The Hindu Business Line : SBI unions call for strike on Nov 5

THE employees and officers of State Bank of India (SBI) and its associates all over the country will observe a day's token strike on November 5, in response to the call given jointly by the SBI Staff Association and SBI Officers' Association. The two associations are protesting against the bank management's refusal to use the bilateral machinery to resolve various issues.

"The issues, which are generally discussed and sorted out at the bilateral level, are now being handled unilaterally by the management," Mr Ashok Dutta, General Secretary, SBI Staff Association, Bengal Circle, told newspersons here on Saturday. Mr Shakti Halder, General Secretary, SBI Officers' Association, Bengal Circle, was also present.

Both Mr Dutta and Mr Halder particularly referred to the sudden decision to shift the regional headquarters without caring for the inconvenience caused to the cross-section of employees and officers, and to close down certain branches and merge them with other branches and to give appointments on contract in the name of outsourcing. While the unions are not opposed to merger of unviable branches with the healthier branches, the management should also listen to the unions' demand for opening new branches where there were business opportunities, they said.

At the national level, there isa proposal to close down 150 branches and merge them with other branches. The union leaders wondered how the management could spend lakhs of rupees on modernisation of some of the branches identified for closure and merger.

They also commented sharply on the management's bid to deny all the three superannuation benefits, namely, contributory provident fund (PF), gratuity and pension, to those joining the bank from July 1, 2004. The new entrants willget general PF as opposed to the present contributory PF. Also, they willbe required to make their own contributions to be entitled to pension after retirement.

Among other long-pending issues, are appointments on compassionate ground, review of the pension scheme, loans on easier terms to employees, enhancement of the welfare fund and recruitment.

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SBI unions call for strike on Nov 5