Both sides are engaged in talks since Tuesday and have been claiming to have tried to come to a consensus but at the end of the day, the two sides part ways blaming each other for not showing flexibility.[break]
Employees of the IB said the government does not understand the impact of rising inflation on their lives while the officials of the MoF - the parent authority of the IB - said the demands placed by IB staff members are impractical.
The IB staff began their strike on November 20 blaming the management to have reneged on the promise made two years ago.
At that time, the agitating staff claimed, the management had signed a written agreement to provide daily allowance of Rs 150 to each employee, introduce a housing plan for the workforce, and send each staff member on a 15-day forced leave every year.
Other promises included annual distribution of additional five months´ salary and allowances as festival and vacation allowance, modification in voluntary retirement scheme, and change in organizational structure, keeping in view the growing workload at the IB. On top of that, the employees have also been asking for promotions in case the IB is converted into the Insurance Authority, which is expected to happen once the new Insurance Act is enforced.
“These conditions should be included in the new Employees Regulation, which the MoF has prepared without consulting us,” Purna Bahadur Thapa, president of the Employees Association of Insurance Board, said.
However, the government has been refusing to meet all their demands saying very few government entities enjoy the benefits granted to the employees of the IB.
“Take for instance the privilege under which each official of the IB can get credit equivalent to 10 years of salary anytime they demand,” a high-ranking official of the MoF told Republica on condition of anonymity.
“Besides, the government has also insured them and pays their insurance premiums regularly. This is on top of the medical expenses that the government bears on their behalf,” he said, adding, “We cannot accept all their demands simply because the office has remained closed for almost a month now.”
However, a reliable source at the MoF told Republica that the strike might end on Sunday as the ministry has agreed to consider their demands once they return back to work.
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