Madras HC restrains IDBI employees' organisations from obstructing functioning of the Bank

The order comes as IDBI Bank submitted that the four-day strike will affect customers in Tamil Nadu

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The Madras High Court has issued an order restraining various organisations, which are protesting the Centre's stake dilution in IDBI Bank, from causing impediments to the smooth functioning of the branches of the bank.

The order was issued on Monday when various employees' organisations has called for a one-day strike during the day. A court in Karnataka and another Court in Telengana also issued orders last week, restraining the organisations from conducting strike.

IDBI Bank has filed a petition against All India IDBI Employees' Association, IDBI Officers Organisation, United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions, Union Forum of IDBI Officers & Employees, IDBI Workers' Union and IDBI Karmchari Sangh.

The situation became complex with a section of the officers' organisation went ahead and announced strike for four days, from March 28 to 31, which in effect would have left the IDBI Bank not working for almost nine days, till April 1. However, the organisations has said that the strike was called for only for March 28.

All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) general secretary C H Venkatachalam said that a section of the young officers called for the four day strike while the decision of the organisations was to have a one-day strike. AIBEA has announced its support to the strike conducted by the various organisations in IDBI Bank. AIBEA also claimed that the strike was successful on Monday.

On Monday, Justice K K Sasidharan issued an order restraining agents, office bearers and members from causing impediments to the smooth functioning of the branches of IDBI Bank throughout the State of Tamil Nadu and its various offices, including the Zonal Office at Chennai, in any manner whatsoever, until further orders.

The order also restricted the organisations from obstructing willing workers who want to ingress and egress for their work in the different branches of the Bank in the State of Tamil Nadu, from preventing the customers from entering the premises of the Bank for transacting banking business or to avail the ATM facility and from in any manner obstructing the movement of the vehicles of the Bank, including vehicles taken on hire, or any vehicle engaged in transferring cash from one branch to another or to the ATM functioning in the State of Tamil Nadu, among other directions.

The court also issued notice to the organisations, returnable by April 25, 2016.

IDBI Bank submitted that there has been a widespread unrest among the employees of the bank on account of the announcement made by the Union Finance Minister in his budget speech about the changing of share capital of Government of India to allow the Bank to raise Rs 3771 crore through qualified institutional placement subject to the condition that the government's stake does not fall below 52 per cent.

The bank alleged that this has been misconstrued by the employees as if the attempt is to privatize the Bank. The employees of the Bank raised a dispute with regard to privatisation and the labour authorities conducted conciliation from March 21 to 24, 2016. The conciliation ended in failure and even before the expiry of seven days from the date of submission of failure report, the employees organisations issued notice of intended strike from March 28 to 31, 2016.