Doubts Over Assurances

The strike, which was called off yesterday, is the first SBI strike in the last 28 years.

The banks employees went on strike in 1969.

However, SBI officers are apprehensive about the assurance from the management that inquiries against the two suspended officers will be complete within 60 days from the day of suspension.

Completion of inquiry of the suspended cases takes nearly three years to ensure natural justice to the suspended employees. Further, many of them are under suspension orders for more than four years. Therefore, it is a tall claim by the management that Patil and Walker will get justice by August 10,said an association member.

For example, A N Bawdekar still remains suspended in connection with the 1992 bank securities scam. Similarly, K Vikram, S D Malhotra, S Sachdeva have not met justice in the Urea scam case an continue to be suspended, it was pointed out.

The bank has never in its history concluded an investigation within 90 days. The management should trust the association also and taken it into confidence. We do not consider or support the employees who are party to the fraud and support only those who are innocent, said an SBI official.

The association did not take up the case of Sitaraman in the 1992 bank securities scam, but only that of Bawdekar. We have done our own ground level investigation before taking on the case, he said.