BETTER TO STRIKE A BALANCE Who says only West Bengal is fond of calling strike? Even if people used
to think so, after experiencing the bitter effect of a week-long bandh, called by the workers’ union of the State Bank of India, over the pension issue, they must have undergone a change in their typical perspective. After all, we are traditional Indians! Calling strike, putting up the road blockade and demonstrating our demands in high-pitched tone, being entirely indifferent or apathetic towards the plight of the sufferers – well, these are parts of our national heritage! We cannot ignore it, as the workers of the biggest bank of India could not.
Now, lets peep into the cause of the strike due to which at times the nation started feeling helpless. With a demand to increase pension of the State Bank
employers, the strike was at first kicked off by All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), NCBE and AKBEF. According to the State Bank union, while the other public sectors, 50% of the salary is given as pension; in State Bank the amount is merely Rs 4250. Not only that, regarding other government services, while the basic of pension is determined upon the last drawn salary of the employer before retirement, in case of the SBI, the amount is fixed, as per the fourteen years old regulations. However, in 2002, the last pay commission was passed. Besides, the union has another demand of an increase from Rs. 1000 in the amount of family pension.
However, above all such financial transactions or mathematical calculations, what strikes most is the poor condition of the customers or account holders. And if we are to blame, fingers have to be pointed not only at the SBI workers’ union but also at the management and the Union government with its non-compromising attitude.
According to a Supreme Court order (1994), even during the strike, bank has to carry on with its primary customer care
service. Under any circumstances, it cannot be closed. However, this time we experience no work; that means, almost throwing a challenge to the law of the country. Moreover, the ATM service was also closed in the first two days of the strike (however, it was resumed from the 3rd day onwards). And surprisingly the workers could not foresee, if someday after retirement, they face the same problem, what would be their feeling. The plight of those who are entirely dependant on pension or MIS amount was also not probably an issue of concern to those employers.
However, besides such inconveniences, there were seen other major effects caused by this strike. Everyday clearing of Rs. 500,00,00,000 was off. Foreign exchange was not working. The export industry had been badly told upon. Trucks stood still at the border areas. And since stamps were not being sold, the court transaction too faced a bitter pause. The employers who called the strike might shout out that the bandh was successful, however, it has also to be admitted that during those days the country’s economy received a knock out punch as a result of it.
But we have also to judge the other reasons that drove the bank servants to take such a measure. Though not initially, however, ultimately the strike had broken the ice a bit. The management has come to a point where they have granted a few ordeals set up by the employers. In case of the State Bank officers, the amount of pension would increase upto 50%. The Union finance minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram, too had assured to cooperate with the employers. His previous standpoint was that if State Bank is allowed to have extra facilities, the others too might plan or execute a hartal in order to fulfil their demands by pressuring either the management or the Central government. Besides, the Union government thought since alongwith some other facilities, the State Bank relishes the Contributory Provident Fund, therefore, there is no question of giving them any extra facility.
Even if, the employers’ demands were justifiable and logical, strike cannot be held as the only way to the solution. Would no work in banking service bound the centre to change its attitude within a fortnight? No! In order to solve the problem, a proper understanding between the management and the workers’ union is required. For the workers, no need to come out from their demands but they would brush aside the mentality to make people suffer by calling indefinite or definite strike. Alongwith tabulating their demands, they must carry on with the banking services.
In the future, we the customers will be seeking a proper cooperation and uninterrupted service from them.