Skip to main content

NABARD union warns: employees 'justifiably' restive, agitated, to strike on Aug 30

Counterview Desk 
In a letter to the chairman, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Rana Mitra, general secretary, All India NABARD Employees Association (AINBEA), seeking wage revision in NABARD, has said there has been “inordinate delay” in signing and operationalization of the final settlement and other issues “like strengthening of development finance institution (DFI) status of NABARD.”
Rana in his letter warned, “In accordance with the provisions contained in sub-section (1) of Section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, we hereby give you notice that AINBEA, the only recognized trade union representing almost the entire body collective of Group B (Clerical, Class III employees) and Group C (Peon, Class IV employees) of NABARD all over India in all its more than 22 Regional Offices plus Head Office at Mumbai, plus training establishments, proposes to go on strike on Tuesday, 30th August 2022.”

Text:

The final settlement on wage revision based on the Charter of Demands dated 31 October 2017 submitted by the All-India NABARD Employees Association (AINBEA) is yet to be signed till date, despite the inking of the Draft Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) and the record of negotiations on 18 February 2022 at Mumbai, between the representatives of the NABARD Management and the All India NABARD Employees’ Association (AINBEA) (Copies enclosed).
The proposal has also been reportedly approved on 16 March 2022 in the meeting of the Board of Directors of NABARD having representatives from both the Union Ministry of Finance and the RBI before being sent to the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Union Ministry of Finance supposedly for final clearance. Getting the clearance from any authority including from the Union Ministry of Finance is the sole responsibility of the management of NABARD.
It is most unfortunate that by postponing the signing and operationalization of the final settlement on wages and other issues like productivity for indefinite period in NABARD due to any reason whatsoever, including the reported non-clearance from the above authority, the employees of NABARD are made to suffer for no fault of their own.
This inexplicable delay of each day in signing the final settlement and its operationalization by the Management of NABARD is forcing the employees to lose in terms of real wages in the current environ of spiraling prices of all essentials. This makes the gain in terms of enhanced wages borne out of such MoS neutralized.
Incidentally, NABARD has had wonderful financial and other development achievements since its birth in 1982 including in the last financial year ending on 31 March, 2022, in which employees have contributed immensely through their efficiency and productivity.
Additionally, the current draft MoS on wages signed on 18 February 2022 is the eighth such wage settlement in a row, and in tune with all the past negotiated wage settlements in NABARD signed between AINBEA and the Management of NABARD since the first settlement on 22 February 1986 to seventh wage settlement dated 1 March 2017.
Incidentally, all the past seven wage settlements in NABARD had received due clearances and approval of the Union Ministry Finance. Moreover, the tenure of the current settlement period, to be operationalized from 1 November 2017 to 31 October 2022, is coming to an end shortly within few months.
This makes the employees of NABARD justifiably restive and agitated as similar wage settlements in other financial institutions like in Commercial Banks, RBI (NABARD’s bench mark institution since its first wage settlement signed on 22 February 1986 to the last settlement on 1 March 2017), LICI and others were over long ago. The trade unions in these institutions are in the process of submitting their next charter of demands to their respective managements operational from 1 November 2022.
In addition to this, the issues like strengthening of the Development Financial Institution (DFI) character of NABARD through flow of concessional funds from both Government of India and RBI available till 1993 before the advent of the so-called neo-liberal economic reforms in our country, through restoration of regular significant contribution by RBI to NABARD in the latter’s fund, namely National Rural Credit (Long Term Operations) and National Rural Credit(Stabilisation) Funds, are well documented by AINBEA through its various submissions to the management.
Non-clearance of wage revision by Union Finance Ministry is making  NABARD employees suffer for no fault of theirs
This may go a long way in strengthening the long term agri finance structure in the country, the weakening of it is now accepted by the policy makers too.
All these concerns forced us to embark on the path of agitation in NABARD from 9 June 2022 culminating into a full day Strike action on 30 August 2022 in the present phase. Incidentally, both the All India NABARD Employees Association (AINBEA) and All India NABARD Officers’ Association (AINBOA), who have formed a joint platform for the current united agitation programme in NABARD for wage settlement, has deferred their united programme of Dharna before the Parliament on 26 July 2022 at the written request of the Management of NABARD on 22 July 2022(copy enclosed).
The management of NABARD, while requesting for keeping such dharna programme in abeyance, has informed through this letter that the matter of wage revision for NABARD staff is under active consideration of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) of the Union Ministry of Finance.
The employees and officers of NABARD have positively responded to such request by keeping such dharna programme in abeyance for the time being. However, most unfortunately, till date there is no further tangible development on this issue, thereby adding to the frustration of the entire workforce of NABARD.
Please note that the environ of current avoidable industrial unrest in NABARD can only be improved by signing and operationalization of the Final Memorandum of Settlement on wages and other issues, the draft of which was signed way back on 18 February 2022 between the Management of NABARD and AINBEA at Mumbai.
This may go a long way in respecting the bipartite, negotiated wage agreement in NABARD with the sole recognized Trade Union of workmen employees of NABARD, in tune and line with the past seven negotiated wage settlements as detailed out above.

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.
1 comment
more»

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.
15 comments
more»

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".
48 comments
more»

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India
Post a Comment
more»

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 
1 comment
more»

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.
54 comments
more»

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam*  The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)
6 comments
more»

India joining US sponsored trade pillar to hurt Indian farmers, 'promote' GM seeds, food

Counterview Desk  As many as 32 civil society organisations (CSOs), in a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and India joining the trade pillar, have said that its provisions will allow the US to ensure a more favourable regulatory regime “for enhancing its exports of genetically modified (GM) seeds and GM food”, underlining, it will “significantly hurt the livelihoods of Indian farmers.”
Post a Comment
more»

Savarkar 'opposed' Bhagat Singh's, Netaji's dream of India, supported British war efforts

By Shamsul Islam* In a shocking development, the student wing of the RSS put the busts of martyrs Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose with Savarkar's on one pedestal at the University of Delhi late in the night on August 20, 2019. Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life for a socialist-democratic-secular republic and Netaji raised Azad Hind Fauj (INA) consisting of people of all religions and regions for armed liberation of India.
5 comments
more»

Undermining law, breastfeeding? Businesses 'using' celebrities to promote baby food

By Rajiv Shah  A report prepared by the top child welfare NGO, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), has identified as many as 15 offenders allegedly violating the Indian baby food law, the Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 1992, and Amendment Act 2003 (IMS Act), stating, compliance with the law “seems to be dwindling by the day.”
Post a Comment
more»