Submissions by Corporation Bank Officers’ Organisation
The 7th Central Pay Commission report on restructuring the pay scales/pension to the Central Civil Servants/retirees and its implementation from November, 2016 by the Central government has enhanced the expectations of Bank officers/employees on their wage revision. Hence keeping in mind the revision of pay scales in Central Government, we need to build up our Charter of Demands. We need to give importance to the following:
1. Pay structure
2. Pension – Updation, improvement, Family Pension and NPS
3. Regulated working hours
4. Five days’ week
5. Leave
6. LFC
7. Other service conditions
1. PAY STRUCTURE:
1.1 The 11th BPS wage revision will be effective from November, 2017. Hence DA shall be merged upto 31.08.2017.
1.2 7th Pay Commission fixed minimum salary of Central Govt. employee at Rs.18,000/- and commensurate to that our Sub-Staff salary shall be minimum at Rs.18,000/-.
1.3 The present DA is around 48% and by August, 2017 it will be more than 60%. After merger of DA, in order to make minimum salary at Rs.18,000/- the enhancement required will be around 25%. This shall be the minimum demand of enhancement.
1.4 The Special Allowance provided in 10th BPS shall be merged with BPor treated on PAR with PQP FPP eligible for reckoning terminal benefits.
1.5 The method of BP building as mentioned in para 1.3 shall similarly be applied with merger of Special Allowance; it will make the starting pay of an Officer at Rs.48,000/- with maximum scale in Officers grade at Rs.1,75,000/- approximately. (The maximum salary under 7th CPC is Rs.2.50 lakh). New DA shall be fixed as per existing guidelines.
1.6 PQP shall be fixed equal to increments.
1.7 Pay band may be elongated (No. of Stages)
1.8 Any pre-condition to restrict the load to Basic Pay shall not be accepted.
2. PENSION:
A. Pension updating for retirees/family pension in line with OROP:
a. This is one long standing demand by bankers. Now, with introduction of OROP for Defence personnel and also by updating the pension of retirees in Central Govt. there shall not be any difficulty in getting it for the bankers.
b. In respect of family pension, it shall be 66.67% of corresponding basic pension under revised pay.
B. Pension Improvement:
a. The basic pay of pensioners shall be fixed based on their last corresponding scale and basic pay with the present revised pay scale.
b. Once basic pay is decided the DA factor shall be corresponding basic pay of revised pay.
c. The eligibility for full pension shall be 20 years instead of 33 years.
d.The eligible basic pay for pension shall be 60% of corresponding basic pay of revised pay scale.
e. The DA fluctuation shall be in tune with current employees, instead of updating once in six months.
f. In respect of dismissed employees, a basic amount of at least 2/3rd eligible pension must be guaranteed (Compassionate Allowance).
C. National Pension Scheme:
The Central government has proved by introducing Pradhan MantriBimaYojana that all citizens in the country shall get guaranteed minimum amount of livelihood at their retirement age. However, by introducing National Pension Scheme for banks and Central Government employees, the said guarantee to have livelihood during retirement period is vanished. Since the funds in NPS are invested in equity, the earning on the same is not guaranteed and there is a possibility of vanishing the entire fund itself. Further there is no guarantee of any definite sum, one will get during his retirement. Therefore, an option shall be provided to NPS optees to switch over to Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
D. Others:
a. Option to employees who had resigned from bank before Second Option
This number is very small. Banks shall offer one opportunity to these employees sharing the cost in the same way as done in 2009/10.
3. REGULATED WORKING HOURS:
The working hours of Officers shall be restricted to 8 hours per day. Any work slated beyond 8 hours per day shall be compensated at the rate by dividing total monthly emoluments of the concerned Officer to the number of hours so worked. The holiday working shall be only against compensatory off and compensation as mentioned above.
4. FIVE DAYS’ WEEK:
4.1 Theindustry has witnessed that by declaring Saturday holiday, business of the country will not be affected. Hence instead of 2nd and fourth Saturday, all weeks may be made 5 days’ week, like in LIC. The Union Govt. offered LIC of India with 5 days’ week during its last wage revision. This shows the inclination of the government to implement 5 days’ week in banks also. Hence it is right time to demand and get it.
