Senior bankers in PSBs are in firing line: AIBEA

In the guise of retiring inefficient senior employees in the public sector banks, the Indian government is interfering in the day to day affairs of the banks and threatening the job security of employees, said a top leader of the  All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA).

He also said the government should look into the performance of the various departments and make them efficient rather than getting into the daily routine of PSBs which are Board run.

The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance has asked the Managing Directors of all the nationalized banks and the Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) to review monthly the performance of senior employees and retire those who are found inefficient.

The Department of Financial Services has asked the banks to send a monthly report on this issue.

“The PSBs are run by the Board of Directors. The government can review the performance of the Managing Directors appointed by it. The latest move by the government will result in the misuse of power threatening the job safety net the bankers enjoy which is subject to the rules and regulations,” C.H.Venkatachalam, General Secretary said.

Venkatachalam said under the existing retirement rules, a committee can review the performance of an officer in PSB who is 55 years of age or more or has put in 30 years of service (for officers in SBI 50 years  of age or 25 years of completed service) and retire that employee in case of public interest.

In the case of a workmen (clerks and peons) in PSBs he/she can be retired on reaching 57 years of age (for workmen in SBI it is 58 years of age) and the efficiency was found to be impaired.

The Department of Financial Services has asked the PSBs to conduct periodic review under the existing rules and decide whether their senior employees are to be retained or retired and send a monthly report.

“The government should not ask for the monthly report. PSBs are Board run. The performance of the employees are reviewed regularly,” Venkatachalam said.

Venkatachalam said nearly 60 board seats remain vacant for the past ten years in PSBs.

“Does it not show the inefficiency of the appointing authority? Why not retire those who are responsible for this,” Venkatachalam said.

There are various provisions in the Bipartite Settlements/Awards/Officers Service Regulations to take action against any employee or officer wherever warranted. But the above directions from the Government are provocative and intimidatory.

Already employees in the PSB branches are working under undue pressure due to acute shortage of staff and non-recruitment of adequate staff in sub-staff and clerical cadres, Venkatachalam said.

Similarly officers are also working under stress. Work life-balance, five days banking and others are the cry of the day. Branch Managers also suffer from targeting by the higher management in the name of non-achievement of targets and non-performance.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) in Maharashtra has given the call for strike on 16-11-2024 against the increasing instances of attacks on managers/officers/staff by customers, borrowers, public and political elements, Venkatachalam added.

According to him, PSBs have a total staff strength of eight lakh divided equally between Officers  and Workmen  cadres.

“About one lakh vacancies in the Workman cadre needs to be filled. Currently the banks are top heavy having a poor span of control,” Venkatachalam said.