CBOA circular No. 2 dated 03.03.2009

Circular No. GS: 2009: 002 Date: 03.03.2009

TO ALL OFFICERS PLEASE CIRCULATE

Dear Friends,

We reproduce hereunder the Circular No. CIRCULAR/GS/2009/02 dated 28-02-2009 received from our Federation for your information.

With best regards

Yours sincerely

(C.A. MALLIKARJUNA RAO)
GENERAL SECRETARY
............................................................................................………
We reproduce hereunder the Circular received from AIBOC for your information:


“TALKS WITH IBA ON WAGE REVISION & PENSION
IBA BECOMES ADAMANT
GET READY FOR AGITATION
We were having lot of hopes that, in today’s meeting (21.02.2009) with IBA, a breakthrough on Pension and Salary revision talks will be reached. Unfortunately, from the beginning, the IBA negotiating committee took an adamant stand to impose defined contribution pension scheme on new recruitees in Banks. The scheme which has been implemented at Central Government and few State Governments unilaterally, is yet to get an approval of the Parliament. There have been strikes by the Government Employees against the unilateral imposition of new pension scheme to new recruitees w.e.f. 01.01.2004. The bad experience of defined contribution scheme implemented abroad is cautioning the unions to resist the new scheme which is detrimental to the interest of the employees. The pension being a social security measure, neither the Government nor the Bank Managements can absolve themselves from their obligation. Nowhere in the country trade unions have become party to the new scheme. That apart, even the IBA is not clear about the proposed new scheme. It is not fair on the part of the IBA to link extraneous matter with the MOU issues. We have expressed our willingness to discuss the new pension scheme later, but IBA wants to settle this issue first before taking up 2nd option on Pension & Salary Revision for discussion. Naturally, UFBU cannot buckle to the pressure of the IBA/Government thereby enabling them to push through a disputed agenda on priority. Hence, UFBU has decided to take up the matter with the IBA Chairman & the Government for amicable settlement on urgent basis. If good sense does not prevail upon the Government/IBA, the UFBU will be forced to take the line of agitation including strikes during March 2009. We are aware that membership is ready for any action to clinch the legitimate long pending demands, but it is necessary to prepare them for long drawn struggle. We, therefore urge upon our affiliates/members to keep the powder dry and be in readiness to jump into action at short notice.

Friends, many a battles we have fought, not a single we have lost. Victory will be ours. We reproduce hereunder circular of UFBU dt.21.02.2009, for your information.

“TEXT OF UFBU CIRCULAR NO:4, DATED 21ST FEBRUARY,2009
“Today, another round of talks took place with the IBA in Mumbai on our pending demands of pension option and wage revision.

1. Pension option: - As mentioned in our earlier circular, IBA insisted on introduction of new pension scheme i.e. defined contributory scheme on the lines of the scheme unilaterally introduced by the Central Government since 2004. After discussions, IBA stated that while some option can be given to the new recruits to choose between the existing pension scheme and the new pension scheme, within a period of three months, such an option facility can be available only for one year and thereafter, the new pension scheme should alone be operative for the new recruitees.

After mutual consultation, from UFBU we offered as under:-




a) Existing scheme to continue.

b) IBA should give the full details of their proposed new pension scheme.

c) After study of the new scheme, IBA & UFBU can discuss the feasibility of introducing the new scheme after one year for the new recruitees.

d) In the meantime, the issue should be delinked and option for the existing employees should be extended by finalizing the sharing formula without any further delay.


IBA informed us that they do not have any mandate to agree to our proposal but agreed to go to their Managing Committee scheduled on 27.2.2009 to discuss our proposal and thereafter would come back to us. However IBA reiterated that any resolution of our demand for pension option for the existing employees will have to be comprehensively resolved including a scheme for the new recruitees.

Wage Revision:- On wage revision, IBA informed that they do not have mandate to go beyond the earlier offer of Rs.3600 crores and hence cannot improve their offer any further.

In the light of above approach of the IBA, the UFBU met thereafter and felt that IBA is trying to go beyond the MOU of February, 2008 wherein no such conditionalities were informed by IBA on pension scheme. The meeting felt that in the matter of wage revision also, the IBA attitude was unreasonable since given the reasonable demand submitted by us, their offer falls far short of making any ground for a settlement.

Hence, the meeting decided that while we should take up the matter immediately with the Government and IBA Chairman to impress upon them to expedite the resolution of our above demands, the rank and file should be kept in readiness for agitation programmes including strike action, should the IBA and Government try to impose their conditions and thus delay settlement.

The meeting decided to immediately meet and submit a memorandum to Finance Minister, Labour Minister, Chairman of IBA and Chairman of Negotiating Committee in this regard.

Friends, it appears that our patience and reasonable approach are being misunderstood as our weakness. Our genuine demands are being delayed due to their rigid attitude and approach. It is time to get ready for action. We shall briefly wait for the response of the IBA and the Government and give the call for action programmes.”

With greetings,

Yours sincerely,
sd/-
(D.S. BHADAURIA)
GENERAL SECRETARY