Agree To Demands, Ufbu Tells Prime Minister

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has approached the prime minister, I K Gujral, asking him to accede to their charter of demands on which the government and the Indian Banks Association (IBA) has so far dithered.

According to UFBU officials, this is a pre-condition for calling off the three-day all-India strike scheduled for December 3, 4, and 5. This strike, if carried out, will the third series in the current year.

According to UFBU officials, the decision to take the agitation to the third phase followed the apathy of the government as well as the IBA. According to UFBU officials, The government and IBA are not prepared to tolerate the trade unions in the present days of liberation and privatisation.

About a week back, UFBU officials had a meeting with the prime minister. Up to date, UFBU officials say, there has been no response from the prime ministers office.

Officials said, The prime minister gave us a patient hearing for one hour, but said nothing. However, we are hopeful of a reply from the prime ministers office.

While earlier the unions would arbitrate with the RBI and the government on their various demands separately, this year, for the first time, they came together this year under the banner of UFBU. The IBA, in earlier press releases, had condemned the strike and hinted at differences of opinions in UFBU which might lead to a split. The unions have condemned it calling it provocative.

IBA officials, when contacted by the Business Standard yesterday, were not available for comment. The bank unions have several demands on their agenda including settlement of residual wage issues, placing a ban on local area banks, preventing non-banking finance companies from raising public deposits.

This is the third phase of agitation that UFBU has called for. The first was an all-India strike called on July 4, in which 13 lakh officers and employees took part. The second was on August 28 and 29, which was also successful. Both strikes had a crippling effect on banking activity in all spheres.

This third series of strikes will be preceded by a non-co-operation action from November 17 onwards.