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All India
(A Coordinating Body of National Federation of RRB Officers
& National Federation of RRB Employees)
Adviser: Ajit Kumar
Ghosh
President: C. Rajeevan
Secretary General: A. Sayeed 1 Nazrul Islam Avenue VIP ROAD
Date:
- 19-09-2014
Note on the agenda items forwarded by NABARD along
with some added items with our comments
Ref: - NABARD letter no. No.NB.IDD.RRCBD/758/JCC (IV)/2014-15 dated 08-09-2014
addressed to GS,
all National Level Unions/Associations, signed by Sri A Rama
Krishna ,
DGM, NABARD.
Our views on agenda items –
1.
Confirmation of minutes of the last meeting held on
1st February, 2011 – No Comment.
2.
Action taken on previous meetings –
(i) Transfer of Scale IV and Scale V officers from one
RRB to another, sponsored by the same Bank as per proviso 74 (2) of Staff
Service Regulations, 2010 – forwarded by NABARD to GOI on 05th
August. 2013 on the basis of the suggestion of the Sub – Committee of
the JCC –
Here it may be noted that each RRB is an
independent statutory body and so no officer can be transferred from one institution
to another. However considering the need and suitability Scale IV and Scale V
officers (for the present) can be sent on deputation from one RRB to another,
with the consent of the officer and providing with all the benefits of
deputation to such officers.
By this time many scale IV officers have become
eligible to be promoted to Scale V posts, eligible for posting as in - charge
of bigger branches with growth of business attaining status level of Scale V. In
such case the General Manager of the RRB must be of the level of minimum Scale
V.
Corresponding status of RO and HO in such cases are
to be upgraded as per Thorat Committee norms with growth of business and higher
categorization of branches.
It should be cleared immediately for implementation
besides providing for promotion of officers up to Scale VI in RRBs in view of
the growth of business resulting in branches now having business level of Scale
V criterion in many RRBs.
(ii) Payment
of Gratuity to officers – Officers getting less amount than Group B employees
– NABARD sent its views to GOI vide its letter dated 09-07-2012 –
Here we should look to the definition of “Pay“ vide
Para 2 (m) of Staff Service Regulations, 2010 wherein the definition of “Pay”,
if properly read, it will be clear that Pay means Basic Pay which includes part
of the emoluments which may specifically be classified under these Regulations.
Now Regulation 2(i) gives the definition
of “emoluments” which means the aggregate of Salary and Allowances.
Further as per Regulation 2(o), “Salary” means
aggregate of Pay and Dearness Allowance.
So there should be no confusion that Gratuity is to
be calculated for officers also on the basis of Basic Pay, DA and other
Allowances as admissible to workman staff.
(iii) Pension and PF to RRB staff in line with
Sponsor Bank –
though
the matter is sub-judice and pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, it may
be noted that the issue can be settled by withdrawal of the SLP by the DFS , MOF, GOI in view of the fact that Hon’ble
Finance Minister approved, long back on 20-06-2012 ‘in principle’ Parity of
Pension in line with the scheme implemented in Banking Industry in terms of
settlement dated 29-10-1993.
(iv) Group B/Group C employees who have completed 20
years of service in the same cadre should be promoted to next higher cadre as
one time measure. Graduate messenger should be allowed automatic promotion to
Clerical Cadre as done in Sponsor Banks (as already recommended by SBI and
Syndicate Bank to NABARD) to RRB staff -
NABARD
referred the issue to GOI vide its letter dated 22-03-2011 –
This
was recommended by the Karmakar Committee also.
This
should be immediately implemented with to give incentive to the RRB staff for
their dedicated service in the remote areas of the country.
(v) Messenger/sweepers working on daily
wages/casual for long period may be regularized by absorbing against the
vacancies of Office Attendant –
NABARD
referred this to GOI vide its letter dated 22-03-2011.
