RBI Staff Plans Mass Leave on November 19 : Media Reports

Mass Leave of Reserve Bank of India Staff

The United Forum of Reserve Bank Officers and Employees, through its four constituents, has given a call for a day’s mass casual leave on November 19, to register their opposition to what they see as the government’s move to take away some of RBI’s money market operations.

“Through the proposed mechanism of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the government plans to intervene and decide the monetary policy which has been the exclusive jurisdiction of the RBI so far,” a UFBO&E statement said adding that the government wants to virtually take over the function under the pretext of Legislative Reforms Commission set up by the Centre.

RBI STAFF PLANS MASS LEAVE

The central bank has reacted to this proposal by saying that such en masse casual leave amounted to illegal strike under the RBI’s rules.

The UFRBO&E is an umbrella organisation of four recognised unions and associations of officers and workmen staff in RBI. The mass CL programme may deeply affect RBI’s functions, especially clearing house operations.

The United Forum comprises of two organisations each of workmen and officers, covering the 17,000 employees of the RBI.

The central bank also advised its officers to take police-help to maintain critical services such as clearing house operations. RBI central office has asked the regional offices to furnish the attendance position on that day.

The United Forum is also clubbing with this issue, some pension-related issues. These include an improvement in the pension (with periodic updation on the basic pay) and a facility to enable employees who had not opted for the pension scheme to exercise that option. This option facility was last extended over a decade ago, a union office bearer said.

All India Reserve Bank Employees Association General Secretary Samir Ghosh said that the intimation of the agitation programme was given to the RBI in end-September.

Sources Hindu