PRESS
STATEMENT BY C.H. VENKATACHALAM, GENERAL SECRETARY, ALL INDIA BANK EMPLOYEES’
ASSOCIATION
20-2-2013
STRIKE IN
BANKS – DAY 1 – TOTAL SUCCESSS
The 48 hours – 2 days – continuous
nationwide strike by the bank employees and officers commenced today morning at
the call of the Central Trade unions and the United Forum of Bank unions
(UFBU).
The strike is to protest against the
anti-people and anti-labour policies of the Central Government and with the
following demands raised by the Central Trade unions:
DEMANDS:
1) Concrete measures to contain price rise,
2) Concrete measures for employment
generation,
3) Strict enforcement of labour laws,
4) Universal social security cover for
organized and unorganized workers and creation of National Social Security Fund
and
5) Stoppage of disinvestment in Central and
State PSUs / Undertakings,
6) No Contractorisation of work of permanent
/ perennial nature and payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at
the same rate as available to the regular workers of the industry /
establishment.
7) Amendment of Minimum Wages Act to ensure
universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory
minimum wage at not less than Rs.10,000/- linked with cost price index.
8) Remove all ceilings on payment and
eligibility of Bonus, Provident Fund; Increase the quantum of gratuity.
9) Assured Pension for all
10) Compulsory registration of trade unions
within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of the ILO Conventions
Nos. 87 and 98
United Forum of Bank unions
comprising of all the bank unions in our country has supported the above 10 points
charter of demands and joined the two days strike programme calling upon the
Government to retreat their banking reforms agenda and strengthen public sector
banks. The main issues of concern are
as under:
·
In support of the 10 point Charter of Demands of Central Trade Unions.
·
Control alarming price rise
·
Stop anti-labour policies and Hands off trade union rights
·
Stop Banking Reforms
·
Stop Outsourcing
·
Early wage revision
·
Settle pending issues like compassionate appointment scheme
FINANCE
MINISTRY’S APPEAL CANNOT BE ACCEPTED: The
Finance Ministry has made an appeal yesterday night calling upon the bank
employees not to go on strike.
|
Government’s
Statement
|
Factual
position
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A section of the bank employees are joining the strike
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100 % of the employees and officers of all the unions
including in SBI, RBI, IDBI Bank, private banks, foreign banks, NABARD, SIDBI, UTI, Co-op. Banks, RRBs have
gone on strike.
|
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None of the main points in the charter of demands of
the Central Trade unions has any connection with bank employees.
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All the 10 demands raised by the Central Trade unions
are applicable to bank employees. Price rise, recruitment of adequate staff,
outsourcing, attack on trade union rights, equal pay for equal work,
disinvestments, improvement in Bonus Act, PF, Gratuity and Pension benefits,
etc. are all our demands too
|
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Banks recruit staff every year
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Nearly 200,000 vacancies remain vacant in Banks. Many permanent jobs have been outsourced.
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Bank employees are entitled to pension benefit
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True. Bank employees get pension scheme like
Government employees. But for the last
20 years no improvement has been made in the pension scheme whereas many
improvements have been made for the Government employees.
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Bank employees have social security cover
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The compassionate ground appointment scheme to provide
some job to the widow/eligible family member upon the unfortunate death of an
employee or officer has been discontinued in the Banks for the past 10 years
whereas in all the Departments and establishments including the Central
Government, this scheme is in vogue.
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The Government’s policy in the banking sector is to
expedite banking reforms like privatisation of banks. While the Government
wants consolidation of public sector banks, they are giving licence to industrial
and business houses to expand private sector banking. Rural banking operations are sought to be handed
over to private contract agencies and Business correspondents. Corporate bad loans are not being recovered
but the Government has amended the Debt Recovery Law to allow conversion of bad
loans as investments in the equity capital of the delinquent corporate
houses. Permanent jobs are sought to be
outsourced thus jeopardizing the job security. Long pending demands like
compassionate ground appointment scheme, 5 Day banking, Regulated working
hours, adequate recruitment, revival of BSRB, etc. are being glossed over. Even the demands of the Bank Daily Deposit
Collectors for minimum wage is being denied by the Government.
That is why 10,00,000 employees and officers of all the
Banks have spontaneously and enthusiastically participated in the strike.
Attacks
on trade union rights:
Already in State Bank of India, the management has unleashed a reign of
attacks on legitimate trade union rights.
Trade Union functionaries are being persecuted and hounded. Section 36 of B R Act is sought to be
illegally foisted to the officers. There is heavy intimidation and harassment
to weaken the participation of officers in the strike. In RBI also, the management has threatened
the unions of consequences if they resort to strike. Right to Strike is our basic right and
management cannot question it. But
despite all these pressures, the strike has been total everywhere including in
SBI and RBI
STRIKE
TOTAL SUCCESS TODAY: As
per reports reaching us from various States the strike has been observed very
successfully in all the Banks all over the country. In all Banks including RBI,
SBI and other public sector banks, old generation private banks, foreign banks,
Regional Rural Banks, and Co-op. banks, employees and officers participated in
the strike.
As per reports reaching us from the States – Tamilnadu,
Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, UP, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tripura,
Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Bihar, etc, the
strike has been total everywhere and paralised the banking transactions
including cash transactions, clearance of cheques, etc.
About 40 lacs cheques worth about Rs. 25,000 crores
could not be processed today in the various Clearing Houses of National Payment
Corporation, RBI, SBI, etc. Clearing operations were totally affected in all
the District and town centres also.
Employees in 80,000 branches of commercial banks and
about 70,000 branches in co-op. banks took part in today’s strike. More than 80,000 employees and officers of
these branches participated in the strike.
The strike will continue tomorrow also. If the Government will not come forward to
retrace their wrong policies and resolve our demands and if the managements of
SBI and RBI do not stop their anti-trade union approaches, the struggle in the
banking sector will be further intensified with more and more strike actions.
C.H. VENKATACHALAM
GENERAL
SECRETARY
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98400 89920