In
the meeting of 22-11-2013 at HO, NABARD, Mumbai where representatives of the
GOI, NABARD, Sponsor Banks and RRB associations/unions were present, it was
decided that steps will be taken by NABARD to seek the information of part
time/casual workers and RRBs will be advised to ensure providing minimum wages,
taking into account all working days as days of work, PF deduction and other
facilities as per law of the land, pending their phase-wise regularization in
the post of Msessengers/Office Attendants in respective Banks.
(vi) Uniformity in other allowances and benefits as
per Bipartite Settlement –
As
per GOI order vide letter F.No.8/3/2010-RRB dated 24-07-2010 it was clarified
that pay and other allowances of RRBs would be equal to the corresponding categories
of employees in Sponsor Banks. It may be noted that further advice of
delegation of power to Sponsor Banks to grant other allowances and benefits is
not only unlawful but also responsible for wide range of disparities in
allowances and benefits in various Gramin Banks sponsored by different Banks.
Even
if sponsor Banks are authorized to decide the allowances, benefits, loans etc.
to be extended to RRBs, they should be advised to follow the principle of
parity in tune with the NIT award to avoid serious anomalies as detected in
amalgamated RRBs.
Benefits
must be the same/at par with those in Sponsor Banks.
(vii) Sanction of Computer Increment to RRB staff –
GOI
letter no. F.No.3/2/2011-RRB dated 28-03-2013 prohibiting RRBs to release
computer increment was not only out of relevance rather it was against the
orders of the Hon’ble High Courts in Karnataka and Bihar. Already nearly 50% of
RRBs have been paying Computer Increment either under Court order or otherwise.
So
any delay in releasing the Computer Increment for all, disparity of total wages
will continue in contravention of the NIT Award and the Orders of the Hon’ble
Supreme Court/High Courts.
(viii) Posts in RRBs – In terms of NIT Award and
the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, posts in RRBs should be at the
comparable level with that of Sponsor Bank. Hence the posts of Office Assistant
(M) and Office Attendant (M) should be changed accordingly.
(ix) Categorization norms of Branches as per Thorat
Committee - all RRBs should uniformly follow the Thorat Committee norms as
circulated vide NABARD letter dated 12-09-2008 to provide staff at the minimum
level, till new norms are put in place.
(x) Old vacancies with old rules – filling up
of old vacancies as per old rules of 1998 is the direction of the Court.
Vacancies arising after 13-07-2010 i.e. vacancies as on 31-03-2011 onwards
should be filled up by new Rules.
(xi) Relaxation of Age/Qualification of in-service
candidates to the extent of period of service rendered by the incumbent in
case of new recruitment, to ensure career progression –
NABARD
referred the issue to GOI on 22-03-2011 –
In
case of promotion, eligibility criteria for promotion to higher post should be
at par with those in Commercial Banks so that attrition rate in RRB sector can
be checked to some extent.
(xii) Accommodation facility and payment of Special
allowance to RRB staff in remote and difficult areas – this has been
referred by NABARD to GOI vide their letter dated 08-07-2010 –
Leased
House Accommodation facility has not yet been extended to many RRBs causing a
huge amount of salary being spent for rented house only, HRA receivable being a
very small amount compared to the rent payable in these hard days. With the
drastic increase in the House Rent rates in the area of operation of
amalgamated RRBs, this requires to be settled at the earliest.
(xiii) Sabbatical leave and leave for Hysterectomy to
women employees –
Sabbatical
leave is recommended by the sub-committee but there is no such recommendation regarding
leave for Hysterectomy on the plea that there is no such provision in the
Service Rules, 2010. Both the issues are very important and urgent for the
women employees not only in commercial banks but also in RRBs in the same way.
(xiv) Grant
of Special Leave to office bearers of Trade Unions to attend JCC , and also to attend Trade Union works at
par with practice in Banking Industry – As per deliberations of JCC meeting dated 26-05-2010, NABARD vide its
letter dated 14-10-2011 suggested for 2 days of special leave to those
attending JCC meeting.
