Silence amidst the storm.

The knives are out once again. The state BJP is in for a public showdown. BS Yeddiyurappa, the party president and KS Eshwarappa, leader of opposition in the legislative council are at draggers drawn. They are fighting like cats and dogs. KS Eshwarappa is performing as a leader of the opposition to his own party. The Sangolli Rayanna brigade is the bone of contention. The Sangolli Rayanna brigade is proving albatross around the neck for Eshwarappa. The acrimony between the two leaders is too well-known. It even warranted the intervention of the party high command in the past to buy peace. This has not worked either.

But this time the animosity between them has crossed the boundaries of discipline in the party and they are flexing their muscles quite openly and to the amusement of all. This has made the opposition - Congress and JD (U) to rub hands in glee. And they are waiting in the wings to grab the spoils of this stand off in the assembly election which is staring at them just next year.

This stand off that too quite openly could have been avoided. This is causing lot of embarrassment to the cadres. It saps their motivation and zeal to work for the party. What is most intriguing and bizarre in this sordid drama is, the silence of the BJP high command. Why is it allowing this spectacle to continue?  Is it beyond its power and authority? No. It is definitely not beyond Modi-Shah might to rein in the warring leaders. There must be a method in the madness of this silence.

BJP high command is perhaps doing a very delicate balancing act. It doesn't want to be seen as in support of either leader. It therefore has rapped on the knuckles of both the leaders by divesting the responsibilities of two followers each from their groups. It has left the leaders untouched probably fearing the numbers of the communities they represent. At this point it doesn't want to rub them on the wrong side. It is also not a secret anymore in the party that national joint secretary (orgn) Mr. B L Santhosh is fomenting trouble between the two leaders in the hope that he may be anointed to the top job if the party comes to power in the next election. He has started his game well in advance.

Whatever may be the scenario, the silence of the high command so far, amidst this storm has baffled many in their own party. There may be a dark horse. Another Yogi from RSS stable may spring up. But, whatever may be the game plan of the high command, this fight between the two leaders will going to dent the party. And the assembly election in the state is exactly a year away. Memory by then may be still fresh in the minds of the people. This washing the dirty linen in public may prove too costly for a party hoping for a comeback in the state.

K.N.Krishnan.       94496 12446

Wage revision - could it be the last one on industry level?

IBA has finally called the constituents of UFBU for a first/formal meeting on wage negotiations on 2nd May 2017. This has has happened after a series of communications to the banks and trade unions urging them to take up the matter in right earnest. Government was more eager and enthusiastic than the associations and the unions to finish the wage revision exercise. It sounds rather strange. Never in the history of banking wage negotiations that government was proactive, forthcoming and so much interested to finish the job.

This should rise the eyebrows of the trade unions and the members alike. This gives rise to a kind of apprehension as to what could be in store for them and why the government is so much interested in early settlement. There is a kind of uneasiness in the trade union circles about the urgency of the government. Is there a method in this madness? Only time will answer. Is there a sting in the tail?. All needs to be watched.

Yes. There must be a method in this madness. The recent circular in SBI which talks about fixed and variable pay for Scale IV and above is a pointer to the things that are in store in the wage settlement. By this one circular, it appears, if the government/IBA has achieved a clear and vertical division in the membership ie., one group upto scale III and another group scale IV and above. Since their interests are divided, it may become difficult for the trade unions to bring both the blocks under one umbrella for agitational action if at all they contemplate and act upon when need arises. There may be more surprises and shocks in the bag. Here, how well trade unions post merger, will act as a cohesive, consolidated and a united block assumes importance and will have a bearing on the wage revision.

The process of merger in SBI has just begun and it may take considerably long time to settle down. And there is a talk of taking up some more banks to be merged among themselves. In all probability the government will achieve its stated goal of having 5-6 large banks instead of many small banks in a few years from now. Once it achieve this goal, government may embark upon a more lethal, dangerous and difficult to imagine move of bringing down its stake below 50% ie., PRIVITISATION which we all abhor. This could be the last nail in the coffin.

