Bank Mitra of Indian Bank in Sonbhadra and Mirzapur are currently on a three-day strike to express their grievances and demand certain changes. As a result, the customer service centers of these banks will remain closed during this time.
The bank mitra have highlighted a number of issues they are facing. They claim that the company has been implementing changes every year, shifting between working on laptops and Point of Sale (POS) machines. They express frustration that they have various types of devices lying idle, as they were required to purchase new laptops last year due to a Mobile Device Management (MDM) initiative. This year, they are being pressured to buy POS machines. The bank mitra also allege that they have been receiving threats via WhatsApp, warning them that their access will be blocked if they do not comply with these demands.
The bank mitra further state that the financial assistance of Rs 5000, previously given to them by the Prime Minister, has been completely abolished. Additionally, the incentives that the bank used to provide for opening new accounts have also been abolished. They express dissatisfaction with the fact that they are often forced to work on government holidays under pressure, and if they refuse to do so, their accounts are legally frozen by the company. This disrupts their work for several days, affecting their ability to fulfill their authorized tasks as per the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India. Furthermore, they claim that they are sometimes compelled to perform unauthorized work without receiving any remuneration.
These problems have cast a shadow over the future of Bank Mitras, the bank mitra who provide various services on behalf of the bank. They urge for a prompt resolution to these issues in order to alleviate the challenges they are facing. They also express concern about the company’s threat to terminate their employment if they choose not to work, which has only increased the fear and anxiety among the bank friends.
Future Actions
Suresh Patel, the President of Vindhya Welfare Society, has announced that the bank friends are currently engaged in a three-day strike. If their demands are not met, they plan to escalate their protest by gathering at the District Magistrate (DM) office and the zonal office in Mirzapur. They intend to continue their strike indefinitely until their concerns are addressed.
It is a prosecutable offence by the contract companies and no legal system exist in banking to engage and reveal banking secrecy to thirdparty.