This
is not enough. It should be the actual number of days required for to & fro
journey for this purpose. Secondly, there exist exhaustive norms regulating
special leave to office bearers of Trade Unions of various levels of TUs
functioning in the Banking Industry. We therefore suggest that same benefit
should be extended to RRB sector too.
(xv) Workers participation in management –
appointment of Workmen / Officer Directors in the Board of Directors in RRB –
NABARD
referred this issue to GOI vide their letter dated 15-04-2011. This should be
finalized at the earliest.
3.
New Issues –
(i) Air
Travel facilities for Scale I officers while availing LFC - This should be
allowed as done in case of sponsor banks/Banking Industry
(ii)
Leased accommodation must be provided to officers on the lines of Commercial
Banks. The compensation on transfer/transport of personal effects should be
same as in commercial Banks.
(iii)
Interest rate of staff loans at par with Nationalized Banks.
(iv) Staff Welfare Scheme in line with Sponsor
Banks.
(v) Continuing
the scheme for appointments on compassionate grounds in RRBs as being done in
case of other commercial banks – GOI order dated 07-08-2014 to IBA .
(vi) Posting
of Senior Scale IV officers of RRBs as GM in case of small RRBs. In bigger RRB,
Scale V/VI officers may be posted taking them from other RRBs on deputation.
Posts up to Scale VI should be allowed to be filled
up by promotion on the ground that branches in many RRBs have reached the
business level of Scale V. This requires provision of GM of minimum level of
Scale V, and Chairman of minimum level of VI.
(vii) Leave
Encashment to the employee/officer who resigns from the service after
completion 20 years of service – It should be allowed as per norms in
Banking Industry.
This should be extended in line with the practice
followed in Commercial Banks.
(viii)
Issues relating Voluntary Retirement for Officers and other staff of
RRBs.
Treatment should be same as that prevailing in
Banking Industry.
(ix)
Introduction of in cadre promotion i.e. senior/special assistant and Head
Messenger etc. Determination of minimum qualifying marks in all written and interviews
for promotional examinations may be relaxed
This should be introduced in line with the practice
followed in commercial banks.
(x)
RRB Staff Service Regulation, Recruitment cum Promotion Rules at par with
Sponsor Bank. This will minimize the disputes and hazards of interpretation
etc.
(xi) Graduation
Increment to Office Assistant (Multipurpose) - Same norm should be followed
as in
case of commercial banks.
(xii) Ex
– Serviceman – Service Seniority for Promotion – Our letter to GOI dated 06-08-2014
addressed to the Deputy Secretary may please be referred to. This should be
allowed at par with Sponsor Bank norms.
(xiii) Rigour
Period in Promotion – NABARD’s letter dated 11-09-2014 – Our letter to GOI dated
13-09-2014.
(xiv) Staff
Loan – All staff loans to be at par with Sponsor Bank.
(xv)
Continuity of service to those who joins higher post in same bank -
This should be allowed to render natural justice to the employees as there is a
very limited scope of promotion.
(xvi) Posting
of employees with differently abled dependents – GOI order dated 28-07-2014
should be implemented in RRBs too.
(xvii) Transfer
of female employees minimizing their hardship – GOI order dated 08-08-2014
addressed to PSBs/SBI/IDBIs may please be implemented in RRBs.
(xviii)
Relaxed number of years of service for promotion in PSBs vide GOI order dated
14-03-2012/05-12-2011 may be implemented in RRB sector at the earliest.
(xix) Age
relaxation to ex-servicemen in PSBs for promotion to higher cadre – GOI
order 05-09-2013
– this should also be made applicable to RRBs.
(xx) Minor
Penalty charge sheets – keeping promotion held up – fixing of time to conclude
the proceedings – our letter to Deputy Secretary, GOI dated 11-07-2014 .
Submitted to the Chief General Manager (IDD), NABARD
– HO, Mumbai, on behalf of NFRRBE and NFRRBO.
(A Sayeed Khan)
Secretary General
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