UFBU and IBA meeting postponed

The Conciliation meeting between UFBU and IBA that was scheduled to be held on 22 April has been postponed to 30 April.Bank Employees are protesting against non-fulfillment of demands such as 5 Day Banking and adequate recruitment of staff. 

Earlier, meeting was held on 18.03.2025 but any decision would not be arrived at. So next meeting was scheduled for 21.03.2025. In that meeting, the strike was deferred and UFBU said that a consensus had been arrived for most of the demands.

What UFBU said in last meeting on 21.03.2025?

Serious negotiations on our demands began the morning before today's adjourned conciliation meeting. There were representatives from the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA).

The Finance Minister (FM) and the DFS Secretary had a fruitful conversation regarding the desire for five-day banking, according to the Joint Secretary of DFS, who joined the meeting via video chat.

The IBA suggested more talks on important topics like hiring, Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI), and other difficulties. The implementation of five-day banking is one of the topics that the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) promised to personally monitor.

The adjourned meeting will take place again during the third week of April. It was agreed to delay the strike scheduled for the 24th and 25th by one or two months in light of these encouraging developments.

All units are hereby informed that the strike has been postponed, and a detailed circular will be issued soon.

Key Demands Raised by Bank Employees

• Adequate Recruitment: Address the shortage of staff across all cadres in banks.
• Five-Day Work Week: Implement a five-day work week for the banking industry.
• Withdrawal of DFS Directives: Demand the immediate withdrawal of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) directives on performance reviews and the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which threaten job security, create divisions among employees, and undermine the autonomy of public sector banks (PSBs).
• Safety of Bank Staff: Ensure protection for bank officers and staff against customer assaults and abuses.
• Fill Vacant Posts: Expedite the appointment of workmen and officer directors in PSBs.
• Resolution of Pending Issues: Resolve residual issues with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
• Amend the Gratuity Act: Increase the gratuity ceiling to ₹25 lakhs, similar to government employees’ schemes, and provide income tax exemptions.