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Employees of SBI Bazar Branch, Mokokchung taking part in the nation-wide strike called by AIBOC on Dec. 21.[/caption]
Mokokchung, Dec. 21: The nation-wide strike called by the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) hit financial transaction in Mokokchung district on Friday.
The state’s unit of the confederation also joined the agitation on Dec. 21 to protest “against the adamant attitude of Indian Banks Association (IBA) and the central government on pending wage revision of bank officers and employees.”
Protesters at SBI Bazar Branch, Mokokchung premises said that the strike was against the amalgamation of banks - Bank of Boarda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, including Regional Rural Banks; attack and assault on bankers and reduction in the existing medical facility for officers, and steep increase in medical insurance premium for the retired employees.
They informed that the association wants full and conditional mandates for the XI Bi-partite wage revision talks based on the charter of demands submitted by four officers’ organisations. They also demanded to let the bank focus on core business and non-performing asset (NPA) recovery, no mis-selling of third-party products, immediate scrapping of National Pension Scheme to Defined Contributory Pension Scheme, ensuring of work-life balance and introduction of five-day week and updation/revision of pension and family pension.
When asked about the amalgamation of banks, Imtisanen, regional secretary, State Bank of India Officers' Association (SBIOA) said ‘the decision of the government to amalgamate three major banks and consolidate the Regional Rural Banks is draconian.’ He asserted that the merger of PSBC and RRBs will affect the flow of credit to the rural sector which will ultimately affect the farmers, agriculturist, MSME's, SHGs, women, students and common people.
In regards to selling third-party products, Imtisanen said the cross-selling of third-party products like mutual funds and insurance in the bank has to be stopped and Bank employees have to focus on the core business and NPA recovery.
He opined that "bank employees should not become insurance agencies or mutual fund distributor." He also alleged that "the top executives are forcing the operational functionaries for their own benefit and hence force-selling is prevalent across the country and the outcome of which is miss-selling."
