THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM-affiliated trade unions in Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC) have formed a Joint Action Council (JAC) to launch strong agitation measures against the suspension of five KFC employees on what the Council termed were 'cooked up charges'.The JAC, in a statement, said that the vindictive attitude of the Managing Director had caused the suspension of five KFC employees. Trade union leaders described as 'a blatant lie' the charges listed out by the Managing Director which eventually led to the suspension, especially the allegation that the employees had locked him in his official room for three hours on May 18. The Managing Director’s room, in the first place, did not have a lock. "So how can it be said that he was locked in,’’ a member of KFC Officers’ Association (KFCOA) said. According to the KFCOA member, the lock was purchased only on May 28. He has a retail invoice to prove his point. Two costly locks were purchased by KFC from BVM Enterprises on May 28, the invoice reveals.Further, the trade union leaders said that nothing more than "heated discussions’’ had taken place with the Managing Director on May 18. "We entered the MD’s room at 3 pm on May 18 only because the previous day he had promised us that he would give his decision on some of the demands the unions had raised. The meeting on May 17 was cordial. But on May 18, the MD reneged on his promise. This led to rising of tempers, but no one attempted to lock the MD in,’’ the KFCOA office-bearer said.When the MD could not arrive at a consensus with the employees, he called in the General Manager and Vigilance Officer. The employees agreed to disperse after the MD promised that a board meeting will be called on June 15 to discuss the issues. The trade union leaders say that the suspension had been served before the board meeting was to take place.There were several issues raised by the trade unions. One was the need to grant promotions to fill 48 vacant posts in the KFC. ‘’There were no hurdles in the way of granting promotions to employees to fill the 48 vacant posts in KFC.Still, the posts have not yet been filled,’’ the KFCOA member said. The unions were also angered by the decision of the MD to grant technical and legal jobs of the KFC on contract. Trade unions, including the INTUC, had given a joint notice threatening a major agitation if such anomalies were not rectified.The issue that precipitated the present crisis was the MD’s decision to promote his private secretary, and another candidate, as deputy general managers overlooking the seniority of another candidate, P B Sreekumar. The MD had conducted a test and interview to disqualify Sreekumar. Trade union leaders say that the Staff Regulation guidelines specify that promotions should be based solely on the service period and annual confidential reports. They also charge that Sreekumar’s caste had also been a factor in his disqualification. "It was for the first time that the caste of the candidates was mentioned. In the earlier notes to the selection committee, there was no such mention,’’ a trade union leader said. Sreekumar belongs to the Scheduled Caste. When the issue was raised with the then Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, he had stayed the promotion order. But on May 16, two days before the new ministers took the oath of office, the MD issued the order stayed by the former minister.
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