CBOA-AP CIRCULAR NO. 042 DATED 30.12.2013

CBOA-AP issued its circular No. 042 dated 30.12.2013 reproducing the AICBOF circular welcoming the new year 2014, on wage revision and short term plan of the bank. We are placing the same here for our readers.

CIRCULAR NO.: GS: 2013: 042                                            Date: 30.12.2013

TO ALL OFFICERS                                                  PLEASE CIRCULATE

Dear Friends,

We reproduce hereunder the Circular No. CIRCULAR/GS/2013/36 dated 29.12.2013 received from our Federation for your information.

With best regards                                                                      

           

Yours sincerely

Sd/-

(C.A. MALLIKARJUNA RAO)

GENERAL SECRETARY

..........................................................................................................

WELCOME THE NEW YEAR-2014

We wish you all a very Happy and Successful New year. We wish and hope that the New Year ushers in an era of peace & prosperity.

The Year 2013 draws to a close. Each one of us should be proud of the fact that our Federation has retained the image of purpose oriented and value based Trade union by taking up the issues for a cause dearer to our heart. It is true that some of us have been put to a lot of inconvenience in the process. But we have taken it cheerfully with the hope that this will help us surmount bigger challenges that may be in store for us. Never have we felt let down or discouraged. The days ahead may through us bigger challenges. Let us resolve in the New Year that we will do everything in our command to face them with courage and conviction.

AICBOF believed and practiced value system in its working Vis-a Vis its relationship with members as well as the management. It always believed and promoted Honesty and Integrity among members, which have aligned well with the work culture in the Bank. This remains as the corner stone of its strength. We appeal to those who are in the unorganized segment and those who are in the minority group, Please join the majority officers Federation to protect the self respect of the officers.

                                                 WAGE REVISION

The issues before us are countless. We need to concentrate our struggle on salary revision. With hopes of better and bright future for all of us, we have to move hand in hand together to achieve our goals and aspirations. We have the confidence that with a resolve to achieve our legitimate charter of demands.

May God Bless us abundantly to face the challenges that lie in wait

                                               SHORT TERM PLAN

Banking industry is passing through the hardest phase of its existence in the background of mounting NPS’s, which have been increasing by leaps and bounds. With deteriorating Asset quality and profitability, our Bank has introduced Short Term Plan, with the focus on Business volumes which are required to be improved substantially. It is a known fact that every percentage increase in the business volume mainly mortgaged based Retail lending, will make material improvement in the Bank’s profitability. We request you all to reinvent ourselves by chalking out the localized strategies for the successful implementation of STP of our Bank, which are listed as under:

1  RETAIL LENDING: While concentrating on retail lending(Housing loans, Cent Mortgage, Cent Rental and Cent Trade) utmost importance should be given to the quality aspects and the steps should be steady, measured and in the right direction. Some of our friends always argue that banking cannot be successful without deviation. We can only tell them ‘Deviate not as a norm, but as an exception, that too Deviate after taking prior permission. At the same time we wish to remind the reality, when the going is good ‘Deviation’ fetches you awards and promotion, but when things turn sour, the very same ’Deviation’ drags you down. Such opportunistic “system response” does not augur well for any organization.

CASA: We will have to direct our efforts in canvassing low cost deposits, as the cost-push factor is always straining the bottom line of our Bank.

3   RECOVERY DRIVE: We will have to meet all the NPA borrowers for the desired results.

Friends, keeping in mind as much we know about the Bank and almost all of you, we are confident that all of us can take our Bank to the respectable presentation by adopting turn around strategies, for the year ending Mar-2014 onwards.

LET US SET OUR GOALS & MOVE FORWARD, THE VICTORY IS BOUND TO BE OURS.

WARM GREETINGS.

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

(A.R. SAIFULLAH)

GENERAL SECRETARY

CBOA-AP CIRCULAR NO. 041 DATED 26.12.2013

CBOA-AP issued its circular No. 041 dated 26.12.2013 reproducing AICBOF circular on “Deunionization of Officers” and on “Proposed 48 hours All India Bank Strike on 20^th & 21^st January 2014.

CIRCULAR NO.: GS: 2013: 041                                      Date: 26.12.2013

TO ALL OFFICERS                                                       PLEASE CIRCULATE

Dear Friends,

We reproduce hereunder the Circular No. CIRCULAR/GS/2013/35 dated 26.12.2013 received from our Federation for your information.

With best regards                                                                        

           

Yours sincerely

Sd/-

(C.A. MALLIKARJUNA RAO)

GENERAL SECRETARY

…….....................................................................................................

