UFBU Urges Members To Collect 5 Crore Signatures To Petition to PM Modi Against Privatization of Public Sector Banks
In an effort to intensify their stir against privatization of Public Sector Banks, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the umbrella body of nine prominent bank unions of the country, has called on its members to collect 5 crores signatures in the Petition to Prime Minister/Speaker of Lok Sabha. The UFBU has urged all unions to get the Petition printed in large number in English and in regional languages to be supplied to branch units and members. Unions have been asked to plan and work out their methods to collect signatures from the general public, customers, public personalities, etc. These petitions are expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister/Lok Sabha Speaker during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament in July, 2021 and all unions should undertake the collection of signatures during April, May, June 2021.
Text of the letter is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com and the letter follows the slew of measures that have been advised to be adopted
Shri Narendra Modi/,Shri. Om Birla,
Hon. Prime Minister,/ Hon. Speaker
Government of India,/ Lok Sabha – Parliament,
New Delhi.
Respected Sirs,
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, submit to bring to your kind attention that in the recent Budget of the Government of India, it has been announced that public sector Banks will be privatised.
After lot of deliberations and necessity, private Banks were nationalised in our country in 1969 and in the last more than 50 years, the public sector Banks have immensely contributed for our country’s overall economic development.
Class banking has now become mass banking. Banking services are today accessible to common people and Bank Branches have been opened in thousands of rural areas and villages. Loans are also being extended to all the needy and neglected sectors on a priority basis. These public sector Banks represent the precious and hard-earned savings of the common masses and hence have to be safeguarded.
Public Sector Banks have to be furthered strengthened in the interest of the people, our economy and our nation. Stringent measures to be taken to recover the huge defaulted loans of the private corporate companies. Instead of extending concession to them to write of their bad loans, concession should be extended to small and marginal borrowers besides increasing rate of interest on Deposits of the people.
We also oppose the present moves of privatizing public sector Banks and handing over the Banks to private corporate companies many of whom are responsible for the huge bad loans/non performing assets in the Banks. As citizens of this country, we deem it our duty to bring the above to your notice with a request and appeal to reconsider and stop the moves of privatisation of Banks.
Suggested activities for campaign by our unions:
1. Public speeches/street corner meeting:
a) Senior leaders to address street corner meetings.
b) Our leaders interviewed through our comrades with pre-set questions like journalists.
c) The response should be in the local language, and the contents will be more or less the same. Such videos should be immediately posted on social media and ensure that they reach the mass.
d) 2nd and 4th Saturday and Sunday we can organize cleanliness drive, tree plantation, langar, provision for drinking water for daily wage earners, etc., and address the citizens about the ills of privatization and the agenda of the Government behind the move.
2. Every week between 6.30 to 8 pm rally with candlelight and placards in all centres (Upto District HQ) followed with a Twitter campaign on the same day at 8 pm
a) Those who are unable to join should retweet/ quote tweet invariably and participate in the Twitter campaign.
b) This will ensure that the momentum is maintained and the participation of every single member is confirmed.
C) The inability to participate in the rally will not result in guilt feeling amongst non-participants. Instead, the “Team” will remain motivated and together.
3. Aggressive campaign about the Negatives of the products and services of New Generation Private Sector Banks.
a) This may result in a reduction in private banks’ market share and a lack of confidence in private banks amongst the common people.
b) The Govt. will try to protect them, trying to dispel the fear resulting in getting unmasked, or they may be forced to withdraw the move of Privatisation.
c) We may get back the market share lost to the private sector in the recent past due to prompt corrective actions, mergers, lack of workforce, and digital drive by the Government, etc.
4. The campaign to not to watch the news channels which do not give coverage to our issues.
a) Our cadres/members should actively dislike the channels, web portals/ app/ youtube channels, etc., which are boycotting our struggle or showing us in a bad light.
b) “BOYCOTT GODI MEDIA”
5. Distribution of “carry bags” in prominent market places with statements printed on those bags (Bilingual) :
a) “Say No to Privatisation”
b) “Save Public Sector Save Nation”
c) “Protect the Public Money”
6. Songs/ Videos/ memes etc in Hindi/ English/ other languages etc.
7. Rope in “Hasya Kabi” like Sampat Saral etc., to campaign against Private Banks and for Public Sector Banks.
8. Motorbike Rally, Bicycle Rally by youngsters
9. Walkathon by giving a call on social media at State Capitals(participants to be provided with a Bib- We Oppose Bank Privatisation)
10. Sponsoring discussions in colleges/ Universities with banners/ Hoardings displayed in
prominent places.
a) “Ills Of Privatization”
b) “Why India Need Public Sector Banks”
11. Non cooperation on Sunday and Holidays for implementation of Govt Schemes.
12. Work to Rule: Priority to serve customers coming for core business with least priority to social welfare schemes of the Govt.
13. Sending postcards to all NDA MPs and MLAs with our appeal not to privatise the Public Sector.
a) “Say no to Privatisation”
b) “Safeguard the interest of the Common Man”
c) “Stand with the Common Man and not with the Cronies”
14. Media Coverage on insufficient infrastructure, lack of manpower, compulsions due to prompt corrective actions, mergers, and digital drive of the Government not backed by proper
connectivity and skewed customer base non conversant with alternate delivery channels.
a) That even working 24X7 does not increase the efficiency; instead, it is the lacunae in the system and the Government unnecessary interference that is resulting in a reduction in Net profit.
b) Question Haircut to corporates, IBC, NCLT, etc.
15. Taking Control of the day-to-day affairs in the Branches by promoting Our Core Business and taking extreme of our Customers. Let the Govt Understand that once the Public Sector Bank
decides to behave like Private players in delivery how the Govt will implement its Schemes which converts into vote/ popularity of the Govt.
16. Get data on some significant write-off and share without informing the source we can publish.
17. Get data on loans to big Corporates like Ambanis, Adani, Anil Agarwal etc., and share. We can publish to get public support.
18. Email to respective MPs by Voters- Constituency wise.
19. Signature Campaigns
20. Meet farmer leaders at Delhi. Give and seek support.
21. Meet central trade union leaders.
22. Organise debates in Regional News Channels.
23. Mobilise Customers for demonstration in all rural and semi-urban centers involving Youth, Women, SHGs, Sr Citizens etc.
a) Create awareness how privatization will affect them
b) Involve local Press
c) Tell the Sr Citizens how the Interest rate on credit is reduced to artificially increase demand & production rather than creating jobs to boost production.
Such reduction has forced the Banks to reduce the interest rates for Fixed/ Term Deposits to a level not sufficient to cover inflation.
24. Get 2-minute videos from opinion-makers- Why they oppose privatization
25. Success stories of entrepreneurs through loan from public sector Banks.
26. Bigger platform with other Organisations, Roping in Eminent citizens like retired IAS/IPS Civil Servants, Judges, Bankers, academicians to form a platform to lend support to our movement
27. Slogan like “Ghar ke Gahne ko Bech rahe Hain” to be popularised
28. Bhojpuri songs against privatization
29. To meet Chief Ministers of all states
30. MASSIVE MORCHA TO PARLIAMENT