The introduction of the variable pay, monetization of perks and allowances are all directed to move towards the concept called CTC (cost to company) which is in vogue in private companies and banks. The only ray of hope is - will the government let go of advantage of such a huge, well networked and powerful pan India instrument called State Bank to implement its schemes by privatization. This is the only silver lining for State Bank of India.

All these thoughts are only on imagination and not on the basis of any evidence or facts. It's assessed on the basis of the way things are happening and one action necessarily leads to a next step.

K.N.Krishnan,    94496 12446

Merger happened - what next?

Whether we like it or not merger has happened. There is no point in discussing its adverse effects. We have got to focus on only the positives.

In any acquisition, merger or integration the success of it depends largely on how best, how quickly and how seamlessly the HR amalgamates.

Once this is a smooth process, managing other things like doing business, achieving targets should not be insurmountable.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a painless transition and quick assimilation, understanding and constant improvisation of each other's work ethos.

Towards this end what we can do/contribute.

1. Accord the colleagues from our associates banks a genuinely warm welcome and accept them as our own and, not as someone who has come seeking shelter or asylum. They have not sought this merger either. It was thrust upon us.

2. They would have suffered an identity loss all of a sudden and may be undergoing some emotional moments. They may be feeling a sense that they have lost somewhere. They may be having apprehensions /reservations about what may be in store for them. It is here that our responsibility/behavior comes into focus.

3. The first thing we have to do is to remove the perception that is prevalent in our minds that they are of inferior stuff. It is subjective and debatable. Neither we are foolproof. Even if it were to be a fact, there is no point in beating the dead horse. Now everything is water under the bridge.

4. Lot of talking/defreezing is required at each point of contact with our incoming colleagues right from the messenger to MD.

5. The first and the foremost thing is to make them feel at home. A feeling of bonhomie should prevail. We should never ever at any point of time send a signal / indication that they are being slighted/sidelined/neglected. Because they are already in a disturbed state of mind and may be apprehensive of things.

6. We should tell them that if they have lost something which they were the part of for many years and decades, they have lost for getting something even better.

We should tell them that they are joining an organization which has an illustrious pedigree, a glorious past and a bright future. The brand value of State Bank in the market and the concomitant esteem it brings to the employees should be highlighted to them.

7. We should also tell them/sell them advantages of being a State Banker and any monetary/pecuniary benefits that may accrue to them.

8. HR department has a onerous task of managing this churn and to see that the dust settles down quickly and people get into brass tacks soon. They have to do lot of talking and explaining if necessary at the time of transfers to suspend the impression of second rate treatment if at all they are nursing the same.

9. Organisations viz SBIOAK, SBSU and SEWA can also complement the efforts of the Bank in this onerous task. Bank may rope in these organizations and send them on errands making teams comprising of representatives of all the three organizations. They should act as Ambassadors of merger.

10. Anybody involving in the above exercise will be according to me is doing a great service to the bank. Because this is the most crucial period, a period of confusion and chaos if handled with maturity and statesmanship will go a long way in building a strong State Bank.

I wish, it is a smooth and seamless transition for this great institution.

K.N.Krishnan.   9449612446

SBIOAK - decline from the sublime to ridiculous.

I am writing this as a member of SBIOAK, not as a member of SEWA. I am writing this with anguish and anxiety. I am concerned at the ugly developments. SBIOAK has traversed a difficult path and withered many a challenges during its journey to the present. It could wither many a challenges quite successfuly because the challenges were from the outside. But the current turmoil it is in, is a self-inflicted one brought upon itself by selfseeking and egotistic personalities. This is more dangerous because one can always fight and overcome an outside enemy but difficult to fight an enemy with in.

I contemplated for quite long whether to write this blog or not. I was in a dilemma. Whether my writing this blog will bring the unpleasant thing to public domain when they are supposed to be discussed and sorted out in private. Since they are washing their dirty linen in the public, I no more face any dilemma and hence this blog.

