 37 Banks ( 20 PSBs, 10 Private Banks and 7 Foreign Banks). Mandate to be received from IDBI Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland.

• When an employee is transferred from one station to another, instead of normal HRA, he/she will be paid HRA on Rent Receipt basis. Suitable ceilings will be prescribed.
• Branches located in Special Economic Zone/EPZ, etc. to be paid HRA at par with Project Areas.
• Notice period for availing Privilege Leave (other than for LFC) will stand reduced to 10 days.
• Privilege leave taken on sick grounds when there is no sick leave will not be counted as an occasion of availing PL.
• Beyond 30 years of service, additional sick leave will be granted at 1 month per year subject to a max. of 720 days in entire service. ( it is 630 days now) i.e. 3 months additional sick leave.
• Women employees can avail sick leave for the sickness of their children (upto 8 years of age) on production of medical certificate.
• Extra ordinary Leave on loss of pay can be availed for 120 days at a time    ( it is 90 days now).
• Maternity Leave can be availed in combination/continuation with other kind of leave.
• Medical Bills for Maternity can be given after joining the Bank after availing ML irrespective of period.
• 2 months leave with salary will be granted for Hysterectomy where ML limit is exhausted.
• Paternity Leave can be sanctioned even in case of child adoption.
• Absence from office due to curfew, riots, prohibitory orders, natural calamities, flood, etc. will be treated as special leave on duty.
• LFC: permissible Distance will be revised as 2200 km/4400 km for non-substaff and 2600 km/5200 km for substaff (only for actual travel and not for encashment).
• Road Mileage charges will be revised from Rs. 6 per km to Rs. 8 per km.
• Train fare by Shatabdi and Rajdhani express trains (non-Executive Class) will be reimbursed under LFC if travel is undertaken by these trains.                                     ( For encashment, existing rules will continue).
• Charges for local sightseeing while on LFC will be reimbursed within the entitlement on production of bills from approval operators.
• GST charges on train fare will be reimbursed.
• For employees working in North East States, LFC will begin from Guwahati and the fare from their place of work to Guwahati will be additionally paid. Similarly, Andaman Nicobar islands to Chennai/Kolkata, Lakshadweep to Kochi, far-flung area branches in Himalayas and J & K to nearest major railway station will be additionally reimbursed under LFC in addition to normal entitlement.
• For actual travel under LFC, train fare under dynamic fare system as on the date of booking of tickets will be reimbursed.
• One more option will be given to choose between 2 years block or 4 years block.
• Income criteria for definition of dependents will be revised from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000
• Employees removed from service under Voluntary Cessation Scheme will be eligible for retirement benefits including pension, if otherwise eligible.
• Employees removed from service under Voluntary Cessation Scheme will be given the chance to represent against the decision.
• Facility of Crèche for children of women bank employees will be examined in the light of Government guidelines.
• For employees transferred out of station under Deployment policy, the compensation amount will be revised from Rs. 400 to Rs. 600 per month.
• When employees shift their personal effects while on transfer to another station, Breakage charges will be paid at Rs. 1650 for clerks and Rs. 1100 for substaff ( on production of receipt) or Rs. 1100 for clerks and Rs. 825 for substaff (on Declaration basis).
• For definition of Family, physically/mentally challenged children of employees will continue to be treated as dependents even after their marriage subject to income criteria.
• Revision/increase in Conveyance Allowance to Physically Challenged employees will be suitably recommended to the Government.
• Our demand for exemption of entire retirement benefits from the purview of Income Tax will be recommended to Government for their consideration.
• Service Charges under New Pension Scheme will not be recovered from the employees and will be paid by the Banks.
• When employees are sent to outstation for official duties, the rate of Diem Allowance/Halting Allowance will be increased after further discussions.
• Guidelines will be worked out for reimbursement of Hotel Rent in such occasions subject to certain agreed ceilings.
• Increase in Ex-Gratia amount payable to pre-1986 retirees/surviving spouse will be recommended to Government.
• Other Allowances like Cycle Allowance, Washing Allowance, Split Duty Allowance, etc. will be increased  by 15%.

Issues to be discussed further/to be finalised :
• Total quantum of increase in wages
• Index point for merger of DA to work out the new Pay Scales.
• Merger of Special Allowance with Basic Pay
• Revised DA formula
• Revision in Special Pay, FPP, PQP
• Improvement in Stagnation increment
• Increase in HRA,  Transport Allowance
• Leave Bank system, Child Care Leave, Sabbatical Leave, Increase in Privilege leave /Encashment of PL
• Increase in  Annual medical Aid and improvement in Medical Insurance Scheme
• Improvement in formula for calculation of Gratuity
• Separate entitlement of LFC for husband and wife working in the same Bank
• 5 Day Banking
• PF contribution @12%
• North East Allowance
• Improvement in formula for Family Pension
• Periodical updated of Pension
• DA linked Pension in lieu of NPS for new recruits
• Bringing all categories of pensioners to common Index level of 11th BPS.
• Disciplinary Action procedures, punishments, etc.

Next round of meeting of the Full Negotiating  Committee will be held by the first week of September, 2018.  Further developments will be informed to members in due course.”