Recruitment Freeze: Joint Forum of Union Bank Unions Calls for Nationwide Strike

In a significant move to address staffing concerns, the Joint Forum of Union Bank Unions has called for an all India strike on 30 September 2024. The Joint Forum comprises the All India Union Bank Employees Federation (AIUBEF), All India Union Bank Staff Federation (AIUBSF), Union Bank Staff Association (UBSA), and Union Bank of India Employees Union, Delhi (UBIEU, Delhi). 

Key Demands

The Joint Forum has presented a list of seven key demands to the Union Bank of India management. The demands include adequate recruitment of clerks through the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and the recruitment of sub-staff by absorbing casual employees into permanent positions. They also call for compassionate appointments to be decoupled from vacancy identification in respective cadres, ensuring minimum wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and bonuses under the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, for casual employees. The Forum opposes the introduction of apprentices in the clerical recruitment process and insists on no violations of the Bipartite Settlement through outsourcing. Lastly, they demand adherence to the bank’s rules and policies in human resource administration to prevent any violations.

(The Joint Forum’s circular announcing the call for nationwide strike.)

Agitation Programme

Leading up to the strike, the Joint Forum has outlined a detailed agitation programme. From 14 to 19 August 2024, posters will be displayed in all branches and offices. On 28 August, staff will participate in a whole day of badge-wearing. From 3 to 12 September, centralised demonstrations will be held at all regional offices, with memorandums submitted through deputations. A centralised squatting will take place at the Central Office in Mumbai on 21 September. Another whole day of badge-wearing is scheduled for 26 September. The programme will culminate in the all India strike on 30 September 2024.

The Joint Forum has also encouraged constituent unions to take up various campaigns including social media campaigns, leaflet distribution, and meetings to raise awareness about the primary issue of recruitment. These efforts are intended to popularise the agitation and gather widespread support.

Earlier in August, the All India Union Bank Officers’ Federation (AIUBOF) and All India Union Bank Employees Association (AIUBEA) wrote a joint letter to the Union Bank management, emphasising the urgent need for recruitment. They argued that the recruitment freeze leads to workforce dissatisfaction, hampers transfers and promotions, stops compassionate appointments, and overburdens staff, adversely affecting branch operations and customer service. Despite their concerns, these two major unions are yet to join the strike call and are not part of the Joint Forum.

The issues of Staff shortages and lack of recruitment extend beyond Union Bank of India. These are burning issues across all the public sector banks(PSB) in India, causing excessive workloads and service disruptions. Bank unions see this as a push towards privatisation. Bankers and unions have been campaigning for recruitment to 2 lakh jobs in PSBs, while also demanding an end to overtime and outsourcing practices.