DEUNIONIZATION OF OFFICERS

We furnish hereunder the communication sent to the management for the information of all officers:

“We understand that your office vide the circular IRP/571 dated 16^th Dec 2013, have directed the Scale-IV officers not to be a part of any trade union, which is abinitio illegal and is in total contravention and violation of constitutional provisions. It also shows that no respect appears to have remained for the laws and the constitution of the country.

You are aware that as per the service regulations and conduct regulations, officers in all scales i.e. scale-I to VII are officers only. The conduct regulation does not differentiate between scales. In these circumstances, to say that one section of the officers should not become members of trade union is a direct attack on the fundamental rights of such officers, enshrined in the constitution of the country.

By issuing such type of threat, the management of our bank is not prepared to accept the organization as a part of the system. It is observed that the old time allergies towards the trade union are still remaining in the minds of the management, though not as apparent as they were in the past. Instead of creating threat causing unnecessary harassment which is nothing but an unproductive exercise, the management should concentrate in creating an atmosphere of confidence & encouragement amongst the officers particularly of senior management grade for better business growth of the Bank. The energy and time at disposal being limited, the entire attention of all the officers may be better devoted for business growth than concentrating on such unnecessary interference.

Earlier we were very happy to hear the message of our CMD, when he reported in our bank, that strong union is very much necessary for the bank to become stronger & stronger. Contrary to his message, your office has not left the use of the words ‘prerogative’- ‘our right’- ‘management discretion’ etc and such types of words have no place in a bilateral system.

We strongly protest against the illegal and untenable directions of your office in attempting to curb the trade union activities and request you to withdraw the same for the congenial industrial climate, which is the need of the hour.”

We shall inform you the developments in due course.

UFBU DECIDES TO CONTINUE ITS STRUGGLE

FOR EARLY WAGE REVISION ONWARD TO

48 HOURS ALL INDIA BANK STRIKE ON

20^th & 21^st JAN 2014

Friends, the wage revision talks do not progress the way one expected it to happen. Uncertainty is looming large over the early and successful completion of wage revision in view of the various impediments in the form of counter demands/issues proposed by the IBA. The delay will harm us. We have waited patiently and there is no reason to prolong the waiting. Therefore it is very much necessary that we keep ourselves fully equipped to launch a meaningful and involved struggle. UFBU decided to continue its struggle for early wage revision onward to 48 hours ALL INDIA BANK STRIKES on 20^th and 21^st Jan 2014.

UFBU also decided on the following guidelines for an ensuing strike programme.

1.     Since the issue involved is wage revision for all sections of the employees and Officers, all employees and officers including those on probation should participate in the strike.

2.     All those who would retire from the Bank service in the next few months to also to take part in the strike since. As per the IBA guidelines/pension regulations there would be no loss to such employees and officers in calculation of their pension entitlement and that wage revision would benefit all of them.

We appeal to all our members to be vigilant so that we can carry on the struggle in a purposeful and successful manner.

We are sure that our entire membership will rise to the occasion and build up a strong powerhouse to energize, at all times, the huge structure of our FEDERATION/ CONFEDERATION/UFBU. The investments in the form of agitation, we make now, are bound to return rich dividends to the present generation of officers & employees and more to the future generation.

With Warm Greetings

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

(A.R. SAIFULLAH)                               

GENERAL SECRETARY                      

STRIKE   STRIKE   STRIKE

COUNTRY WIDE STRIKE

ON

20^th & 21^st JAN 2014

CBOA-AP CIRCULAR NO. 040 DATED 23.12.2013

CBOA-AP issued its circular No. 040 dated 21.12.2013 reproducing AICBOF circular on “Unilateral actions by the Management” and grand success of industry strike. We are placing the same here for our readers.

CIRCULAR NO.: GS: 2013: 040                    Date: 23.12.2013

TO ALL OFFICERS                                                  PLEASE CIRCULATE

Dear Friends,

We reproduce hereunder the Circular No. CIRCULAR/GS/2013/34 dated 21.12.2013 received from our Federation for your information.

With best regards                                                                      

           

Yours sincerely

Sd/-

(C.A. MALLIKARJUNA RAO)

GENERAL SECRETARY

……..............................................................................................

UNILATERAL ACTIONS BY THE MANAGEMENT

We furnish hereunder the communication sent to the management for the information of all officers:

“We understand that the management has sent some communications to the Zonal offices/Regional offices vide their circular CO/HRD/IRP/2013-14/36 dated 29^th Nov 2013, wherein it has been reportedly mentioned that the Request Transfers will not be automatically considered and that giving a Request Transfer will depend on the “Performance “of the concerned officer. From this communication, it is evident that the management is going ahead unilaterally in enforcing its ideas bypassing the Federation and keeping aside the implications.

