Bank Employees to Go on Nationwide Strike on December 2

Bank Employees to Go on Nationwide Strike on December 2 – Opposing merger of associate banks with SBI and dictation of SBI management on service conditions of employees in associate banks, Mishra said “we want autonomy for associate banks.”

An All India bank strike is scheduled for December 2nd. A day prior to the strike across all banks, the State Sector Bank Employees Association (SSBEA) has called upon its members to strike work in all associate banks of State Bank of India.

SBI’s fiat to associate banks instructing them to implement SBI Career Progression Policy seems to have irked the unions.

Explaining why they (SBI associate bank employees) refuse to accept SBI Career Progression Policy, Mahesh Mishra, Chairman, SSBEA said “the associate banks are all separate entities and part of the public sector banks in the country. But government guidelines are not implemented; SBI instead seeks to illegally thrust SBI service conditions in associate banks.”

“It means increase in working hours by one hour each day, 7 day banking, shift system and round the clock banking, outsourcing all manual jobs like sweepers, peons, increased passing powers for clerical staff on par with officers and periodical transfer in clerical and sub-staff cadre like officers and posting in rural and semi-urban areas ,” he said.

Opposing merger of associate banks with SBI and dictation of SBI management on service conditions of employees in associate banks, Mishra said “we want autonomy for associate banks.”

C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said “bilateralism is given a go-bye and unilateralism sought to be made the rule. Law is ignored and trade union rights over-looked.”

Alleging the SBI management of not respecting the bipartite settlement and tending to move unilaterally, arbitrarily, illegally and dictatorially against employees interest, the AIBEA General Secretary said the General Council of Unions met in Chennai last evening and decided to launch the stir.

The agitational programme, according to the AIBEA release, will start from October 26, with lunch-time demonstration in front of the head offices of all associate banks.

Source : Times of India