PSGIC staff calls off March 29 strike

Mumbai: After meeting with Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Remis Tiru in New Delhi on March 27, Public sector general insurance companies (PSGIC) employee called off their proposed nationwide strike on March 29.

The PSGIC trade unions stated in the meeting that as per advice of CLC (C) which was held on 02 January, 2023, the management even though invited the unions for discussions, however their points were not taken up properly and the minutes were not signed jointly. The management of PSGICs presented unilateral version of minutes of meeting. As a result, the unions had submitted their representation against the minutes submitted by the management.

The management on its side stated that as per advice of the CLC (C), discussions were held with unions/associations and the points where there was agreement they were submitted before the CLC (C) along with the minutes of the meeting approved by the chairperson. Since the unions/associations differed with the minutes, their points were also sent to the CLC (C) for his kind information.

The demands of the unions for bilateral discussions, each and every issue pertaining to notice of change and adverse impact on service conditions, wage revisions, updation of family pensions and NPS, transfers, feedback of pilot projects introduced for restructuring in all the four PSGSICs were also discussed at length during the meeting.

Talking to Bizz Buzz, Trilok Singh, general secretary, GIEAIA and convener of JFTU (NZ) says, “We hope the management of public sector general insurance companies, GIPSA and DFS will take a serious note of the situation and will honour the wording of chief labour commissioner and will call the unions and associations for bilateral discussions and will move forward to resolve all the issues in a positive manner, in the best time of the employees, customers, industry and the citizens at large.”

The management said during the meeting that they are not adverse to dialogues and assured that as such there is no adverse impact on the service conditions under the provisions of the ID Act, 1947. However, as far as organisational restructuring is concerned, it is the discretion of the companies to introduce and roll out any changes/restructuring in the interest of the respective companies.

On the demands related to enhancement of family pension and NPS, the management stated that the same are under examination in the DFS. On the wage revision related matter, the management stated that the charter of demands for wage revision has been received from unions and the only in accordance with the existing transfer policy. Before introducing rollout, the management would be sharing and discuss the feedback report of the pilot projects with their respective unions.