PNB Officers On Warpath

AIPNBOF Cir No. 42 dt. 08.07.2014

All INDIA PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK OFFICERS’ FEDERATION (AFFILIATED TO AIBOA)

 Central Office: FLAT NO. 01, GH-25, SECTOR-20, PANCHKULA Haryana – 134116. PHONE: 0172- 4630090; Mobile: 98155-66990; E-mail: vermatr@gmail.com Cir. No.  42/2014  Date: 08.07.2014 (For Internal Circulation only)

TO All Office Bearers / CC Members / State Units / Members: 7th Installment

Massive Demonstration All over India before Circle Offices & FGMOs on 07.07.2014
A Grand Success and a Loud Message to the Management

In the series of our agitation on the suicide of Shri Ajay Sehgal BO: Sector-20 Panchkula – Haryana, All India Punjab National Bank Officers’ Federation held demonstrations all over the country before Circle Offices and FGMOs yesterday on 07.07.2014. The demonstration was held successfully and conveyed our resentment to the management. ‘Memorandum’ was given to the respective Circle Heads and FGMs for sending the same to the Head Office. 

We strongly demand: - 
- Immediate Suspension of Culprits; -

All Review / Business Meetings should be audio / visually recorded from now onwards through written communication by Head Office; -

 Suitable steps by Head Office for non-recurrence of such incidences in future;

Apart from the above suitable compensation to be given the family of Shri Ajay Sehgal and strict action be taken against the culprits so that such incidences should not reoccur. 

Comrades, in the morning General Manager-HRD telephoned the undersigned and assured proper enquiry into the incidence and appropriate action against the culprits. By assuring this, she came to the real issue that we should withdraw our demonstration in the evening all over the country. This was actually the mission for which the top authorities sent her to Chandigarh. Comrades, the incident occurred on 2nd July 2014 and the head office did not swing into action immediately thereafter. Had they been so serious about the issue, an immediate action and visit to Chandigarh was warranted. Head office is bent upon resorting to eyewash time and again. They deputed the GM-HRD on 07.08.2014 to diffuse the agitation. But we understand such traps of the Management and clearly conveyed that we will continue our agitation till its logical end. We are confident on the commitment of our comrades who are ever ready to make any of our programs/calls a success. Comrades, your faith in the commitment level in AIPNBOF leadership, is our real strength. We appreciate the massive strength at the demonstration to fight for the cause and to ensure solidarity with the aggrieved family. 


GM-HRD after our dialogue over telephone reached FGMO Chandigarh for enquiry into the matter. Then during lunch time she also met us at FGMO and again stressed upon to withdraw the agitation and to stop today’s demonstrations all over the country. But we expressed our views that it will not be withdrawn only on the assurances and  will continue till the suspensions of the culprits is not done by Head Office and written instructions are issued by Head Office that all the Review / Business Meetings will be audio / visually recorded from now onwards and effective steps are taken by the top management for non-recurrence of such incidences in future. As per our past experience, in earlier two incidents only transfers were done and afterwards no action has been taken by the top management. 
 
At Chandigarh a massive demonstration was held in front of FGMO / Circle Office which was attended by a huge gathering of about 400 officers / workmen, yesterday on 07.07.2014. The prominent speakers to the participants were Com. RL Grover, Chairman All India Oriental Bank Officers’ Association; Com. Vinod Sharma General Secretary AIBOA Punjab State; Com. DK Choudhary General Secretary BEFI; Com. GS Oberoi Chairman AIPNBOF; Com. Sarbjit Singh General Secretary PNBOA Punjab State; Com. DP Singh Circle Secretary PNBOA Punjab- Patiala Circle; Com. Nirmal Singh Mann Secretary All India State Bank of Patiala Officers’ Association; Com. Sajjan Singh Ex-Dy. General Secretary AIPNBOF, Com. Jatinder Singh President All India Punjab & Sind Bank Officers’ Association; Com. Rajneesh Gupta Circle Secretary PNBOA Chandigarh; Com. SL Dhiman President PNBOA Chandigarh; Com. Ranjeet Singh Vice President AIPNBOF etc. and other leaders and participants from other banks also. Apart from these good numbers of lady officers and workmen also attended the demonstration. 

Mrs. Sehgal also telephoned the undersigned and thanked the AIPNBOF for continuing agitation till its logical end to get the justice for the family. She also expressed her frustration over the inaction of the PNB management till date, and inaction of the Police and told me to convey her frustration to PNB Employees. 

