Panaji: To make their voice heard and fulfil their demand vis-a-vis payment and resettlement of wages, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) which consists of nine bank unions of employees and officers, viz. AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO, has called for strike on January 31 and February 1. A three day strike has also been planned on March 11, 12 and 13. They have further threatened to go on indefinite strike from April 1. The demands put forth by the United Forum of Bank Unions include wage revision settlement at 20% hike, five Day banking, merger of special allowance with basic pay, scrapping of New Pension Scheme (NPS), updation of pension improvement, allocation to staff welfare fund based on operating profits, and exemption from income tax on retiral benefits without ceiling among others. In a press note issued by UFBU it stated that after series of discussions in the last 30 months, the IBA improved their offer only to a hike of 12.25% while even in the last settlement, the Government cleared a hike of 15%. During the recent period the prices have gone up steeply and the workload on the banking workforce has also gone up enormously. Hence bank staffs expect a fair and reasonable hike in wages in the current settlement. Hence there is huge disappointment and resentment about the present offer of IBA and their rigid approach. Similarly other important demands also remain unsettled and unresolved, it further stated.
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