Conciliation Meeting Held Today between Bank Unions and Management, Check Discussions Held

Deliberation between the parties once again resumed today referring the details contained in minutes of conciliation dated 29.04.2025. At the outset it is observed that as reflected in the last but one paragraph of the conciliation proceedings dated 29.04.2025, once again the representatives from Bank of Maharashtra, State Bank of India (subsequently one representative joined that too not of appropriate level), Central Bank of India, UCO Bank and IOB (subsequently one representative joined that too not of appropriate level), were not present.

Accordingly, it was decided to write a letter to the apex level management of all the Banks to make it sure to send their representatives of appropriate level without fail.

All other issues contained in the conciliation proceedings dated 29.04.2025 were also reviewed with following outcomes:

What Bank Unions Said? What happened in Meeting

(i)
There was an improvement in the matter of PLI as intimated by the Ld. Representative of DFS that it is proposed to give flexibility to the banks’ board for identification of officers in different brackets in each scale, within the ambit of the PLI scheme. However, the Ld. Representatives of unions were not agreed. Accordingly, after marathon discussion it is agreed that representatives of union and the IBA to discuss the issue threadbare at bipartite level and come up with certain proposal within the ambit of the scheme. Such proposal shall be submitted to the DFS for review of the present scheme in the light of the proposal so that a consensus may be arrived at in order to maintain smooth and cordial relation in the industry. At this juncture, it is expected that all the banks shall cooperate by not implementing the PLI scheme for any scale till the outcome of the discussions.

The committee/the group so created for discussion on the issue of the PLI is also mandated to discuss the issue of outsourcing / recruitment of sub-staff and submit a report.

(ii)
So far recruitment and the data in this regard is concerned, some of the banks have submitted but lack of consistency and uniformity is observed. Accordingly, the committee/group so created for discussion on PLI is also advised to collect the data on recruitment in an appropriate format so that consistency and uniformity is maintained and submit the same on the next date of hearing.

(iii)
Despite issue of a letter by DFS to all the Chief Secretaries of the States to look into the security issue of banks against attack on bank staffs, one fresh instance of attack at Dhule in State Bank of India has been reported which is not only unwarranted rather painful and unbearable. In view of this fact, IBA is requested to advise all the Banks to take immediate steps to avoid any such occurrences in future.

(iv)
The issues related to 5 days banking, the matter discussed in length, a D.O. letter bearing No. 21(17)/2025-IR dated 16.06.2025 has already been sent to the Secretary, DFS. The representative of DFS informed that the issue is under consideration of the Government.

The next date of conciliation proceedings is fixed on 11.08.2025 at 11.30 AM.