IBA HELD DISCUSSION WITH AIBOC

ALL INDIA BANK OFFICERS' CONFEDERATION

Circular No. 2016/06                                                                            Date:03/02/2016

To All Affiliates/Members

Dear Comrades,

IBA HELD DISCUSSION WITH AIBOC

RESIDUAL ISSUES OF THE 10TH BIPARTITE SETTLEMENT

& OTHER ISSUES RAISED BEFORE DY CLC (C) ON 08.12.2015

We had requested IBA to arrange for a meeting with our representatives to discuss the latest developments and the developments in the matter of various issues on which we had given a call for one Day Strike on 11.12.2015. Our members are aware that the strike was subsequently called off based on the positive response from IBA in the conciliation meeting held before the Dy. Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) on 08.12.2015. Accordingly, IBA called the meeting today at their Office, which was attended by Com. Y. Sudarshan (President), Com. Harvinder Singh (General Secretary), Com. Dilip Saha (Sr. Vice President), Com. Sanjay A. Manjrekar (Vice President) and Com. M.B.Tripathi (State Secretary, Maharashtra Strate I), on behalf of AIBOC.

We thanked the IBA Officials for calling us for the follow up meeting and requested them to brief us on the steps taken on the assurances given by the IBA on the issues raised by us in the conciliation meeting held before the Dy. Chief Labour Commissioner (C) on 08.12.2015. The representatives of the IBA informed that they have been working on all the issues as advised in conciliation meeting. There after, we took up each of the issues for discussion.

1. Govt Policies of denial of Capitals in PSBs, FDI in Banking Industries and privatization of Public Sector banks starting with IDBI Bank and proposed changes in Labour Laws : In the conciliation meeting held on 08.12.2015, IBA had informed that those issues pertain to policy decisions of the Govt and IBA is not in a position to comment on the same. We stressed that since the IBA is the forum made available to us for negotiation on the issues concerning the Bank officers, they should convey to the Government our views on their policies. IBA informed that they have already conveyed our views to the Government on receipt of our strike notice dated 27.11.2015 and that the Dy. Chief Labour Commisioner too must have sent his report to the Government after the conciliation meeting held on 08.12.2015 covering all the issues raised by us. We requested the IBA to convey our views once again to the Government on all those issues pertaining to the Government policies.

2. Rectification of anomaly with regard to additional stagnation increments to officers in MMGS III: Representatives of the IBA informed that they are positive on this demand. They informed that HR Committee of IBA is yet to be constituted and matter will be placed before the committee in its meeting to be held soon.

3. Issues of Disciplinary matters : The representatives of the IBA informed that some of the changes in disciplinary matters discussed during the course of talks on

salary revision, which have been accepted by the HR Committee, require amendment to the Officers’ Service Regulations. We brought to the notice of the IBA, with illustrations, that many changes suggested by us can be implemented with administrative orders without any amendment to the Regulations. It was agreed that the suggestions which are of Administrative nature will be implemented without reference to the Government. It was further agreed that we will submit our suggestions with logic/justification on other issues which are part of Regulations within 15 days for further discussions on the matter.

4. Issues covered in the Record Note on pension : We informed IBA that our demand with regard to Pension Scheme include three issues viz. (a) 100% neutralization of DA to all pre-November, 2002 retirees (b) revision in the rates of family pension (c) Upgradation of pension and demanded that IBA need to take early steps to settle those issues. IBA informed that as informed earlier they are in the process of calculation of cost by the Actuaries and they have called for certain data from all the Banks. They further informed that they have received the said data from most of the banks and that once the data is received from the remaining banks, they would calculate the additional cost and will have a view on the issues.

5. Advisory not to call officers to work on Sundays and holidays and Late sitting : We brought to the notice of the IBA that during the course of discussion on salary revision, they had agreed to send an advisory to the member banks that unless it is very urgent, officers should not be called to work on Sundays and holidays and are also not asked to sit late and if it is necessary, they should be appropriately compensated. We also reminded that again in the conciliation meeting held on 08.12.2015, IBA had agreed to send such an advisory to all the member banks, but has not sent the same so far. Representatives of the IBA agreed to send the same within 15 days.

