Friends,

All of you are aware that AIBEA and BEFI - two constituents of UFBU have called for a day’s strike of bank employees on forth coming 25^th September 2013 on the following demands:

1)     The subsidiaries of State bank not be merged with State Bank of India and they be allowed to continue work independently.

2)     Corporate Houses and industrialists not be issued license to open banks.

3)     Banks’ jobs not be outsourced.

4)     Contract employees be provided with equal pay for equal job etc.

In this connection it is highly the mention worthy point is that though UFBU was formed with commitment that all its 9 (nine) constituents would work unitedly for the causes of bank employees but in practice it is being witnessed that 7 (seven) of its constituents including major constituent NCBE are not participating in this strike. Common employees are astonished and raising question why is this disunity? We think all the aforesaid demands are legitimate and to achieve those united struggle is a must. While extending moral support to all the demands and the strike called for, we firmly consider that the following burning demands should also be included and for achieving those intensive prolonged movements should be built up by uniting all the bank employees’ organizations. It is distinctly clear that only to be united for wage negotiation and be departed from united struggle in all other issues is not only a very mean immoral stand but it is also pushing the bank employees’ movement towards degradation. UFBU presently is roaming around that state. In the context of pension issue of State Bank and the merger of the subsidiaries of State Bank with the State Bank of India this truth has come in the limelight. We urge upon the common bank employees to deeply ponder over how the central government and bank management combined is making heinous conspiracy to involve one union against other over the issues of the bank employees and thus weaken their united struggle and snatching away all rights achieved by them through long hard struggle. When the ICICI bank contract employees were retrenched then the AIBEA leadership did not involve all the bank employees in the movement against this. The employees who are members of AIBEA itself had to leave the bank by wiping tears from their eyes. The compromising leadership of AIBEA, BEFI, NCBE etc. have pulled down the standard of trade union movement to such immoral, unethical condition.

In this connection we like to draw before you the inhuman condition of contract employees which is very much relevant in the present context. AIBEA, BEFI, NCBE has brought contract employment system in banks by agreement in connivance with IBA. By agreement they had accepted the outsourcing. As a result likewise private banks in the public sector (PSU) banks also jobs are being done massively by the contract employees. The permanent employees are going out from banks’ services in view of retirement coupled with almost no fresh recruitment resulting in even the perennial nature of banks’ jobs are being done by contract employees and mass scale outsourcing of banks’ jobs have become an order of the day. These contract employees are being recruited through the vendors. They are getting remuneration equal to 1/3 of the regular employees, but are forced to work 5 (five) times of permanent employees. They neither have any service security nor they get any other benefits. They are victims of ‘hire and fire’ policy of the management. Any time without showing reason the vendors (contractors) may drive them out. They devout their labour for performing the jobs of banks but the bank management has no direct connection with them, no responsibility for them, no obligation towards their livelihood, security and dignity. In utter insecurity with meager wages they are compelled to work.

We, therefore, demand:

·         No contract employee be employed in the permanent job of banks

·         Contract Employment System be abolished and all existing contract employees be absorbed as permanent employee.

But, you notice that AIBEA, BEFI are not demanding the abolition of contract employment system. They are just demanding some increase of their wages, protecting intact the contract system. Therefore, we also demand that - in the 10^th bipartite wage settlement itself,

·         The contract system be abolished by agreement.

·         Outsourcing of banks’ jobs be bid goodbye.

The unjust, unfair, immoral act the AIBEA, BEFI by accepting Contract System and Outsourcing of jobs in banking industry have created havoc on the thousands and thousands of bank employees, engaged on contract. To abolish these, we appeal before all the bank employees: Raise your voice –

·         Abolish the contract system and outsourcing

·         Absorb all temporary, casual, contract employees against permanent posts

·         All part-time employees be made full time.

·         Fill up all vacant posts by fresh recruitment

·         Pension and Family pension be upgraded

·         Justly determine the pay structure of bank employees. In no way their salaryand other benefits be lower than that of their counter parts of central government employees.

With warm greetings,

Jagannath Raymandal

General Secretary,

All India Bank Employees’ Unity Forum (AIBEUF)

033-22659085, 22491828, 22653234 / (Mobile):-9838085021

FAX – 91-033-22645605, 22647754]

e-mail: aibeuf@gmail.com