There are established ways of ensuring and demanding on performance and getting the best out of the people, while retaining grace and rights. But we are surprised and shocked to receive such communications at a time when we are beset with challenges and competition around. It is the time  to motivate the ethos of the entire workforce.                                                                                                               

Such unilateral communications clearly dilute/nullify the bilateral settlements with our Federation. From tone and tenor of the communications, it is evident that the management intends to do away with the Request Transfer system in the Bank and subject the officers to the total mercy as well as whims & fancies of the administration. We are flooded with Officers’ protest from all over the country against such unjustified and untenable decisions.

We convey our strong protest against such unwarranted and unilateral action of the management. Such communications will result in more frustration and adversely affect performance instead of improvement.

We request for inviting our Federation for further negotiation and if the management moves ahead by keeping our Federation at bay, the entire officers’ community in our bank will lose faith in the management. We hope the management would not force the organization to resort to organizational steps for maintaining sanctity of bilateralism.”

We shall inform you the developments in due course.

CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE GRAND SUCCESS OF STRIKE

The strike at the call of UFBU on 18^th Dec 2013 has been a roaring success. The participation has been huge and massive. Hats off to all of you dear friends for this wonderful and successful strike. You are aware that despite six rounds of talk, not much headway has been made in the settlement of charter of Demand.

The paltry offers of 5% increase on the salary components covered by pay slip components nowhere matches the expectation of the bank employees & officers, considering wages and salaries in comparative sectors including the salaries of government employees which was the bench mark for bank officers and employees.

Let us hope that IBA will see reasons and would take immediate steps to accept the reasonable wage revision demands of UFBU/AIBOC

We understand that some of our Field Functionaries in our Bank is indulging in acts of coercion, intimidation and other form of threats for participating in collective action programme that too at the industry issue. Friends please ignore all such provocative postures. Some of our Field Functionaries thought of building their career on the blood of others.

Await further decision of UFBU.

LONG LIVE OUR UNITY

WITH WARM REGARDS

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

(A.R. SAIFULLAH)

GENERAL SECRETARY

MR. B.D.V. RAMAKRISHNA, EX-GENERAL SECRETARY OF CBOA-AP HAS BEEN REINSTATED INTO THE BANK

Dear Friends,

Its a great moment in the history of Central Bank Officers' Association, Andhra Pradesh. Mr. B.D.V. Ramakrishna, our beloved Ex-General Secretary of CBOA-AP, who was victimised by the management and dismissed from the services of the bank during 2008, on flimsy grounds, has been reinstated into the services of the bank. We convey our sincere thanks to all the members and wellwishers of CBOA-AP/AICBOF/AIBOC for their unstinted support extended to the organisation and Mr. Ramakrishna during this period in getting his reinstatement possible.

Detailed circular follows.

LONG LIVE  CBOA-AP
LONG LIVE AICBOF
LONG LIVE AIBOC

We are very glad to share the information with all of you that this is the 3000th post of our blog, which is coinciding with the reinstatement of Mr. B.D.V. Ramakrishna into the services of the bank.

Yours sincerely,
C.A. Mallikarjuna Rao
General Secretary
CBOA-AP

CBOA-AP CIRCULAR NO. 039 DATED 14.12.2013

CBOA-AP issued its circular No. 039 dated 14.12.2013 reproducing AICBOF circular on Single Officer Branches and Agreed List/List of Officers of Doubtful Integrity. We are placing the same here for our readers.

CIRCULAR NO.: GS: 2013: 039                                      Date: 14.12.2013

TO ALL OFFICERS                                                       PLEASE CIRCULATE

Dear Friends,

We reproduce hereunder the Circular No. CIRCULAR/GS/2013/33 dated 13.12.2013 received from our Federation for your information.

With best regards                                                                        

           

Yours sincerely

Sd/-

(C.A. MALLIKARJUNA RAO)

GENERAL SECRETARY

……........................................................................................

We furnish hereunder the communication sent to the management for the information of all officers:

SINGLE OFFICER BRANCHES

“Last year there were more than 1500 branches throughout the length and breadth of our country managed by single officer and their sufferings were pointed out to our management and subsequently our management was kind enough to proceed with the recruitment of PO’s supported by the manpower planning exercise for the year 2013-14.

At the time of placement of the PO’s after their training schedule, along with the promotional placement of clerical to Scale-I officers, our corporate office vide its letter dated 17^th Sep 2013, directed all the field functionaries with the placement guidelines which clearly states that minimum two officers should be provided to the branches.

