Recently, the State Bank of India allowed the Inter Circle and Inter State transfers for Clerical staff. This was a long-pending demand of the SBI clerks, but it seems the clerical staff is not happy with the new transfer policy.
All India State Bank of India Employees’ Association (AISBIEA) has written a letter to the DMD of SBI, urging him to resolve certain provisions mentioned in the new transfer policy. Some of the provisions that need change as per SBI Clerks are as follows:
SBI has created the new transfer policy for staff recruited after 2020. This means staff recruited before 2020 are governed by a different transfer policy. The present policy imposes a five-year lock-in period, a lifetime ceiling of only two ICT opportunities and a maximum of ten cases per Circle per year on post-2019 recruits. Staff in the same cadre, doing the same work, are now governed by two different policies, which is discriminatory.
SBI has put a five-year clause in the new transfer policy. Candidates must serve in the bank for a minimum of five years, including probation, before they can even apply for a transfer under the Extreme Compassionate Ground. As per the association, this is unduly rigid and may cause serious hardship, as circumstances such as severe illness, disability, marriage, dependent-care responsibilities, and other compelling family emergencies may arise immediately after joining service.
Ten Extreme Compassionate Ground cases have been allowed per Circle per year. This means requests of only some employees may be considered for transfer per year. An employee can apply for Inter Circle Transfer only two times during the entire career, and as per the association, this is unnecessarily restrictive.
Demand of SBI Employees
- Withdraw the five-year lock-in and restore ICT/IST eligibility at least upon confirmation under a reasonable and uniform framework.
- Immediately exempt PwBD employees from the five-year minimum service condition in disability-related and other statutorily protected cases.
- Abolish the annual ceiling of ten cases per Circle, particularly for PwBD, caregiver and genuine Extreme Compassionate cases.
- Introduce an explicit category for primary caregivers of dependent PwBD persons, with individualised consideration on the basis of appropriate supporting documents.
- Ensure that PwBD employees and eligible caregivers are not subjected to transfer restrictions inconsistent with Section 20 of the RPwD Act, 2016 and applicable Government instructions.
- Establish a transparent, vacancy-based ICT/IST mechanism, with Circle-wise and location-wise vacancy information made available through the transfer portal.
- Remove or substantially liberalise the two-transfer lifetime ceiling, with safeguards against misuse.
- Establish one uniform ICT/IST policy for all Junior Associates/Award Staff, irrespective of recruitment year, instead of creating permanent classes based solely on date of joining.
- Ensure meaningful consideration of spouse grounds, female employees’ family circumstances and genuine family-unity cases, consistent with applicable Government/DFS instructions.
- Provide a time-bound appeal and grievance-redressal mechanism, preferably through an appropriately constituted committee.
- Ensure that PwBD, disability-related caregiver and Extreme Compassionate cases are considered on their individual merits, without rejection merely because an annual numerical ceiling has been exhausted.
Click here to read new transfer policy of SBI Clerk
