The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has expressed grave concerns over the growing number of attacks on bank employees by customers and other individuals within branch premises. In a letter addressed to the Chief Executive of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), AIBEA General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam highlighted the increasing physical and verbal assaults faced by bank staff and urged for immediate remedial measures. Recently, a lady branch manager was attacked by a customer inside bank. In another incident, a customer attacked Union Bank Manager over TDS issue.
The association pointed out that bank employees, already burdened by acute staff shortages and high workloads, are now dealing with physical violence and abusive behavior from unruly customers. In several instances, counter staff, including women employees, have reported being subjected to offensive language. AIBEA emphasized that such actions are unacceptable, as customers have alternative avenues to address grievances, including escalation to management and regulatory authorities like the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The letter also criticized the managements of banks for their alleged reluctance to file police complaints against errant customers, citing concerns over the bank’s reputation. “There is an impression among staff that managements are more concerned about impaired loans than human assets,” Venkatachalam said. He stressed that the prevailing attitude of “the customer is always right” emboldens misbehavior and further demoralizes employees.
Proposed Solutions
To address the issue, AIBEA has called for the following steps to ensure the safety and morale of bank staff:
- Issuing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to branches for handling such incidents.
- Empowering branches to immediately file complaints or FIRs with the police.
- Installing enhanced CCTV systems in all branches to record incidents in detail.
- Deploying adequate security personnel at branches.
- Blacklisting and closing the accounts of offending customers, with a recommendation to prohibit account opening in other banks for at least three years.
- Adding provisions in the Bipartite Settlement to enable employees to report misbehavior or attacks by customers.
AIBEA has also urged the IBA to convene discussions on this matter with the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to develop comprehensive guidelines.
Impact on Bank Staff
The association emphasized the adverse effect these incidents have on employees’ mental health and workplace morale. “Bank staff are working to earn their livelihood, not to face violence and abuse,” said Venkatachalam. He added that immediate and robust measures are necessary to prevent further deterioration of the work environment in banks.
The AIBEA’s call to action comes as a significant reminder of the challenges faced by bank employees and the need for collective efforts to ensure their safety and dignity.
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