Bank Employees Wage Revision – Feedback of meeting with IBA on 17.3.2015

Bank Employees Wage Revision – Feedback of meeting with IBA on 17.3.2015

All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) published the discussion points in the meeting with Indian Banks Association held on 17th March 2015.

Nearly 26 points were discussed in the meeting and more important issues like construction of Revised Pay Scales, revised DA formula, HRA rates, Transport Pay, introduction of Grade Pay, revision of Special Pay, LFC, revision in other allowances, retirees’ issues, etc. and other issues/ demands would be taken up for discussions in the subsequent rounds of meetings.

DETAILS OF DISCUSSION WITH IBA ON 17.03.2015

Discussions with IBA on 17-03-2015

Units and members are aware that our charter of demands includes demands on improvement in various service conditions apart from increase in wages. Prior to the signing of the Minutes of Discussion on 23-2-2015, there were two rounds of discussions with the IBA on these issues. Yesterday i.e., on 17.03.2015, one more round of discussions took place, during which understandings have been reached on the following issues:

1) ENCASHMENT OF LEAVE: The benefit of encashment of Privilege Leave will be available even in the cases of resignations from the Bank after 20 years of service as well on loss of job due to punishments (other than cases of punishment of Dismissal and cases where there is loss to the Bank).

2) LEAVE: The present stipulation that Casual Leave (CL) upto 4 days can be availed continuously provided the total absence including Sundays and holidays does not exceed more than 6 days would be deleted.

3) Presently Unavailed Casual Leave (UCL) can be availed for a day without production of medical certificate. In addition UCL may be availed without production of medical certificate for 4 days at a time once in a year or 2 days at a time twice in a year.

4) Privilege Leave (PL) can be availed on 4 occasions in a year (as against 3 occasions at present).

5) 15 days’ Notice would be sufficient to avail Privilege Leave (as against 30 days’ notice at present).

6) Privilege Leave can be accumulated upto 270 days (as against the existing ceiling of 240 days). However, encashment upto 240 days would continue as at present.

7) Special Sick Leave with Salary for a maximum period of 30 days would be sanctioned to an employee while on hospitalisation for donation of kidney or any organ.

8) Maternity Leave, within the overall entitlement, would be granted for 60 days (now 45 days) in the case of hysterectomy.

9) Maternity Leave for legal adoption of a child would be 6 months (now 2 months)

10) The above facility of Maternity Leave would also be available to a biological mother in cases where the child is born through surrogacy.

11) Part time employees would also be entitled to Maternity Leave under (9) and (10) above.

12) Paternity Leave would be extended on the lines of Government employees i.e. 15 days at a time on 2 occasions.
13) Study Leave upto 2 years would be sanctioned to workmen employees as available to officers.

14) Sabbatical Leave for women employees would continue to be extended on the lines of government guidelines.

15) Sabbatical Leave for male employees would be referred to the Government for consideration.

16) Extraordinary Leave (without Pay) would be sanctioned upto a max. of 720 days during the entire service (as against the existing ceiling of 12 months).

17) Special Casual Leave for absence due to curfew would include exigencies like riots, prohibitory orders, natural calamities.

18) Special Leave for Sports activities, trekking, mountaineering, etc, would be dealt with at each Bank level.

19) INTRODUCTION OF LEAVE BANK: System of Leave Bank would be introduced by which employees can voluntarily donate a part of their entitled leave to a common pool from out of which leave with salary would be sanctioned to employees who are compelled to be on prolonged leave due to treatment of major diseases/accidents and other contingencies beyond their control and where such employees have exhausted all their leave.

20) Diem Allowance: Diem Allowance payable while on travel on duty would be revised upwardly and quantum would be finalised in the next meeting.

21) When employees travel on duty to another station and stay in a hotel, the room rent would be reimbursed; the eligible rates would be finalised in the next meeting.

22) Transportation of goods while on transfer: An employee while on transfer from one station to another can transport his personal effects by train or road (even if the places are connected by train) upto the stipulated weights by an IBA approved Transport Operator.

23) Compensation for Breakages: Compensation for losses due to breakages or damage to goods while transporting would be reimbursed as under:
Existing amount on production of receipts for Clerks – Rs.1120 to be revised as Rs.1500
Existing amount on production of receipts for Substaff – Rs.745 to be revised as Rs.1000
Existing amount without production of receipts for Clerks – Rs.745 to be revised as Rs.1000
Existing amount without production of receipts for Substaff – Rs.560 to be revised as Rs.750

24) Travel on Duty/on transfer:
Existing for Non-Subordinate employees 1st Class to be revised as AC 2 Tier
Existing for Subordinate employees 2nd Class to be revised as AC 3 Tier

25) Dependents’ Income Criteria: Income limit to define a dependent would be Rs. 10,000/- per month (as against the existing Rs.3,500/- p.m.)

26) Pension for part time employees: The entire service period would be taken for arriving at eligible pension instead of pro-rata service.

Important issues like construction of revised Pay Scales, revised DA formula, HRA rates, Transport Pay, introduction of Grade Pay, revision of Special Pay, LFC, revision in other allowances, retirees’ issues, etc. and other issues/ demands would be taken up for discussions in the subsequent rounds of meetings.

Further development on these issues will be informed to members in due course.

Source: AIBEA