State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has reinstated the so-called check-off facility to its officers’ federation, Mint reported. This decision coincides with Arundhati Bhattacharya, the new chairperson, taking over charge from Pratip Chaudhari.

The check-off facility was started in 1970. Under it SBI remits the subscription fee from the salary accounts of member officers to the account of the federation on the day of salary payment, typically the 25th of every month, the report added. It also said that SBI management’s move to terminate the check-off facility had angered the union, which called it an effort to de-unionize the bank.

The report quotes a unnamed source from the bank as saying that the management’s decision to discontinue the check-off facility was “clearly not warranted” as it challenged the basic right of employees to organize. Bhattacharya, the 57-year-old new chief of SBI, seems to be more tolerant of trade unions. “We are the same team. We have to work together and discuss issues,” she said in a press conference on 8 October after taking over.

Read the complete report here