Contrary to the guidelines, about 700 branches are still being managed by single officer. Without proper redeployment, the field functionaries are demotivating the lone officer in such branches, to absorb all the insurmountable pressures.

The details of Zone wise single officer branches are as under:

ZONE	No. of Br	ZONE	No. of Br
HYDERABAD	119	NAGPUR	32
BHOPAL	102	AGRA	30
KOLKATA	90	CHENNAI	26
LUCKNOW	70	AHMEDABAD	23
DELHI	45	RAIPUR	13
PUNE	43	MUMBAI	8
MUZAFFARPUR	38	PATNA	5
GUWAHATI	36

We again request your good self to direct all the field functionaries to provide second officer to such branches by proper redeployment to safe guard the interest of the Bank under the concept of preventive vigilance”

AGREED LIST/LIST OF OFFICERS OF DOUBTFUL INTEGRITY

“One of the issue that came up for discussion in our last Executive committee meeting held at Chennai was the hardship faced by the officers in the area of disciplinary proceedings with particular reference to the cases of the officers who are under cloud and are kept under scrutiny by the management in the form of maintenance of agreed list as well as the list of officers of doubtful integrity etc. We express our concern that these lists are treated in a most casual manner which defeats the purpose for which it is being maintained/ updated. We are of the view that there is a need to review the existing practice/procedure.

As per the Central Information Commission’s decision on Agreed list No.2183/1 C-F. No. CIC/AT/A/2007/00823 dated 3/4/2008, that the officers included in the Agreed list should be informed about such inclusion and even the contents of inputs should be disclosed to enable the alleged official to prove his innocence.

The CVC with a view to bring about transparency and also in recognition of Principles of Natural Justice has even agreed to share the internal correspondence. When these are the positive indications towards the comfort to be provided to the innocent officers, in reality it is not happening. We therefore request your good selves to kindly consider our suggestions as detailed below:

1.   Even though there is a time frame that the names of the officers will be maintained in the list for a period of 3 years from the date of imposition of penalty, there are occasions that some officers are left in such situation for an indefinite period, hence time frame is again to be reiterated.

2.  The concerned officers should be informed well in time so as to provide for an appeal system, so that the officers placed in the list can exercise their right of appeal.

3.   As per the CVC guidelines, the officers are not to be included in the list, against whom disciplinary proceedings have been completed or in progress in respect of procedural lapses, minor violations of the rules & the like, but the practice adopted by the field functionaries in our bank is that all such cases are routinely being included in both the lists.

We therefore request your good selves to intervene into the matter so that such officers are relieved from the agony & tension due to delays etc.”

We shall inform you the developments in due course.

WITH WARM GREETINGS

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

(A.R. SAIFULLAH)

GENERAL SECRETARY

CBOA-AP CIRCULAR NO. 038 DATED 10.12.2013

CBOA-AP issued its circular No. 038 dated 10.12.2013 reproducing AICBOF Circular on Collective Approach for Business Promotion. We are placing the same here for our readers.

CIRCULAR NO.: GS: 2013: 038                                 Date: 10.12.2013

TO ALL OFFICERS                                                       PLEASE CIRCULATE

Dear Friends,

We reproduce hereunder the Circular No. CIRCULAR/GS/2013/32 dated 09.12.2013 received from our Federation for your information.

With best regards                                                                        

           

Yours sincerely

Sd/-

(C.A. MALLIKARJUNA RAO)

GENERAL SECRETARY

……...............................................................................................

COLLECTIVE APPROACH FOR BUSINESS PROMOTION

By now you would have come to know of the highly disturbing position of NPAs of our bank. As on 30^th Sep 2013, Bank’s Gross NPA works out to 6.47% of the total advances. This NPA position is one of the highest among the PSB’s; of course entire banking industry is affected by deteriorating Asset quality probably due to a slowdown in country’s economy. NPA’s which stood at 14% in 2000 came down to 2% in 2009 and remained at that level for the past three years. But 2012-13 saw it climbing to the level of 3.89% for all PSB’s.

As officers of the Bank we are highly concerned about this. The high level provisions eat into our profits which cannot be brushed under the carpet. This would directly affect us as our future is linked to the fortunes of the bank. So it is in our interests to take the fight against NPA on a war footing. While Bank has been issuing periodical circulars and instructions on NPA, we should also develop our own strategies at the grass root level in tune with the ground level realities. This would call for an analysis of the figures to understand the malaise in its true perspectives so that corrective steps could be taken at all levels.

