The Hindu Business Line : SBI officers to go on strike from Oct 20

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 14 Over 80,000 officers of State Bank of India and its associate banks under the banner of the All-India State Bank Officers’ Federation (AISBOF) will go on a country-wide indefinite strike from October 20, in support of various pending demands.

The demands include improvements in their pension scheme, implementation of a slew of understandings reached with the federation from 2005 onwards and not to merge the associate banks with SBI.

Mr K. Rajeevan, General Secretary, State Bank of India Officers’ Association (Kerala Circle), said here on Tuesday that despite the seven days of strike observed by the officers in April 2006, there had been no improvement in their pension scheme. He said that the pension was 50 per cent of basic pay up to Rs 21,040, which was the maximum for junior management-scale officers. For basic pay above that, the pension was calculated at 40 per cent with a minimum of Rs 10,520 per month.

However, this revision was not applicable to those who had retired before November 1, 2002; they continued to draw their pension on the scale that prevailed in 1992. Though the management had assured the officers in January this year that it would recommend improvements in the pension scheme to the Centre, the matter was still pending, he said.

It is also demanding extension of the superannuation scheme to officers in the associate banks.