The All-India Bank Employees’ Association has put off the proposed June 24 all-India bank strike aimed at pressing the State Bank of India management to “implement the government guidelines” on housing loans, compassionate appointments and trade union representation in the associate banks of the SBI.

AIBEA General Secretary CH Venkatachalam told BusinessLine that the association would take up these issues with the Union Finance Minister and the Union Labour Minister shortly as the talks with the SBI management were not productive. It was in view of this that the strike was postponed, he added.

Leaders of the State Sector Bank Employees Association (SSBEA) and AIBEA had held bilateral and trilateral talks with the SBI management, the latter with the involvement of the Union Labour Commissioner.

“The State Bank management has been adamant and hence we have decided to take up the issue with the Union Government leaders,” Venkatachalam said.

Employees’ demand The strike was called to press upon the State Bank of India management the demands to increase the quantum of home loans for employees of the associate banks, implement compassionate appointments in all cases and also to allow retired bank employees who are elected office-bearers of bank trade unions to represent the unions. Venakatachalam said Class IV employees in the associate banks get home loan of only ₹8 lakh and Class III ₹12 lakh, while employees of SBI and other public sector banks receive sums many times over.

He said this ‘discrimination’ was in spite of a government guideline.

The SBI management insisted that the employees in the associate banks should accept the ‘career progression policy’ formulated for the SBI staff before the higher home loan and other demands could be considered.

“The staff of the associate banks are totally against the career progression policy which aims to put more workload on the employees.”

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