AIBEA decides to go ahead with Nov 19 bank strike, discussions with IBA & Managements fail
Hyderabad, Nov 17 (FN Agency) All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has decided to go a head with the one-day nation-wide strike on Saturday as the discussions held between the AIBEA and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) officials and Bank Managements to avert the strike had failed on Wednesday. AIBEA had called the strike against various increasing attacks in the Banks.
About 3 lakh employees and officers will participate in the strike, AIBEA General Secretary Ch Venkatachalam told UNI on Thursday. In view of the strike, Banking services across the country are likely to be impacted. Chief Labour Commissioner (Central ) Mr Remis Tiru advised IBA on November 10 to hold further bilateral discussions with AIBEA to find amicable solutions. Accordingly, IBA invited AIBEA for a discussion and Mr Rajen Nagar, President, Mr Venkatachalam, B S Rambabu, Nandakumar Chavan, Janak Rawal, D R Tuljapurkar and. Lalita Joshi participated in the meeting besides representatives from its union in Citi Bank and MUFG Bank took part. IBA representatives Gopal Murli Bhagat, Deputy Chief Executive and Brajeswar Sharma, Sr. Advisor -IR&HR, representatives of the management of Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, Bank of Maharashatra, IDBI Bank, Federal Bank, CSB Bank, and Sonali Bank attended the discussions. Managements of Citi Bank and MUFG Bank were absent in the meeting. From AIBEA we reiterated our issues and demands arising out of the various unilateral decisions in violation of the existing provisions of Bipartite Settlement in some of the Banks and the attacks on jobs and job security and vindictive actions in some other Banks.
We stated in the wake of these attacks, AIBEA has no alternative than to express its protest through our agitational programme and strike action, Mr Venkatachalam said. Managements of the Banks submitted their viewpoints, he said despite our suggestion that any change or addition to the provisions of BPS can be mutually worked out, they could not give any categorical assurance that they will retrace their decisions on outsourcing, rotational transfer of employees, adherence of Disciplinary Action procedure, trade union of representation, job security and abide by the provisions of Bipartite settlements. The managements of Citi Bank and MUFG Bank were absent in the meeting and hence we could not discuss with them, he said. In the absence of any concrete and positive developments warranting reconsideration of the strike, it has been decided to go ahead with the strike, the top union leader said and asked all units and members to make the strike a success.