Banks Services Recruitment Board revival must, demands NOBW

Employees' body claims recruitment process has almost come to a standstill and banking transactions have suffered

The National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) has demanded immediate reconstitution of the Banking Services Recruitment Board (BSRB) to "save banks from staff crunch and work overload".

The recruitment process in the banking sector has almost come to a standstill and resultantly banking transactions have suffered; hence, we have been demanding revival of the Board which was disbanded in 2005, General Secretary Ashwani Rana and President Dinkar Kulkarni said.

Most of the staffs in the public sector banks are working beyond their specific limit, thereby affecting not only their output but also the overall functioning of the institutions, they said.

"Due to faulty policies, public sector banks were recruiting highly qualified professionals like IIT pass-outs who leave the organisation within a year, leaving the posts vacant," Rana said.

"They (banks) should recruit simple graduates in the clerical cadre who are expected to remain in service for a longer period," Kulkarni said. Both were here to celebrate the golden jubilee of NOBW which was founded in Nagpur.

Rana, who is from Canara Bank, New Delhi, said the voluntary retirement scheme introduced sometime back created a big gap in the staff position.

A number of talented and experienced staff had left the bank which led to manpower shortage, he said.

Kulkarni admitted that the recovery was slow in PSU banks and thus the NPA was always on the higher side.

But people are fed up with the recovery methods of the private sector, he said.

The two-day golden jubilee celebrations include discussion on banking sector reforms, non-performing assets, outsourcing, merger and acquisitions of banks, new licencing policy and non-banking business.