Now that the cat is out of the bag and everything is water under the bridge, there is no point in ruminating over the past. Whoever has done whatever wrong has got his comeuppance and has paid the price. No doubt the revelations are shocking, most shameful and unimaginable that a person occupying an important position in SBIOAK can stoop to such a low level. It is simply unthinkable. It has brought enormous disrepute to the the organization and has done irreparable damage to the credibility of SBIOAK. And it pains me.

The need of the hour is to exhibit extraordinary maturity on the part of the remaining office bearers to deal with the most difficult times SBIOAK is passing through. I advise them not to resort to groupism and align on the personality lines. They should have the interest of the members uppermost in their minds. Now that the black sheep is
quarantined, you have got to work cohesively and unitedly lest you should be quarantined by the members very soon. They have to move heaven and earth to regain the confidence of the members. Presently SBIOAK is suffering from huge trust deficit.

The most unfortunate takeaway of this sordid drama is - since it is happening at the nose of the headquarters of the Federation, it is a loud and clear message about the utter failure of the leadership of the Federation.

Perhaps a part of the blame for this crisis may convincingly be transferred to the doorsteps of the tall leaders who held the reins till the last day without bothering to nurture/groom the second line. All of a sudden the persons who succeeded these leaders were left in the lurch not knowing what to do. There is a feeling, belief and suspicion that these retired leaders are still calling the tunes and not a single step/action of the present leadership happens without their wink and nod.

While I have no qualms for this, my only concern was why these people didn't forsee the possible leadership vacuum once they depart from the scene. And they should have done this (what they are doing from their homes now) while holding the post. They could have done some handholding. This could have done immense good to the organization. With due respects to what all they did to develop SBIOAK from the scratch, they cannot escape the blame for this  omission. After all SBIOAK is their baby.

Karnataka has the distinction of producing leaders of trade union at the national level for the entire banking industry. It is abhoring to imagine the abysmal level they have fallen.

Hoping that good sense prevails.

K.N.Krishnan.

The Uttar Pradesh Story.

When Narendra Modi coined the word "Congress mukt Bharat" for the first time, nobody took his words seriously. Many considered his words as mere electoral rhetoric. The recent election results in five states has made one to take these words rather seriously. The outcome of the elections has made every body to sit up and take notice of his words.

The energy he has put into the election campaign is simply amazing. The whirlwind tour he made across five election bound states almost forgetting that he has a responsibility of office of Prime Minister goes to show the determination and resolve to win at any cost. There is a saying - Well begun is done. He wrote the preface for victory with introduction of demonetisation. This surgical strike of demonetisation purportedly to curb black money has successfully achieved the alleged unstated and hidden agenda of deflating the opposition in the wake of elections. How far it is successful in bringing out black money is debatable and the silence of RBI and the government regarding the figures of black money gives credence to the to the theories that it has not. Be that as it may, one thing was sure, it did deliver a body blow to the opposition and took the steam off from them. Because cash (black money) was the king in the election. With the opposition weakened, he took them head on.

He connected to the masses with his gifted oratorial skills, extempore speeches often sprinkled with histrionics. He is adept and mastered the art of adapting the narrative to suit that moment and to connect to that audience he is addressing. No other opposition party has the advantage of having a leader like him. And to supplement this, he was ably assisted by that maverick Amit Shah, the party president. He organized and galvanized the cadres. He stratagised to the last minute and the last mile. His organizing and networking prowess combined with superlative speaking abilities of Modi decimated the opposition. This heady cocktail of Modi and Shah proved too much for the opposition.

Congress, with Sonia Gandhi fighting illness and Rahul Gandhi being no match for Modi is now rudderless and clueless. The unprecedented number of seats won by BJP has almost written obituary for Congress. Slowly and steadily BJP is inching to pan India and once pan India Congress is losing ground.

Congress lost its game long ago when it sent its tallest and most acceptable leader Mr. Pranab Mukherjee to Raisina hills. He was sent to Rashtrapathi Bhavan to project Rahul Gandhi for the future leadership of Congress. This is the blunder committed by Congress and proved too costly. Only Pranab Mukherjee in the Congress could have given the run for the money to Modi.  Unfortunately for Congress there is no future as long as Rahul Gandhi is at the helm. It has got to rediscover itself, reinvent itself. It has got to metamorphosize. It is a very tall order. Presently it is all at sea.

