Tamil Nadu bank branches to work with 50% staff under new guidelines

Tamil Nadu bank branches to work with 50% staff under new guidelines

From Business Standard News

Move follows objection and strike threat by unions over earlier instruction calling for 100% attendance

T E Narasimhan | Chennai August 14, 2020 Last Updated at 15:20 IST

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All Bank branches and offices in Tamil Nadu will function with 50 per cent as per the new guidelines by the State Level Bankers' Committee - Tamil Nadu.

Last month, the Committee said that all bank branches/ offices in the State shall function with 100 per cent staff under normal working hours rendering usual services. However the Unions objected to the decision and even threatened to go on strike.

The Unions have said the earlier instruction was not in conformity with the standard operating procedures (SOP) or Government guidelines. Besides, since public transport remains withdrawn and with more and more bank employees getting infected, The Tamil nadu Bank Employees Federation, which is affiliated to All India Bank Employees Association, served a notice for Statewide Strike on August 20, 2020 demanding revised guidelines.

On August 11, V Muthu Manickam, Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner of the Ministry of Labour, Government of India, intervened and held a conciliatory meeting.

After taking note of the submissions of TNBEF/AIBEA, Manickam clarified that all banks are bound by the guidelines issued the Government in the SOP and other instructions and hence managements were advised to revise the guidelines and restrict the attendance of staff to 50 per cent.

To a complaint made by the Federation that even pregnant employees weren't being exempted from attending office, bank managements clarified that all pregnant employees were now exempted as per their instructions and the Dy CLC informed that this guideline should be strictly implemented. Any violation of the same can be brought to the notice of the authorities, who will then initiate suitable action.

The Dy CLC advised the managements to issue revised instructions restricting attendance to 50 per cent and inform him before August 14 noon, said C H Venkatachalam, chairman, Tamil Nadu Bank Employees Federation.

Today, bank managements have informed the Dy CLC and the SLBC-Tamilnadu has issued their revised instructions with an amendment to their earlier instructions stating that All Bank Branches/Offices in the State stall function on rotation basis.

"In view of this revised instruction, we have decided to withdraw our strike call. Other issues and demands relating to problems faced by employees including those in cooperative banks would be pursued and followed up," said Venkatachalam.