Bank stir: rift among unions surfaces

Union leaders, however, denied any division within the forum. "We will stand united," said SR Sengupta of Aiboc. KK Nair of Indian National Bank Officers’ Confederation (Inbef) said: "We will not accept any thing less than 15 per cent hike. There could be differences among us, but the united forumwill not be dismantled." Aibea general secretary Tarakeswar Chakraborty was not available for comment.

Chakraborty has recently issued an internal circular to his union members saying a consensus was reached on February 24 when the union leaders met the IBA chairman that they would settle for a 12 per cent hike.

Contradicting Chakraborty’s claim, Sengupta of Aiboc and P Lakhaminarasiah of Ncbe have stated in an internal circular: "We reiterate that there was no understanding between ourselves on the a final settlement of 12 per cent hike. Our position remains that IBA must give a 12.5 per cent hike with retrospective effect from November 1997."

The circular further states, "… We made it abundantly clear that if IBA would show any concrete forward movement over its last position, there could be a case for review of the strike decision… Such offer of IBA must comprise hiking the load factor to 12.5 per cent and giving effect to the new settlement from 1.11.97… In that event we would impress uponconstituents of UFBU to review the strike decision and resume negotiations in the further improvement in the load factor. There was unanimity on this approach. There was no understanding between ourselves for a final settlement at 12 per cent as claimed in the employee union circular."

According to Chakraborty of Aibea, when the unions – the NCBE, Aiboc and Aibea – met the IBA chairman and urged for a settlement on the basis of 12.5 per cent hike, there was a prior understanding among them that they should settle for a 12 per cent hike.

Aiboc and NCBE, however, made it clear that "there was no understanding among ourselves on load factor for a final settlement."