More than 70% of NPAs are from the metro zones and in the category of high ticket NPA advances of above Rs 1.00 crore, more than 400 accounts are involved. Thus, if focus is given to these high ticket NPA advances and bulk recoveries are made, we would be placed in the comfortable position. In respect of the remaining 30%, we have a real job on hand. It is on this we the lower level officers in the field have to step in more vigorously and plunge into the task whole heartedly, devise account wise strategies and take out all efforts to achieve recoveries.

Our interests are inextricably intertwined with the Bank’s interests and we should not be found wanting in this war on NPA. We have a job on hand and we are sure that we shall deliver when it matters most. We appeal to all our members to rise to the occasion as one man and prove our mettle for a bright tomorrow.

During the Business promotion meeting held at our Central office on 4^th Dec 2013, we have pointed out some of the impediments faced by the lower level officer which requires immediate attention for the corrective steps.

1. Of late too many review meetings, particularly for the Branch managers, are being organized which constitute time waster. While meetings are surely helpful in developing a well informed managerial force, frequent meetings have now become time waster and incurring huge expenses, lack clear-cut objectives.
2. Submission of umpteen number of statements where branch managers tends to waste lot of time on trifle matters, leaving aside the more important ones like implementation of strategies for the business promotion as well as NPA recovery. Instead of reducing the paper work, now submission of statement are multi folded.
3. Proper time management, confidence in oneself & in one’s colleagues and disciplined way of working is the only way one can get over these main time wasters and become an ACHIEVER.
4. We have also demanded that the performance of the Regional Managers should be judged mainly on the work or Business growth due to their own efforts and not on the basis of the sum total of the performance & growth of the branches.
5. Calling the officers to attend office on all Sundays and holidays by some of the Field Functionaries, has become routine which is very much against the message given by our top echelon that work-life balance should be maintained. The result was 40% increase in lighting expenses for the Q2FY14.
6. More than 700 branches in the country are managed by single officer only. Even though our corporate office have directed all the field functionaries to provide minimum 2 officers to the branches, most of the field functionaries wanted to strengthen their office only and even refused  to redeploy the officers. Our corporate office should also give more importance for the compliance of their instructions by the field functionaries.

Friends, our Federation has always put forth its view & the problems faced by the officers in field before every successive management, how to make the Bank stronger and healthier. We are confident that all the suggestions made by us will be dealt with in the positive manner by our management.

We, the Officers are proud to be part of our great institution and again appeal to all our members to give their best and ensure its unhindered progress in the days to come.

                                LONG LIVE CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA

WITH WARM GREETINGS

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-

(A.R. SAIFULLAH)                               

GENERAL SECRETARY

CBOA-AP CIRCULAR NO. 037 DATED 06.12.2013

CBOA-AP issued its circular No. 037 dated 06.12.2013 reproducing the AICBOF circular on the proposed All India Bank Strike on 18^th December 2013. We are placing the same here for our readers.

CIRCULAR NO.: GS: 2013: 037                                   Date: 06.12.2013

TO ALL OFFICERS                                                            PLEASE CIRCULATE

Dear Friends,

We reproduce hereunder the Circular No. CIRCULAR/GS/2013/31 dated 06.12.2013 received from our Federation for your information.

With best regards                                                                   

           

Yours sincerely

Sd/-

(C.A. MALLIKARJUNA RAO)

GENERAL SECRETARY

…….....................................................................................................

ALL INDIA BANK STRIKE ON 18TH DECEMBER 2013

We reproduce here under the revised communication received from our Confederation in respect of the ensuing agitation.

“We have been keeping all our constituents informed with the developments regarding 10th Bipartite Wage Negotiations process. The undue delays of more than one year in the process along with steps taken by the Government to implement banking reforms despite our opposition are causes of concern and anxiety. We had already communicated the UFBU’s decision to observe one day strike on 19th December 2013.

Since 19th December 2013 is a holiday in the state of Goa, Daman & Diu, it has been decided to pre pone the strike date to 18th December 2013. Notice has already been served to the Chairman, Indian Banks’ Association by United Forum of Bank Unions”

Main Issues and Demands:

Ø  IMMEDIATE WAGE REVISION

Ø  TO STOP BANKING REFORMS

ALL INDIA BANK STRIKE ON 18TH DECEMBER, 2013

Friends we are left with no other alternative except to agitate on these issues. Our patience is being construed as weakness. To prevent a raw deal and from being taken for a ride, it is very much necessary that we keep ourselves fully equipped to launch a meaningful and involved struggle. We appeal to all our members to be vigilant so that we can carry on the struggle in a successful manner.

LONG LIVE OUR UNITY

WITH FRATERNAL GREETINGS

Yours Sincerely,

Sd/-                

(A.R. SAIFULLAH)                         

GENERAL SECRETARY