TAMILNADU BANK EMPLOYEES’ FEDERATION
( Affiliated to AIBEA )
Phone & Fax : 2533 1522, 4216 1522 e mail ~ tnbefchennai@gmail.com
CIRCULAR NO. 21/70/2012/17 11th April, 2012
To all our units :
Dear Comrades,
Staff of Canara Bank, Thumbalam Branch, Trichy District man handled – Federation launched its protest
We regret to inform our units that on 9th April, 2012, in an unpleasant incident inside the Canara Bank, Thumbalam Branch premises, the staff members were manhandled by the President of Panchayat Union.
The protest letter written to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamilnadu byCom. E.Arunachalam, General Secretary of our Federation is reproduced for information to all our units.
Our Trichy District Bank Employees Association is holding a Protest Rally of Bankmen today before the circle office of Canara Bank, Trichy.
With greetings,
Yours Comradely,
R.VIJAYAKUMAR
SECRETARY
TEXT OF TNBEF LETTER DATED 09.04.2012 TO CM, GOVT. OF TAMILNADU
Ms.J.Jayalalitha
Hon’ble Chief Minister
Government of Tamilnadu
CHENNAI
Madam,
Reg: Manhandling of bank staff by President of Panchayat Union in Thumbalam, Trichy District - Request for intervention and necessary action.
We are sorry to intrude upon your precious time and scheduling work but are constrained to draw your attention to the following incident of manhandling of Bank staff by the local Panchayat Union President in Thumbalam, Trichy District.
A Branch of CANARA BANK is functioning at THUMBALAM and a few staff are working in that Branch. Today morning Mr.Balasekar, President of the local Thumbalam Panchayat Union entered the Bank with his supporters and manhandled the Manager and Staff severely injuring them.
Background: Like various Bank Branches, this Branch is also handling the payments to the beneficiaries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The Branch is handling about 3000 beneficiaries. Every week the branch used to credit at least 1500 accounts of these beneficiaries on Tuesdays and the payments used to be made from Wednesdays. With the minimum staff available, the branch has been doing their best to serve the customers and these beneficiaries.
The Manger and the staff had worked even on Sunday to credit the accounts of the beneficiaries since Thursday and Friday were holidays for the Bank. When about 200 customers came to the branch this morning, they were explained that as usual their accounts will be credited tomorrow (Tuesday) and thereafter they can withdraw the same. They had also peacefully disbursed from the branch premises.
However, little later Mr.Balasekar, President of the local Thumbalam Panchayat Union entered the Bank with his brother and other followers and manhandled the Manager and Staff. The Bank records, cheques etc were also torn and damaged by them. The staff suffered injury but Mr.Balasekar locked out the branch premises from outside keeping the staff inside the Bank.
This incident has created a serious commotion and tension in the minds of the bank staff in that area in particular and in the State in general. If Bank staff are treated like this by the local authorities misusing their political power and clout, it will be very difficult for the employees to work in the Banks who are handling the implementation of MGNREGS benefit to the beneficiaries without proper infrastructure and adequate staff.
We seek your intervention in the matter to take necessary action on the President of the Panchayat Union and others who had indulged in such hooliganism against the bank staff in discharge of their duties.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
E. ARUNACHALAM
GENERAL SECRETARY
Copy to: Hon’ble Finance Minister, Government of India , New Delhi
Secretary, Dept of Financial Services, MoF, GOI, New Delhi
Chairman, IBA, Mumbai
Chairman & MD, Canara Bank, Head Office, Bangalore
The General Secretary, AIBEA, Chennai
The General Secretary, Canara Bank Employees Union