6. IBA’s Medical Insurance Scheme : We brought to the notice of the IBA that the retirees are yet to be extended the reimbursement of domiciliary treatment expenses as agreed in the 10th bipartite settlement and again in the conciliation meeting held on 08.12.2015. We also brought to their notice various types of complaints received from the retirees with regard to the cashless hospitalization facility and delayed/non-settlement of hospitalization claims by the TPAs / Insurance Company. IBA informed that they are committed to provide domiciliary treatment facility under their Insurance Scheme to the retirees and that for this purpose they had a meeting with the Insurance Company on 15.01.2016, wherein, they have made it clear to the Insurance Company that they have to extend the domiciliary treatment facility to the retirees. They further informed us that the Insurance Company has agreed to extend the deadline for retirees to opt for their Insurance Scheme upto 31.03.2016. As regards complaints of the members against the Insurance Scheme and TPAs regarding cashless hospitalization facility and settlement of hospitalization/ domiciliary treatment expenses, they have advised to submit the list of such cases to them to take up with the Insurance Company.

7. Termination of the services of Com P.V. Mohanan, General Secretary, DBOO by Dhanalakshimi Bank Management: IBA informed that the issue pertains to an individual bank and not to them. They further informed that as advised by the Dy. Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), they have collected the detailed report from Dhanalakshmi Bank Management and sent to him. We did not accept the stand of IBA that the issue pertains to an individual Bank and does not pertain to them and informed that the entire officers’ community in the banking industry is disturbed withthe treatment given to Com. P.V. Mohanan for his act of whistle blowing in the interest of the Bank. We drew the attention of the IBA to the reply filed by the management of the Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd. to the Human Rights Commission, wherein they have admitted that they have not found any misconduct on the part of Com. Mohanan and they have dismissed him using a draconian provision in the Service Regulation of their officers and stated that such an arbitrary action on the part of any management is not acceptable to AIBOC. We reiterated our demand that IBA should intervene in the matter immediately to avert Industrial level unrest. We advised the IBA that if the issue is not resolved, we will not hesitate in giving a call for All India Strike.

8. Appointment of Officers’ and Workmen Directors : We brought to the notice of IBA that the post of Officers’ / Workmen directors is vacant in many Banks and that the Board of those Banks are taking many important decisions in the absence of Officers’ / Workmen representatives. We called upon IBA to take up the matter with the Government to fill in the vacancies of Officers’ / Workmen directors early.

During the course of the meeting, we also discussed other issues which we had raised in the conciliation meeting before the Dy. CLC (C), such as extending existing pension scheme to all officers who joined after 01.04.2010 in lieu of NPS, implementation of Pension Scheme in RRBs, performance based incentive and ESOPs, etc. However, no assurance was given by IBA on these matters.

After the meeting, we conveyed our thanks to Sh. M.V.Tanksale, the Chief Executive Officer of IBA for continuing with the dialogue on the pending issues even after the signing of the Joint Note and assured him that our organization, on its part, would do its best possible to bring a turn around in the present position of the Banking Industry.

MEETING WITH THE DY. CLC (Central)

After the meeting with IBA officials, the undersigned and Com. Sanjay Manjrekar visited the office of Sh. B.B.Bhatnagar, Dy. CLC (Central), Mumbai for a courtesy call. We very briefly advised him about the developments that took place after the conciliation meeting held on 8th December, 2015. We urged him to invoke his authority and ask the Dhanlaxmi Bank Management to appear for Negotiations in view of their open acceptance that they do not have any charge against Com. P.V. Mohanan. He assured us of taking steps in this regard. We also requested him to forward our views on Government Policies to authorities concerned, once again, for their taking a view on our demands.

With warm greetings,

Yours comradely,

(HARVINDER SINGH)

GENERAL SECRETARY