The Hindu Business Line : Bank TUs for limited transfers; strike plan stands

BANK unions are willing to agree to the transfer of clerks within a district or to at least neighbouring districts within "reasonable distance." However, the managements, represented by the Indian Banks Association (IBA), are unwilling to agree to any kind of restrictions.

Mr C.H. Venkatachalam, Convenor, United Forum of Bank Unions, said the unions were willing to be "reasonable, responsible and responsive" on transfers — the single issue holding up the wage settlement in the banking industry. He termed the attitude of IBA on this issue as intransigent.

Mr Venkatachalam said there was a wide difference in the staff requirements of various public sector banks. Therefore an industry-wide settlement on this issue would not be fair, he argued.

He said the unions had demonstrated their flexibility on all issues. Asked about their attitude to computerisation, Mr Venkatachalam said, "Today's technology needs will be accepted and we are agreeable to what the management wants to do." The one other issue that came up in the talks was rationalisation of allowances. Surprisingly, there appears to be "near unanimity" in this regard. The IBA Chairman and Union Bank of India's Chairman and Managing Director, Mr V. Leeladhar, had pointed to the incongruity of some allowances a couple of weeks earlier. He said, "If a person sits in a cash cage, he gets a cash allowance. If he sits on a computer - a computer allowance. We have 30 to 35 different types of allowances. We took a stand that there should not be a computer allowance. When we introduced it, it was meant to be an incentive. Today, one can't function without computers. We want only seven or eight to remain; they still want fifteen or sixteen."

Ask Mr Venkatachalam and he says, "We are ready for the removal of some allowances. We are ready for upgrading the duties, responsibilities and skill requirements in respect of certain allowances in conformity with the present scenario."

The conciliation talks between IBA and the unions, held on Wednesday under the auspices of the Regional Labour Commissioner, Mumbai, failed and there was a dharna by bank employees in all State capitals. Normal banking operations were not affected although employees wore protest badges at work.

A second conciliation meeting has been called on August 22. As of now, the bank strike scheduled for August 24 stands. "More strikes will follow and the struggle will be intensified if they don't come forward to settle on reasonable terms," says Mr Venkatachalam.