State Bank of India Employees Union (Chandigarh Circle) holds general body meeting in Ludhiana

Ludhiana, September 8, 2019: State Bank of India Employees Union (Chandigarh Circle) today held General Body Meeting at Extension Library Hall, Opp. Pavillion Mall, Near Fountain Chowk, Ludhiana.
The Meeting was addressed by Com S K Gautam, Joint Secretary, All India Bank Employees Association and Chairman, State Bank of India Employees Union (Chandigarh Circle), Com Naresh Gaur, General Secretary, State Bank of India Employees Union (Chandigarh Circle). Com Yadwinder Gupta, President and Com Narkesar Rai, Deputy General Secretary also addressed the bank employees.
While addressing the meeting, Com Gautam said that Banks were nationlaised in 1969 with a very clear social and economic objective of broad-basing the economy and its development. In the last 50 years, the nationalised Banks have made a phenomenal contribution in building up a strong economy with a visible social orientation. 8000 Branches have become 90,000 bank branches today, out of which 40,000 branches in located in rural and semi urban areas. The Government talks of prosperity for all but by closing down these 6 Banks, 6 main arteries of the banking system are being cut off. The victim Banks, viz. Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank, United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce are very good Banks and have catered to the economic development in the respective geographic areas in a big way. Suddenly deciding to close these Banks is inappropriate and unwarranted.
The country is facing serious economic slowdown and downturn. Banks with their huge resources at their command can play a decisive role to revive the economy. In fact, only last week, our FM has assigned important jobs for our Bank in boosting the economy. The decision to merge and close Banks is a total diversion from these tasks. Bank themselves face problems due to huge pile of bad loans. While the Public Sector Banks made a total gross profit of Rs. 150,000 crores for the year ended 31-3-2019, because of total provisions towards bad loans, etc. amounting to Rs. 2,16,000 crores, the Banks ended in a net loss of Rs. 66,000 crores. Can anyone believe that merger of Banks will result in recovery of the huge corporate bad loans? Big bank means big risk, because the big bank can give big loans and take big risks and ruin the bank. What India needs is strong and people-oriented Banks and not necessarily big banks. We have seen after merger in SBI that 7000 branches were closed down. In this proposed merger, the closure of branches will be much more. It will be most unwise to reduce the branches in the country. There is another side effect of merger and making our Banks bigger. Big Banks will tend to cater to big corporate customer and would tend to ignore the common man. This will defeat the social orientation and objectives of nationalised Banks. Mergers will surely end in closure of branches. Closure of branches would mean more number of customers going to lesser number of branches and banking services would be severely affected. Customer population per bank branch will increase and affect efficient customer service.
In our country, where unemployment is a serious problem of the youth, Banks have been providing employment to thousands of educated youth every year. If Banks are merged and branches are closed, intake of staff will come down and hence employment opportunities will be seriously affected. Big Banks will only help the big corporates. It is obvious that the Government, in the name of banking reforms, wants to enable the Banks to help the corporates. Bank employees under the banner of AIBEA oppose the closure of Banks.
While addressing the bank employees, Com Naresh Gaur, General Secretary State Bank of India Employees Union (Chandigarh Circle) said that with acute shortage of staff in branches and continuing technical issues, Employees are struggling to complete their work during their working hours to extend prompt services to Customers. Therefore all Workplace issues including increasing workload, depleting staff strength, technology and connectivity issues have to be swiftly addressed.
He added, “We demand to Improve Customer Service by Recruiting adequate Clerks and Subordinate Staff in the Bank, to Stop Outsourcing, Grant Contributory Provident Fund from the date of confirmation to all Employees, to implement Compassionate Appointment Scheme as IBA-Govt. approved Industry-level Scheme, to introduce web based procedure for Holiday Home Bookings, to Resolve Ex-Servicemen Issues, to Respect Employees’ Rights to ensure harmonious work place.”
Adding, he said, “All the demands are for the well-being of the Bank and its Customers, for the welfare of all the Employees and for the right to work with dignity and entitled privileges in the Bank.”
Com. Parveen Moudgil, Com. Sanmeet Singh, Com. Rakesh Bajaj, Com. Harjit Singh, Com. Parkash Singh, Com. Ashok Malhan, Com. Jagan Nath Makhija were also present on this occasion.