Date:03/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/03/stories/2009010355170500.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Bank staff strike work

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Employees belonging to the Federal Bank Staff Union (FBSU) struck work on Friday objecting to the management’s policies of outsourcing and appointing foreign consultants that bring in restructuring exercise in the banking practices.

Addressing a press conference here, general secretary of the union P.N. Nandakumar Nair said earlier only IT-related works were outsourced. Now, even important procedures like clearing the bank cheques at service branches were being outsourced. The bank’s confidentiality would be threatened if transaction details of clients were done by people who were not on the bank’s pay roll, he said.

Mr. Nair said that foreign consultancy was being sought at a huge price to change the functioning of the bank like that of the new generation banks. The modern practice that were brought in through the consultancy firms would only bring the bank into discredit and debt like in the U.S. and Europe, he said.

Mr. Nair said that while the officers were not on strike, they supported the step taken by the union.

A national conference of the FBSU would be held on February 21 and 22 for which a reception committee would be formed on Saturday at the Federal Bank Officers’ Association Hall in Aluva at 3.30 p.m. A.M. Yusuf, MLA, will inaugurate the meeting. Shaju Antony, secretary of the union, M.T. Joy, assistant secretary; P.H. Vineetha, treasurer, and S.S. Anil, district secretary, BEFI, participated at the press meet.