4.2 The number of public holidays may be same for entire nation and region-wise public holidays may be declared as restricted holiday with option to the employee, with limitation as to such restricted holiday.
4.3 Holiday Work, Review/Business Meetings:
Officers shall not be called to attend routine work, Melas and business review meetings on Sundays and Holidays. In case of such calling for duty at exceptional circumstances, they must be compensated with a day’s salary for each such day with a Compensatory Off to be availed by the officers within 36 months from such working.
5. LEAVE:
5.1 Privilege Leave accumulation and encashment may be allowed upto 300 days. Such encashment at the time of retirement shall be totally tax free.
5.2 Paternity leave shall be increased to two months at least, as officers will be away from their families and it is the duty of male officers to manage the affairs in the absence of any help from their family members.
5.3 Preventive Vigilance Leave shall be credited every year and officer shall be warned to avail the same, every time he enters the system for any other type of leave. The officer/s who does/do not avail PVL shall be forced to avail the same during the last 3 months of the calendar year. During the PVL, the officer shall not come to his workplace.
5.4 Restriction on accumulation of Casual Leave shall be removed. Unavailed CL thus accumulated shall be encashable during retirement.
5.5 Submission of Medical Certificate for availing Unavailed Casual Leave (UCL) shall be dispensed with.
5.6 50% of Sick Leave shall be encashable during retirement (on double debit basis).
5.7 After 30 years of service, the officers who have exhausted their Sick Leave shall be eligible for further Sick Leave of 3 months (Half Pay) for every year of service thereafter.
5.8 Male officers too shall be eligible to avail Sabbatical Leave.
5.9 Lapsed Leave of the officers shall be credited to a leave bank account to be available in specific special circumstances (to be pre-defined) for other officers who have exhausted their leave. A Committee consisting of Management representatives and officers’ union shall decide on the admissibility of this.
5.10 Any leave request of an employee shall not be refused (even quoting exigency) more than thrice in a year.
6.0 L.F.C.:
6.1 The anomaly in LFC facility between award staff and officers shall be rectified.
6.2 All Officers shall be allowed to travel by Air economy class which shall be reckoned to arrive at the eligibility.
6.3 The officers must be permitted to travel by any route (Circuitous) within the eligible amount.
6.4 LFC Encashment needs to be improved. The encashment must be linked to eligible mode of travel for a farthest point from place of service.
6.5 Encashment of Privilege Leave upto 30 days for each LFC be permitted.
6.6 Local conveyance/taxi shall be eligible for reimbursement within overall entitlement.
7.0 OTHERS:
7.1 Income tax rebate on Gratuity may be increased upto Rs.20 lakh on line with CPC.
7.2 HRA percentage shall be increased to 10, 12 and 15, depending upon the population of the city/place.
7.3 The date of retirement for officers born on first day of a month shall be last day of the month (of birth) as applicable to others.
7.4 Officiating Allowance shall be payable to the incumbent Branch Manager from the day of upgradation of the Branch.
7.5 Diem Allowance shall be increased from Rs.10/- to Rs.250/-.
7.6 Hearing Impaired officers shall be reimbursed with the annual maintenance of the hearing aid and the battery charges.
7.7 The handicapped employees shall be reimbursed with cost of artificial limbs and materials required for its usage including wheel chair, without restricting it to certain amount and on actual cost basis.
7.8 Probation of DRPOs shall not be extended for participating in Strike.
7.9 Transportation expenses reimbursement shall be revised.
7.10 In respect of Compassionate appointments we need to seek the following improvements:
a. The minimum qualification to appoint to the post of clerk is graduation, under the scheme. This has lead to a great anomaly. A wife of a deceased Executive was offered with a post of Sub-Staff since she has passed only Pre-University Exam. The logic behind this scheme is not correct since the minimum qualification for Sub Staff for direct recruitment is Matriculation. This is need improvement.
b. In case of appointments under the Scheme the seniority of such people will be considered from the financial year instead of the date of joining the Bank. This deprive the eligibility criteria for further promotions etc.
c. The banks constitute Committee for considering the applications under Compassionate Appointment scheme. Such Committee shall have representatives from Officers and Workmen unions.
d. The entire procedure for appointment under the Scheme is need to be simplified. The banks are taking months together some time year also to complete the process.
