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Utkal Grameen Bank Warns Union Over Joint Protest Call, AIRRBEA Slams 'Autocratic' Stance
Utkal Grameen Bank has warned Utkal Grameen Bank Employees Association for a joint protest call. AIRRBEA criticizes the bank’s ‘autocratic’ stance, urging immediate dialogue on key pending unresolved demands.
Author: Saurav Kumar
Published: March 27, 2025
Utkal Grameen Bank (UGB) management has issued a formal objection to the Utkal Grameen Bank Employees Association (UGBEA) for initiating a joint agitation with the Utkal Grameen Bank Officers Association (UGBOA), raising concerns about the union's decision to pursue a collective protest.
Management Objects to Union Alliance Amid Growing Tensions
In a letter dated March 21, 2025, addressed to UGBEA's General Secretary, the bank management expressed discontent over the unions’ joint call for protest. The management stated, “It has come to the Bank's attention that the Charter of Demand submitted by the Association is issued on a joint letterhead, which purports to represent both the employees' and officers' unions. It is imperative to emphasise that employees and officers of the Bank are governed by distinct service norms. Employees are governed by a separate set of norms of the Bank, which are distinct and separate from those applicable to officers. Therefore, both unions must submit its demands independently and on separate letterheads, as the demands pertaining to employees and officers fall under different service conditions of the Bank.”
Notably, on January 31, 2025, AIRRBEA affiliated UGBEA and UGBOA submitted a joint 21-point Charter of Demands, followed by the submission of a formal notice of agitation on March 14, 2025 citing persistent negligence in addressing staff grievances.
AIRRBEA Denounces “Autocratic” Bank Approach
In response, the All India Regional Rural Bank Employees Association (AIRRBEA) condemned UGB management’s stance, terming it as an “undemocratic and whimsical” act against legitimate union activities.
AIRRBEA Secretary General S. Venkateswar Reddy, in a letter dated March 25, 2025, defended the joint agitation, citing the precedent of unified banking unions under the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) since 1997.
“Raising objections against the joint movement reflects a lack of awareness and prudence. The management cannot dictate the demands of the workforce,” Reddy stated. He urged the bank to engage in meaningful dialogue with union leaders, emphasizing that most demands could be settled amicably through discussions.
AIRRBEA's letter also highlighted recent government directives, including the implementation of manpower policy and pension parity, as key issues prompting the agitation. Reddy called on the bank to “shun the path of confrontation” and prioritize resolving grievances in light of the upcoming annual closing and the proposed RRB amalgamations.
The standoff deepens as discontent grows across RRBs, following a clear directive from the DFS accusing management of non-compliance, while unions intensify demands for better working conditions and policy enforcement.