K.N.Krishnan,
Vice-president, SEWA.

The challenges of SBI - Post merger.

Now that it is official. Merger Gazette notification is out in the public domain. The process gets greater momentum hereafterwards. The whole machinery at the parent SBI and associate bank is buzz with activity.

And HR department is the center of activity. It is pivotal to the entire exercise which is by far the biggest HR integration in the recent memory in any sector. Post merger, the task becomes even more humungous. For any acquisition, takeover or merger to be successful, the seamless integration of human resources is one of the  fundamental prerequisites. Because, human behavior by its very nature is dynamic and is not subject to any objective evaluation or assessment. It is subjective and evasive for accurate measurement. Here comes the challenge for HR people to correctly catch the pulse.

It is said our training system is the best in the industry. It has not only one of the best training architecture but also the biggest, spread across the country. And there is no qualm about this. But the employee numbers are so big after merger that even this well oiled training machinery may find the task of moulding the new entrants onerous. Added to this, cross cultural amalgamation brings with it the legacy and ethos of work culture which may be at variance with ours. This moulding or alignment of the attitudes or work culture whatever one would like to call takes quite a long time and sustained efforts.

It is estimated that the combined clientele strength of the Bank will be almost equal to the population of the European Union. And the business figures? I am not able to comprehend how many zeros the figures will contain.

OMG! It will be a huge, huge, structure to manage and administer. It takes an herculean effort just to administer the day to day affairs of an organization of this scale and magnitude. And to make the elephant dance???. The only thing that could be done is to be prepared mentally and physically to undergo and endure the churn and remain focused and positive. Because there is no option.

The best, the Bank could do under the circumstances is to bring down the number of branches under each region /RM to not more than 25. This enables them to exercise better control and supervision. This reduction in the number of branches may be maintained for say 4-5 years till the Bank feels that the situation is under control and more than ordinary surveillance may not be necessary. Afterwards, it may review the situation.

The situation post merger therefore is daunting and intimidating. And as already mentioned, it will be a gargantuan task to manage and administer the mind-boggling numbers of both the accounts and the people. After all what an account means - it is the person behind the account.

Therefore, in the fitness of things, I opine that the head of our bank should be reckoned for the highest civilian awards - The Padma awards some time in the future.

Really and seriously.

K.N.Krishnan.

The Tamilnadu circus.

The Tamilnadu circus has come to a pause, not to a halt with the swearing in ceremony of Palanisamy. The drama that is unfolded ever since OPS broke his silence by saying that he was forced to resign and still in the race for Chief ministership has reached a temporary pause. The developments in the run up to the big event only cast a dark shadow of the money, muscle and mafia power that was in full play much to the chagrin of all the saner elements. These incidents have thrown enormous challenge to democracy and its institutions and raised questions about their efficacy in safeguarding the interests of the subjects. Governance and delivery are far fetched items to expect from these netas.

Politics is about public perception. And the public perception was undoubtedly is against Sasikala and her gang coming to power. In fact there was a groundswell of support for OPS to take the reins. It is not that MLAs doesn't knew this. They know pretty well of this fact. Despite this they struck to Sasikala camp. The money, muscle and power kept these MLAs together despite strong public resentment. And this unity among the MLAs came at a time when Sasikala was convicted and jailed and barred from contesting elections for a period of ten years in DA case by the top court cannot be lost sight of. Supreme Court has to be congratulated and thanked for its decisive and path breaking judgement against corruption though it took 20 long years to dispense the justice.

The narrative of the Tamilnadu is a sad commentary of the degeneration of the polity and an abysmally low point it has reached. This perhaps calls for urgent electoral reforms on a warfoot basis.

What is most disturbing is the fact that, while the money power played so blatantly to manoeuvre and manipulate so glaringly before the entire nation, the system could do nothing and the nation was a mute spectator.

And many say it is only an interval in the drama. And the drama continues.

K.N.Krishnan.