Central Bank officers threaten to launch protests

Mumbai, May 4: The All India Central Bank Officers' Federation (AICBOF) has threatened to launch protests, including dharnas, work-to-rule, relay hunger strike and strikes against what it terms the Central Bank of India's management's attempts to de-unionise the officers, indiscriminate disciplinary actions, disproportionate punishments and attempts to victimise the activists and office bearers of the Federation.

The immediate provocation for the Federation's action is the management's alleged ''vindictive action'' in transferring General Secretary of the Federation and President All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) Rajesh Jain.

Terming Mr Agarwal's transfer as 'against established conventions, a release said, ''as per this convention in force for the last more than twenty years, the all-India principal office bearers of the bank's trade unions are not transferable on rotation and hence the transfer of Mr Agarwal in isolation smacks of vindictive action and discrimination.''

In a statement, Mr Agarwal warned that the federation would implement its protest programme with immediate effect against the management's ''violation of settled policies in postings, placements and transfers, unbearable pressure on officers, humiliation and ill-treatment of the officers and attack on trade union rights and victimisation.''

The federation warned that it would further intensify the action programme if the bank management did not take immediate corrective measures to resolve the issues raised by the federation and stop its attack on the federation, its leadership and members.

The federation said that the AIBOC has decided to observe demonstrations before all controlling offices of the bank and extend all support to the protest action programme of the federation.

UNI