Bank of Baroda Officer Fighting for Life due to Late Night Meeting, Union demands Action against Officers who conducted Late Night Meeting

Recently, an employee of Bank of Baroda had met with an accident while returning late from office. The incident occurred around 9:00 PM, shortly after he stepped out of the branch premises. But Why did he leave office so late? The reason was a video conference meeting organized by the Regional Office. The accident was so severe that the employee was immediately rushed to Apollo Hospital in Lucknow, where he underwent an emergency brain surgery.

This is not the only such incident. Several such incidents have happened in the past but the bank management has not taken any lesson from these incidents. Now, the Bank of Baroda Officers’ Union has written a letter to MD&CEO of Bank of Baroda and has demanded investigation into the matter.

Shri Rahul Kumar Pal, WMS Officer at Lalganj Branch, Raebareilly Region, met with a critical accident on 23.06.2025 while returning home after being compelled to stay in the branch until 9:00 PM due to a late-night video conference conducted by the RBDM (Chief Manager) and Regional Manager, Raebareilly. He is currently critically injured and fighting for his life.

This is not an isolated incident. Around two years ago in Ajmer Region, Late Shri Manish Chandra lost his life under similar circumstances. On a holiday, he was forced to assist the auditors till midnight for audit completion, and while returning home, met with a fatal accident. His bereaved wife is still struggling for compassionate appointment, family pension, and reimbursement of medical and Escorts Hospital expenses. Despite this tragedy, no systemic correction was made by the management to restrict late sitting and exploitation of staff.

The union said that it has been observed that the so-called Head Office, BCC, and Zonal Offices have failed to probe or fix accountability for such inhuman practices forcing officers into late-night work under pressure of non-feasible targets, ignoring their safety and family lives.

Is the Bank‟s management only keen on showcasing HR Excellence awards and Golden Peacock trophies, while ignoring the brutal realities faced by officers on the ground? The business and profits of the Bank are growing, but the staff strength is continuously being reduced, overburdening officers with unrealistic targets and forced late sittings. Does the management not feel morally and legally responsible for the direct consequences of such unscientific and inhuman HR policies?

The union has repeatedly raised concerns against unwarranted Video Conferencings (VCs) and forced late sittings through multiple communications, but the bank management neither responded nor issued guidelines to restrict these practices. Even after these tragic incidents, there has been no formal communication from bank management restricting controlling offices from disturbing branches with unwarranted VCs.

The additional work forcibly extracted from officers without compensation is worth ₹1300 crores annually, earning the Bank awards while the officers are subjected to threats, scolding, harassment, and unending pressure.

The union said to MD&CEO: We reiterate that we work in a Government-owned Bank under defined rules and guidelines, not under private owners. Yet, executives continue to misuse powers arbitrarily. HR in Guntur says the RM can transfer anyone without norms; Hyderabad ZM bypasses guidelines and declares himself a superpower. Despite being informed of these violations, your office remains inactive, showing utter disregard for officers‟ concerns.

The grievance mechanism in the Bank is dysfunctional, mechanical, and ineffective, reducing officers to slavery and bonded labour. Officers raising genuine issues face punitive transfers to remote locations, disturbing family life in violation of DFS guidelines.

In view of these serious concerns, on behalf of the entire officers’ community, the union has demand the following:

1. Immediate initiation of action against officials responsible for the late-night VC that led to the accident of Shri Rahul Kumar Pal.
2. Accountability fixing in the case of Late Shri Manish Chandra in Ajmer Region, ensuring his family receives all pending dues including compassionate appointment, family pension, and medical reimbursements.
3. Invitation of complaints and feedback from officers across all regions regarding forced late-night VCs and late sittings.
4. Immediate issuance of guidelines restricting controlling offices to conduct only one VC per week, at fixed hours convenient to branch staff, with disciplinary action against any executive violating these guidelines.
5. Comprehensive review of all regional-level transfers to identify and rectify violations of HO guidelines, curbing “MANMAANI” arbitrary transfers.
6. Forensic audit of the HR department, which is the root cause of these systematic exploitations, to ensure accountability and structural correction within the Bank.

The union has also threatened that if proper action is not initiated then the Union will escalate these issues to regulators, authorities, and the public domain, holding the management responsible for any future accidents, deaths, or suicides of officers subjected to unbearable stress and systematic exploitation.