The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has announced potential nationwide protests, including strikes, to demand adequate staffing in both public and private sector banks. The union is pressing for the immediate recruitment of personnel to fill long-standing vacancies, which they argue is hampering the quality of customer service.
AIBEA General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam stated in a press release that banks have failed to recruit sufficient staff in recent years, with hiring for subordinate positions halting entirely. “There are more than one lakh vacant posts in the banks which remain unfilled,” he said, adding that the recruitment slowdown is severely affecting the sector’s ability to deliver satisfactory services.
According to Venkatachalam, instead of addressing the vacancies, many banks are outsourcing permanent jobs to temporary and contract workers, a practice the AIBEA strongly opposes. “We have been demanding adequate recruitment of staff in banks to fill up all vacancies,” he emphasized.
In addition to staffing issues, Venkatachalam raised concerns over the growing problem of bad loans and non-performing assets (NPAs). He called on the government to publish a list of loan defaulters and take strict action to recover the outstanding amounts. “The bulk of the defaulted loans are from big private corporate companies, not individuals,” he explained.
The AIBEA leader also criticized what he described as leniency towards major corporate loan defaulters. “Instead of taking stern action, huge concessions are being given. Banks are incurring losses due to such write-offs, and we oppose the concessions given to big loan defaulters,” he stated.
Venkatachalam singled out the Adani Group, questioning how the conglomerate secured a 74% haircut on a ₹61,832 crore loan in a recent auction. He noted that the total amount of loans written off by banks between 2001 and 2023 stands at ₹14.56 lakh crore, raising concerns over the impact of these write-offs on the banking sector’s financial health.
As the agitation looms, the AIBEA is calling for immediate action to address these issues and protect the integrity of India’s banking system.
