UFBU seeks adequate hiring in PSBs, regularisation of temporary staff

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) -- which represents nine unions -- on Monday appealed to the Central government to ensure adequate recruitment in public sector banks (PSBs) to deal with mounting work pressures at branches, which it claimed has been compromising efficiency at a time when private banks are on hiring spree.   

 

The bank union also demanded regularisation of temporary staff and immediate implementation of a decision to for five days working per week.

 

Over the years, the workforce in PSBs has dwindled significantly, creating an unsustainable work environment and compromising the efficiency and reach of these institutions, UFBU said, adding the decline in workforce has been due to reasons like steady decline due to retirements, voluntary exits, and inadequate recruitment drives.

 

Old private banks, regional rural banks and co-operative banks are also facing the same issues, UFBU said.

 

“But in contrast, new private sector banks have rapidly increased their workforce, leveraging aggressive recruitment strategies to enhance their operational efficiency and customer service,” UFBU said in a memorandum to the Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Union Finance ministry.

 

Since 2013, employees in the clerical category of state-owned banks have gone down from 3,98,801 to 246,965 and the number of sub-staff went down from 1,53,628 to 94,348 for the same period. In contrast, employees in the private banks have gone up from 225,805 in FY2014 to 796,809 in FY2024, it said.

 

Umbrella body of bank unions said in public sector banks, the average customer-to-employee ratio goes up to 2000:1, far surpassing the average of 300:1 in the new private banks, it added.

 

Regularise temporary employees

 

In almost all the branches, employees are engaged on temporary basis in the absence of adequate recruitments in the banks and virtual ban on recruitment of sub-staff and housekeeping staff. These temporary employees are working in the branches for years together. But they are permanently temporary.

 

The very fact that banks and branches are employing these temporary employees explains the shortage of staff in branches and the need for recruitment of permanent employees. While doing so, these temporary employees need to be regularised.

 

Referring to long-pending shift to five-day work week, it said this was agreed in the Settlement and Joint Note dated 8.3.2024 that in terms of understanding on December 07, 2023, reached with Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) to declare of all Saturdays as holidays under Negotiable Instrument Act for Banking Industry.

 

“It has been more than a year that the IBA has recommended to the government and till date the approval has not been received. Hence, we seek your intervention to approve and introduce the same at the earliest,” UFBU said.