To press for its demands for regulated working hours, pay parity with State Bank of India officers, stoppage of cross mergers of regional rural banks, and five-day working week, the All-India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) has called for an all-India bank strike on February 28.
The Association's move coincides with the strike call by central trade unions on the same day.
“Though clerical and sub-staff in banks have fixed working hours of 6.5 hours and 7 hours respectively, the officers don't have regulated working hours.
Despite core banking system being in place, they end up putting in almost 12 hours every day at branches,” said Mr Vishwas Utagi, General Secretary, Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation.
The public sector bank officers want pay parity with SBI officers, who get three retirement benefits — gratuity, provident fund (both employee and employer's contribution) and pension.
Though they get gratuity, public sector bank officers get only their own contribution to the PF while the employer's contribution goes to give the pension.
According to Mr S. Nagarajan, General Secretary, AIBOA, the demand of officers has been pending with the Government since November 2011.
The central trade unions, among others, want concrete measures to contain price rise, strict enforcement of basic labour laws, universal security cover for unorganised sector workers, putting an end to disinvestment of Central- and State-level undertakings.