UCO BANK EMPLOYEES� ASSOCIATION - DOC - DOC

							          UCO BANK EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION
                   (Registration No.795 & Registered under Indian Trade Union’s Act)
                           [Affiliated to Bank Employees’ Federation of India]
                   10, Biplabi Trailokya Maharaj Sarani, 3rd Floor, Kolkata-700001
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Tel: 033-22342990                 Fax: 033-22341426                E-mail: ucobea1426@dataone.in
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     Circular No.17/2008                                                             29th April 2008


     To All Members

     Dear Comrade,

     Yesterday, i.e., 28th April, 2008 Smt. Santosh Chowdhury, Chairperson, National
     Commission for Safai Karmachari, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government
     of India came to attend a meeting at Oberoi Grand Hotel, Kolkata to meet the Safai
     Karmacharis and managements of four banks, viz., UCO Bank, UBI, Bank of Baroda and
     Allahabad Bank. Management of our Bank invited the General Secretaries of all the
     workmen Unions/Associations, where the undersigned attended.

     Before the meeting, Sri P. K. Sharma, our General Manager (Personnel Services
     Department) invited the leaders to apprise the visit of Smt. Santosh Chowdhury and the
     Agenda of the meeting on 28.04.2008. We told that we are in the midst of struggle for
     absorption of all the casual employees and for upliftment of permanent part-time sweepers
     to full-time sweepers.

     In yesterday’s meeting, Smt. Santosh Chowdhury in her brief deliberation stated that the
     Safai Karmacharis are being exploited in the public sector banks. Some banks are not
     paying minimum wages, not extending medical benefit etc. She urged the bank
     managements present in the meeting to come forward to absorb/regularize the Safai
     Karmacharis as early as possible. She also stated that in her various capacities she
     always tried to do for the downtrodden people.

     From our bank’s side, Shri B. M. Mittal, Executive Director, Shri P. K. Sharma, G.M. (PSD)
     and Shri C. R. Ghosh, G.M. (Recovery) were present. Our ED assured the Commission
     that UCO Bank management is on the job and in the coming meeting of the Board the
     matter will be duly placed.

     From different banks casual sweepers and permanent sweepers expressed their
     grievances like poor pay, non absorption, no medical benefit, no payment for holidays and
     elevation to full time sweepers etc.

     The Chairperson of the Commission instructed the bank officials to take immediate steps to
     regularize them. She also advised the bank managements to extend medical benefits,
     increase wages, absorption of the employees, educational expenses and introduction of
     scholarship for the children of sweepers.

     We handed over a letter dated 28.04.2008 to the Chairperson expressing our views in this
     regard, which is reproduced below.

     Comrades, you are aware our Association has built up a nationwide movement on our own
     as well as jointly on the subject matter. We have organized demonstrations, issued
     circulars, posters, banners, observed badge wearing programme, submitted memorandum
     to CMD & ZMs in the recent part. In all our I. R. & Small Committee meetings this issue
     was seriously raised.
After a prolonged struggle the issue has come to limelight where our Association will
continue to play its due role to absorb the casual sweepers/peons/canteen workers and
also for upliftment of permanent part-time sweepers. Our firm stand is that this unjust and
unfair labour practice should not be continued and a decision in this regard will have to be
taken immediately.

We may further inform you that we have enlisted this issue as No.1 agenda for discussion
in the next Small Committee meeting which will be convened by the management shortly.


Meeting with the management on 9th April, 2008


The management convened a meeting of General Secretaries & Presidents of the
workmen Unions to discuss certain issues where Com. Ashoke Ghosh and the
undersigned were present.

At the outset we expressed our resentment that in the recent past the management has
shown a tendency to place employees’ issues before Board averting the Unions and
bypassing the policy agreement in force. This, we said, is highly improper. It is against the
norms of bipartite relations and well established rights of the Association/Unions to
negotiate and settle the employees’ issues. The Management gave an excuse that as out
of the way promotion needs Board’s approval, they have done so before discussion with
the Unions to initiate speedy movement of the issue. The Unions have every right to
discuss the proposal which is open for negotiation.

It may be noted that Board has decided to promote 250 subordinate staff to clerical cadre
and 250 clerks to JMGS-I subject to some stipulations, which, however, are not in
conformity with the promotion policy agreement. We are discussing the proposal at various
levels. The management also placed some written proposals regarding amendment of the
promotion policy and the transfer policy. We are scrutinizing the issues which will be
discussed in the next round of Small Committee meeting.

From the management side, Shri N. Kumaraswamy, the then G.M. (PS & HRD) and other
executives were present. After the meeting was over, Shri S. K. Goel, CMD of our bank
alongwith Shri V. K. Dhingra came to attend the meeting. Shri Goel in his speech informed
the developments in this financial year. He stated that the Bank has surpassed its
business target and expects a sizeable net profit. He informed that the Ministry of Finance,
Government of India and the RBI are very much satisfied at the progress of the Bank. He
thanked the Union representatives for their unstinted support for this progress of the bank
which has also been acknowledged by the Government.

CMD also expressed his concern over the growing trend in generation of NPA and
fraudulent activities. He informed that the Union Government approved the bank’s proposal
for capital restructuring and Follow on Public Offers may come within a short period.

He stated that the transfer exercise will be completed within 30.04.2008 so that the
executives get chance to perform for a full financial year.


       With warm greetings,
                                                     Comradely yours,


                                                     [Jaydeb Dasgupta]
                                                     General Secretary
                                                                         Date: 28th April, 2008
Smt. Santosh Chowdhary
Hon’ble Chairperson
National Commission for Safai Karmacharis
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Government of India
New Delhi

Dear Madam,

       We like to bring to your kind attention on the undermentioned points :-

  1.   Our Bank having 1957 Branches, Extn. Counters / Offices spreading all over India.

  2.   Bank is having Full-time/Part-time Sweepers relating to area of the premises.

  3.   Bank is also having consolidated Safai Karmachari working in permanent vacancy.

  4.   Bank is also having 1200 Casual Sweepers/Peons/Canteen Employees working
       more than 25 years against permanent vacancies.

  5.   Bank has recruited 299 Armed Guards, absorbed personal Drivers as Peon,
       recruited direct Officers and recruitment of Clerks is under process to facilitate the
       services to the clientele, but Bank is not considering the absorption of Safai
       Karmacharis and continuing deprivation. We demand immediate absorption of
       these Safai Karmacharis / Canteen Employees / Casual Peons.

  6.   The permanent sweepers who are working in part time basis should be elevated to
       full time remuneration as early as possible.

  7.   A Bank Branch can not run without a sweeper, this basic point has been denied by
       the management.

  8.   Our Association is fighting for absorption of these Safai Karmacharis for nearly two
       decades and we organized meetings, issued posters and leaflets, undertook
       badge wearing programmes, demonstration programme but Bank is denying their
       absorption.

  9.   We are confident under your leadership, the Commission will take an urgent step
       for absorption of the employees also to save them and their family members and
       also to stop unfair labour practices.

 10.   We are also enclosing a Government Instruction in this regard, which had also
       been forwarded to our management, for your kind consideration.

       Thanking you,

                                                     Yours faithfully,

                                                          Sd/-

                                                [ JAYDEB DASGUUPTA ]
                                                   General Secretary