The Managing Director & CEO UCO BANK,
Head Office,
Kolkata .
Dear Sir,
Sub: Report in the press and Media .
1/3/2023
We have come across a press report quoting you on the performance of our Bank and future projections.
We are happy and overwhelmed to know that Bank is all set to make a record profit in the current financial year and aimed at to improve the profit further with a target of 2500 crore in the coming FY. While this will further lift the confidence and morale of the work force, we remain confident that the entire work force shall take it as the duty & responsibility of every one to turn your endeavour into reality. We as a trade union representing majority of workman, reassure you of our continued role towards realising this goal.
While on this, we are also deeply disappointed and disturbed by another statement which appeared along side, again quoting you. There report says that Bank is exploring possibilities of Out sourcing Model to cut down cost. It further says ” We are looking at deploying temporary staff for routine tasks,”. While we are unable to believe that such a statement has come from the MD & CEO in public, we are to convey our anguish and protest to such a move if it is true. You are aware that already both at the industry level and at our own Bank level all unions are consistently opposing and resisting such moves in any form. You are
also equally aware that already in our bank more than 2500 branches are running with daily wagers who are engaged in permanent vacancies of substaff and we have been demanding their absorption. You are further aware that many sensitive jobs like cash handling, cash remittance, currency chest operations are perforce being handled by the daily wagers. It is known and agreed fact that the branches and the staff are over burdened due to acute shortage of award-staff. We have been demanding more recruitment in clerical and substaff cadre and many times our concern was shared by the management.
In this back ground it is shocking, painful and disturbing to see such a statement. Further it is not out of place to refer to a declaration made by our Honourable Prime Minister recently, that the Government is working on providing 10 lakh Jobs in the days to come. Lakhs of unemployed youth are agitated and are looking to the Government to create such opportunities . At the Industry level our Apex unions have been highlighting this demand for more recruitment and are set to intensify the agitation in pursuance of this demand.
While we wish that the press and Media have misquoted you, we at the same time to submit that our Federation along with other unions shall be left with no option to unleash all measures to oppose and resist such a move of “temporary employment” if this plan of the bank is real.
Hope you will understand and appreciate our concern and avoid pushing any such move and instead take steps to fill up all permanent vacancies by adequate recruitment particularly in clerical and substaff.
Thanking you, Yours faithfully,
C.M.Patel General Secretary