Comrades, our CMD has sent condolence message dated 05.07.2014 on the death of Shri Ajay Sehgal to PNB Parivar. But the record of the Head Office shows Shri Sehgal as Chief Manager of BO: Sector-20 Chandigarh, whereas he was posted at BO: Sector-20 Panchkula – Haryana. This depicts the state of affairs of record of HRD Division of the bank that too in such a serious burning issue. It appears that for HRD our existence is limited to our PF number and nothing more than that. 
We can imagine the state of mind of the family after this shocking incidence. We urge upon the management to take immediate action against the culprits. It is also placed on the record that both the senior officers have been transferred and Shri AK Gupta has been given comfortable posting. He has been posted at FGMO: Lucknow. It is also mentioned that earlier he had worked as Chief Manager at BO: Mahanagar Lucknow. This is a reward posting for him. Now as a consequence of his posting as Dy. General Manager in FGMO: Lucknow, he will act as Disciplinary Authority for large number of officers posted under the command area of FGMO: Lucknow. This cruel DGM with inhumane approach now will decide the fate of large number of officers. Kindly decide is it a punishment or privilege? In fact it will certainly be a punishment and torture for the staff under the control of abettor of suicide. 


Our next agitation programme will be as under: - 
- We will hold one day ‘Dharna’ of our Office Bearers on 19.07.2014 in front of Head Office of Punjab National Bank at New Delhi and it is pertinent to mention that the family of Shri Ajay Sehgal will also participate the Dharna in case the culprits are not placed under suspension till that date; 

- We will lead a deputation to meet the Commissioner of Police Panchkula tomorrow and impress upon him to arrest the culprits at the earliest; 

- In case the action of the police will be slow then we will not hesitate from holding a demonstration before the office of Commissioner of Police;   

Comrades, though the management through GM-HRD has assured suitable action on the demands of the association, yet we will not withdraw our agitation till the things are not materialized. We will also meet the CMD and the top authorities and will ensure that the bank takes suitable steps to check the recurrence of such incidents in future and no other employee fall a victim to the atrocities of the seniors. 

The manner in which the enquiry is being conducted by GM-HRD at Chandigarh raises suspicion. GM-HRD visited BO: Sector-20 Panchkula today in the morning hours alongwith new FGM and new Circle Head Chandigarh. In our opinion the staff, which is already shaken up mentally at the brutal incident, will not muster courage to speak in a frank manner before a posse of senior bank officials. Moreover, the FGM and Circle Head having joined only a day before are as unknown to the staff as GM–HRD. It would have been better that She should have visited with someone from the HRD Department at Circle Office or any of the Chief Managers and should have tried to find the truth. This tantamount to putting psychological fear on the staff and gather the information which may suit the Head Office requirement to safeguard the interest of the accused executives. Under these circumstances everybody cannot dare to speak the truth which is against the seniors. How the Head office is shielding these executives is a well- known fact now and their prized postings instead of suspension speaks volumes of that. 

Shri Ajay Sehgal’s sacrifice is supreme and very courageous. In the letter he had bravely put the name of executives who harassed him in spite of his work. This supreme sacrifice even if doesn’t benefit him, he did it for the interest of all his Punjab National Bank colleagues in particular and the Bank employees as a whole. An honest and learned man driven to such an edge where he felt that apart from death there is no alternative to him and his misery. His feeling, leading to such an extreme step can only be perceived by the persons who have undergone such humiliations which are rampant and on the rise in PNB for the last 3 to 4 years. Many others may not even understand it, may even say, he should have lived and waged war. Such people, seldom know that it is very difficult to prove, a controlling executive wrong, as everything is swept under the carpet for administrative reasons, unless a clinching written proof is there. But nobody supports him, then also these escapists say, he should have been circumspect. There is no end to this logic. But the sad part is that we have lost a sincere person and a noble soul. Committing suicide at this mature age, for this reason, one should be extraordinarily courageous and expressing the wish at that time that it may save many of his brethren from suffering, is highly noble. This is not only a case of PNB, it is a case with all Banks. Where the nexus of Business men, Politicians, Bank’s top authorities have come into play. In order to carry out their designs, the pressures are built up which percolate down to the lower levels. Whosoever ventures to resist such pressures faces harassment. 

We appeal to all, to express your solidarity in exerting the pressure to establish a suitable mechanism in the Banking industry outside the respective Banks, to redress their grievances. 
Let all Bank employees unite for a peaceful working & living. Need be, we will not hesitate to take up the issue at the industry level with the Honorable Finance Minister of India for streamlining and establishing a suitable work culture in the banking industry.
 
We pray to the God Almighty that his Noble Soul may Rest in peace. 
We, at the same time, assure our officers’ fraternity that we will appear in the Hon’ble Court as witness and will tell the truth and also ensure that the culprits must not go scot free and get an exemplary punishment so that other executive dread to resort to such cruelty to the staff. We convey our sincere thanks to our members and members of other organisations for extending their whole hearted support and showing their solidarity to our cause. Be united we will achieve. 

Thanking you, 

Yours sincerely, 
TR Verma General Secretary 

It is high time for the Officers’ to introspect their continuing with the Majority Association who don’t lose even a moment to compromise your interests. Please join us for the safeguard of your own interests. We have a track record of working in a selfless manner and never back out once a justified mission is undertaken. Your decision at this crucial juncture will go a long way for a safe future. 
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