Mumbai, Apr 28 (IANS): Employees' unions and the Indian Banks Association (IBA) Tuesday signed here a five-year wage agreement providing for a 17.5 percent hike in pay from 2007 to around 775,000 staffers of 46 banks whose annual wage bill will go up by Rs.5,200.

"We are satisfied with the wage agreement that is effective from 2007. The new settlement, apart from increasing the wages for clerical staff and officers, would also provide the employees one more option to join the pension scheme," C.H. Venkatachalam, convenor of the United Forum for Bank Unions, told IANS from Mumbai.

The settlement covers 26 public sector banks, 12 private banks and 8 foreign banks and would benefit 477,000 workmen employees and 275,000 officers.

According to Venkatachalam, the additional cost for the government banks will be Rs.4,816 crore. For private banks, the financial load would be Rs.400 crore.

Under the agreement all the remaining 260,000 employees and officers who are now covered by contributory provident fund would be given a chance to join the pension scheme - a long pending demand of the unions.

"More than 50,000 retirees will also get the option to join the pension scheme," Venkatachalam said.

The settlement will be effective from November 2007 to October 2012.

Employees' unions and the IBA negotiated the wage settlement for nearly 30 months.