Leaves : 

1)    LEAVE: The present stipulation that Casual Leave (CL) upto 4 days can be availed continuously provided the total absence including Sundays and holidays does not exceed more than 6 days would be deleted.

2) Presently Unavailed Casual Leave (UCL) can be availed for a day without production of medical certificate. In addition UCL may be availed without production of medical certificate for 4 days at a time once in a year or 2 days at a time twice in a year.

3) Privilege Leave (PL) can be availed on 4 occasions in a year (as against 3 occasions at present).

4) 15 days' Notice would be sufficient to avail Privilege Leave (as against 30 days' notice at present).

5) Privilege Leave can be accumulated upto 270 days (as against the existing ceiling of 240 days). However, encashment upto 240 days would continue as at present.

 

  It is good move by Banks as these were small irritants which did not allow flexibility to the bankers to avail what is due to them.   They will have now much better flexibility

 However, there is a need for caution as small percentage of bankers who are habitual of taking leave without any concern for bank work, will misuse these and other staff  members are likely to feel the pinch of the changes  as such habitual offenders will flex their muscles to avail these at times when bank needs them the most.  Thus, there will be need for balancing the right to leave vs work load to be suffered by other staff members on account of such misuse by small number  but repeat offenders.

No additional financial burden on banks on account of these flexible norms, but good for majority of the bankers.

 Special Sick Leave with Salary for a maximum period of 30 days would be sanctioned to an employee while on hospitalisation for donation of kidney or any organ.

Very Good move as it will encourage people for donation of organs to the needy. 

Maternity Leave / Paternity Leave :

 1)     Maternity Leave for legal adoption of a child would be 6 months (now 2 months)

 2)    The facility of Maternity Leave would also be available to a biological mother in cases where the child is born through surrogacy.

3)     Paternity Leave would be extended on the lines of Government employees i.e. 15 days at a time on 2 occasions.

4)     Part time employees would also be entitled to Maternity Leave for adoption and biological mothers

5)     Maternity Leave, within the overall entitlement, would be granted for 60 days (now 45 days) in the case of hysterectomy.

 

 (1), (2), (3) and (4)  are inline with the changed circumstances of the society and is a progressive move by banks as we need to amend our rules with the changes in the society norms.   Paternity leave will be a boon for young staff.

(5) This will give more flexibility to ever increasing young female staff.

Other Leaves :  

1) Study Leave upto 2 years would be sanctioned to workmen employees as available to officers.

2) Sabbatical Leave for women employees would continue to be extended on the lines of government guidelines.

3) Sabbatical Leave for male employees would be referred to the Government for consideration.

4) Extraordinary Leave (without Pay) would be sanctioned upto a max. of 720 days during the entire service (as against the existing ceiling of 12 months).

5) Special Casual Leave for absence due to curfew would include exigencies like riots, prohibitory orders, natural calamities.

6) Special Leave for Sports activities, trekking, mountaineering, etc, would be dealt with at each Bank level.

These are again flexible norms now being allowed to the bankers who may like to avail of these facilities as per their needs.

 However, there is no financial burden on the banks.

INTRODUCTION OF LEAVE BANK:  

System of Leave Bank would be introduced by which employees can voluntarily donate a part of their entitled leave to a common pool from out of which leave with salary would be sanctioned to employees who are compelled to be on prolonged leave due to treatment of major diseases/accidents and other contingencies beyond their control and where such employees have exhausted all their leave

Excellent move as it will help the needy employees who fall ill for prolonged periods.

However,  Banks are likely to frame strict rules for availing leave from such a pool so that its misuse is stopped.   I think UFBU may ask IBA to transfer all the PL remaining unavailed / not encashed at the time of retirement be automatically transferred to this pool.  This itself create a big pool of leave as now employees will accumulate 270 PLs but encashment will be only for 240 days.

Other Issues :   

a) Diem Allowance: Diem Allowance payable while on travel on duty would be revised upwardly and quantum would be finalised in the next meeting.

b) When employees travel on duty to another station and stay in a hotel, the room rent would be reimbursed; the eligible rates would be finalised in the next meeting.

c) Transportation of goods while on transfer: An employee while on transfer from one station to another can transport his personal effects by train or road (even if the places are connected by train) upto the stipulated weights by an IBA approved Transport Operator.

d) Dependents' Income Criteria: Income limit to define a dependent would be Rs. 10,000/- per month (as against the existing Rs.3,500/- p.m.)
 

All these are good moves and in line with the needs on account of inflation, more frequent transfers etc.

Pension for part time employees:  

The entire service period would be taken for arriving at eligible pension instead of pro-rata service.

Very good news for part time (senior ) employees as they will be able to get higher pension

Other Facilities : 

 Compensation for Breakages: Compensation for losses due to breakages or damage to goods while transporting would be reimbursed as under:

Existing amount on production of receipts for Clerks - Rs.1120 to be revised as Rs.1500

Existing amount on production of receipts for Substaff - Rs.745 to be revised as Rs.1000

Existing amount without production of receipts for Clerks - Rs.745 to be revised as Rs.1000

Existing amount without production of receipts for Substaff - Rs.560 to be revised as Rs.750

24) Travel on Duty/on transfer:

Existing for Non-Subordinate employees 1st Class to be revised as AC 2 Tier

Existing for Subordinate employees 2nd Class to be revised as AC 3 Tier


 

All these are good moves and in line with the needs on account of inflation, more frequent transfers etc.

Last Paras :

 Important issues like construction of revised Pay Scales, revised DA formula, HRA rates, Transport Pay, introduction of Grade Pay, revision of Special Pay, LFC, revision in other allowances, retirees' issues, etc. and other issues/ demands would be taken up for discussions in the subsequent rounds of meetings.

Further development on these issues will be informed to members in due course.

This gives the future agenda for the meetings.