Team Herald
PANJIM: Banking operations in Goa are likely to be affected for next two days from Friday, as the employees are set to participate in the nation-wide strike demanding wage revision.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which represents nine trade unions, has called for a two-day nationwide strike on January 31 and February 1 as talks with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) on wage revision failed to make any headway. The bank employees have been demanding a salary hike since November 2017.
The banks will remain shut on February 2, which happens to be a Sunday. Functioning of majority ATMs are likely to be paralysed.
The Goa Bank Employees’ Association (GBEA) has decided to participate in the strike, pressing for wage revision.
“Wages and service conditions of bank employees and officers are governed by collective bargaining and bilateral agreements. The same is being revised once in 5 years based on the demands submitted by the Unions and arising out of discussions with the Indian Banks’ Association on behalf of all the member banks. Accordingly, the last settlement was finalized to cover the term from November 2012 to October 2017. Hence, wage revision was due from November, 2017,” GBEA general secretary A M Pereira said in a statement.
The employees are demanding wage revision settlement at 20 per cent hike on pay slip components with adequate loading thereof. Apart from this, the other demands include five-day banking, scrapping new pension scheme, improvement in family pension, introduction of leave bank, merger of special allowance with basic pay, etc.
