Withdraw call for strike, govt urges employees of public sector banks

NEW DELHI, (IANS): The government on Monday appealed to employees of public sector banks and regional rural banks to call off their proposed 3-day strike from September 28 to 30 as it has already fulfilled one of their main demands by holding the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in abeyance.

"Given that most concerns of the Unions have been substantially addressed, that the remaining demand continues to be examined, and that the government continues to proactively introduce welfare measures for the banking workforce, bank employees are urged to refrain from resorting to strikes, work towards resolving issues through dialogue, and ensure that banking services remain uninterrupted," a Finance Ministry statement said.

The United Forum of Bank Unions and certain other Unions of Public Sector Banks as well as Regional Rural Banks have called for a series of strikes in support of their demand for implementation of a five-day banking week, and withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Taking due note of the concerns raised, the government, after detailed discussion, decided to keep the PLI scheme in abeyance. This proactive initiative by the government fulfilled one of the two main demands of the Unions, the statement said.

Banking as a service is relied upon by every citizen, and its continuity directly affects the everyday lives of the general public. In the interests of bank employees, the government declared the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month as public holidays for public sector banks in 2015. The remaining Saturdays continue to serve as an important opportunity for many citizens to access banking services easily.

The proposed 3-day strike period, from September 28 to 30, also coincides with the half-yearly closing of banks on September 30, a date of particular significance for reconciliation, provisioning, and treasury and market operations. A disruption of this nature, combined with the preceding weekend, would result in an effective five-day closure of banking services at a particularly sensitive point in the financial calendar — causing considerable inconvenience to customers, businesses, government transactions, and international banking operations, the Finance Ministry further stated.

Public sector banks today stand on a healthy and robust footing — a position achieved through the sustained efforts of the government and active contribution of bankers and bank management over the years. It is necessary to preserve and build on this success, in the collective interest of banks, their employees, and the citizens they serve. Strikes, or disruption of work in any form, will adversely affect the banks, the statement pointed out.

The government held several rounds of conciliation to address the outstanding issues through dialogue, in keeping with the established practice of resolving differences bilaterally. Despite the government having resolved one of the two major demands of the union, and sustained conciliatory engagement, a one-day strike was held on September 11, with a further three-day strike now scheduled from September 28 to 30, and an indefinite strike proposed from October 26 on the single demand of a five-day workweek for banks.

Strikes cause disruption in banking services that inconvenience the public, impact the business of the bank, and ultimately harm the interests of bank employees. There is no fruitful outcome that is achieved through strikes. The government remains committed to the welfare and well-being of bank employees and to addressing their genuine concerns through constructive engagement, the statement added.