Joint Circular on Strike

February 26, 2017

MAKE 28TH FEBRUARY ALL INDIA STRIKE A TOTAL SUCCESS

We are sure that all efforts are being taken by all our units in all the States and in every Bank to make the UFBU’s call for All India Strike on 28th February, 2017 a total success. In the light of the increasing attacks on account of the Government’s anti-public sector policies, defending public sector banking is very important. Fighting back all attempts to privatise the PSBs is a paramount duty.

When Banks are facing challenges, Government has announced recapitalization of just Rs. 10,000 crores in this year’s Budget. This means that either the business of the banks will get choked or Banks will be compelled to tap private capital from the market thus diluting public sector character.

We have seen how the Government is bulldozing all protests and opposition by issuing Gazette notification on merger of 5 Associate Banks with SBI unmindful of its adverse implications.

Similarly, while bad loans are bulging every quarter without any let up, no stringent measures are being taken to recover the NPAs but efforts are afoot to float a Bad Bank to whitewash the books of the Banks and to conceal and camouflage bad loans from public attention.

Instead of filling up the vacancies of employees and officers with permanent staff, every effort is being made to outsource regular jobs aimed at crude exploitation of the unemployed youth. There are intensified proposals to amend all labour laws to suit the employers and private corporates.

Even on the issues and demands pertaining to employees and officers, the Government’s attitude is negative and managements’ approach is also casual.

When the whole country had witnessed the outstanding work done by the employees and officers during the post-demonetisation rush period in the branches by working day and night, even the compensation to be paid to the staff is not paid in full. There are many other important issues which are being ignored by the management and the Government.

Hence, UFBU has given the call for this All India Strike.

Conciliation meeting on 21st February by CLC: Based on the strike notice served by UFBU on IBA, the Chief Labour Commissioner of the Central Government had called for a conciliation meeting at Delhi on 21st instant. In this meeting the Finance Ministry and IBA did not take any initiative to resolve the demands and hence it was decided to go ahead with the strike. The CLC advised the Finance Ministry and IBA to initiate the dialogue with the UFBU for amicable settlement of issues, so that proposed strike is averted.

IBA’s negative stand: In view of this advice of the CLC, the IBA reluctantly wrote to UFBU offering to hold a discussion but on the condition that the strike should be withdrawn first. UFBU replied that meeting can be held before the strike and if solutions are worked out, strike can be avoided. But IBA deliberately insisted on their stand and thus thwarted any discussions with UFBU.

Make the strike a total success: The only way we can respond to this negative attitude of IBA-Government combine is to make the strike a massive success with all our unity and strength.

We have given the table for the level from 13, 13A, to 14 of Pay Matrix Table recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

The hierarchy stages are given as index from 1 to 40 (shown in vertical line) and the levels are given as numbers from 6 to 5 (Horizontal line). And the difference between the stages are also shown in the table for your ready reference.

We have given the table for the level from 10 to 12 of Pay Matrix Table recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

The hierarchy stages are given as index from 1 to 40 (shown in vertical line) and the levels are given as numbers from 6 to 5 (Horizontal line). And the difference between the stages are also shown in the table for your ready reference.

We have given the table for the level from 6 to 9 of Pay Matrix Table recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

The hierarchy stages are given as index from 1 to 40 (shown in vertical line) and the levels are given as numbers from 6 to 5 (Horizontal line). And the difference between the stages are also shown in the table for your ready reference.

We have given the table for the level from 1 to 5 of Pay Matrix Table recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

The hierarchy stages are given as index 1 to 40(vertical line) and the levels are given as numbers from 1 to 5 (Horizontal line). And the difference between the stages are also shown in the table for your ready reference.

Was the 7th CPC Allowance Committee Report submitted to the government as early as February 22?

One could see that the 7th Pay Commission suggested either rationalization or simplification at many places. An example is the Pay Matrix Table, which has now brought the entire Pay Structure of more than 35 lakh employees under one Table. Although there are some anomalies, the system has dramatically simplified the process of annual increment calculation and also pay fixation on Promotion or MACP.

At present 196 different kinds of allowances are being given to the Central Government employees. Some modifications have been recommended in these too as part of the rationalization and simplification drive. The Seventh Pay Commission has recommended the abolition of 52 allowances.  And another 36 allowances have been abolished as separate identities, but subsumed either in an existing allowance or in newly proposed allowances.

The Commission said that the entire range of allowances is administered in broadly four ways. Fully DA indexed Allowances, Partially or Semi DA  indexed Allowances, No DA indexation Allowances and Percentage based Allowances. House Rent Allowance is being under the category of Percentage based Allowances. The Commission also said that the compensation towards the housing needs of Central Government employees is covered in many ways. The Commission finally suggested that  the percentage based allowances by a factor of 0.8, the Commission recommends that HRA should be rationalized to 24 percent, 16 percent and 8 percent of the Basic Pay for Class X, Y and Z cities respectively.

The big irritation, or rather disappointment to the Central Government employees was the recommendation to reduce the percentage of House Rent Allowance (HRA).

All trade unions have expressed their harsh opposition to the proposed cuts in HRA. The Central Government employees’ Federations also expressed their disappointment through various protest. Finally the Central Government accepted to constitute a high level committee to examine the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission regarding Allowances.

Now, sources claim that the committee has already submitted its report to the government.

The government can announce its final decision on the recommendations of the committee any day. But, many believe that there could be a delay in the announcements due to the state elections that are being held in various parts of the country and the election commission’s guidelines that are being enforced now.

Unconfirmed reports say that the committee has recommended the percentage rates of HRA as per 6th CPC and changes in the method of calculating Transport Allowances also.

The biggest mystery however is – will these recommendations be given retrospective effect and will arrears be given?

Three dates are currently being suggested – January 1, 2016; August 1, 2016; and April 1, 2017.

Only the Central Government has all the answers right now.