BOC employees agitate over delayed salary increments  

 
Bank of Ceylon (BoC) employees are pushing for their salary increment entitled to them this year under the collective agreement signed between the bank authorities and Bank of Ceylon Employees Union, a leader of the union said, warning that a strike was imminment if the matter was not resolved quickly. 
Banking employees are eligible to receive an increment once every three years; he said adding that Minister of Public Enterprise Lakshman Kiriella as the subject minister has approved the salary increment which should be granted this year.
But the employees are yet to receive it even after approval had been given by the subject minister after conducting discussions with the BoC Chairman and representatives of the top management of the bank, he disclosed.
He said that the BoC top management has informed employees that the Finance Ministry has brought to the notice of the bank authorities that the approval of the Treasury was essential to grant any salary increment to BoC employees.
The BoC employees will have to resort to stern trade union action if the bank management failed grant them their legitimate salary increment endorsed by the subject minister within the next two days, he warned.
He further noted that the money needed to pay the salary increment is being generated internally without burdening the Treasury and there was no need to suspend it by the Finance Ministry. BoC top officials were not available for comments at the moment. (Bandula)