The conciliation meeting called by the Central Labour Commissioner between the Indian Banks Association and the United Forum of Bank Unions failed to make any progress on the ticklish issue of bank employees’ wage increase.
However, at the suggestion of Chief Labour Commissioner PP Mitra, the two sides agreed to hold another round of negotiations on February 23, two days ahead of the scheduled four-day strike announced by the unions. The talks will be held in Mumbai on Monday forenoon.
The conciliation was held by the CLC in view of the four-day strike, but since both the sides refused to relent from their respective stands, no progress could be made in the talks.
CH Venkatachalam, general secretary of All-India Bank Employees Association told BusinessLine that the strike would go as planned and would begin on February 25 unless the IBA made a new and improved offer on wage increase.
He said that at the talks the IBA, led by its chief executive officer Mohan V Tanksale, insisted that UFBU defer the strike plan before any new offer could be made. But the union leaders pointed out that they had already deferred the strike once on the IBA assurance that substantial improvements would be made in the offer, but that assurance was not kept.