Cabinet to hear trade union concerns on BOC/PB GMs issue tomorrow  

The appointment of two acting General Managers (GMs) to the Bank of Ceylon and the People’s Bank following the irregular removal of the incumbent GMs without following proper procedure will be discussed at tomorrow’s cabinet meeting. 
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa gave this assurance at a meeting with representatives of Ceylon Bank Employees Union (CBEU) in Colombo this morning (Tuesday), CBEU spokesman Kesara Kottegoda told Times Online. 
The Finance Minister told the trade union representatives that he will bring to the notice of the cabinet of ministers, the concerns expressed by the CBEU on the removal of K. B. Senarath Bandara, General Manager/CEO of the Bank of Ceylon and G.B.P. Rasitha Gunawardana, General Manager/CEO at the People’s Bank, he added.
He noted that the trade union representatives informed the Prime Minister that removing officials of the state banks on cabinet decisions without conducting a disciplinary inquiry or any charges will become a practice by creating this precedent. They strongly protested against the Finance Ministry’s action without following a proper procedure.
 
The former GMs – Mr. Bandara and Mr. Gunawardana have been appointed as consultants to the Finance Ministry while Sudath Gunasekara and D.B. Rajapaksa have been appointed as acting General Manager of the Bank of Ceylon and as the acting General Manager of the People’s Bank, respectively. 
Trade unions of the two banks carried out a protest demonstration on Monday demanding the government to adhere to proper procedure in removing and appointing officials to high posts of two state banks. (BS)