AIWBOA Urges Bank of Baroda to Act After Officers’ Suicides

The All India We Bankers Officers’ Association (AIWBOA) has written to the leadership of Bank of Baroda after the tragic deaths of two officers, which it says were caused by unbearable work pressure and harassment.

Image - AIWBOA letter to the  Managing Director and CEO of BoB

On 24 September 2025, Raj Kumar, National Deputy General Secretary of AIWBOA, sent a letter to the bank’s Managing Director and CEO, Shri Debadatta Chand. The letter was titled “Urgent Call for Accountability – Suicides of Officers Due to Harassment and Work Pressure.” It referred to the deaths of one officer in the Pune Zone in July 2025 and of Shri Ishwar Chander Jha, Senior Manager (Credit) in the Ranchi Region, who died on 19 September 2025.

The association stated that officers across the bank are now “disturbed, demoralised and anguished.” It strongly linked the deaths to harassment, humiliation, and unsafe work practices.

Allegations Against Management
The AIWBOA directly accused the Regional Manager (RM) and Deputy Regional Manager (DRM) of pressuring and harassing the deceased officers. It also said some Regional Heads were openly ignoring directives from the Corporate Office, which had earlier advised on maintaining work-life balance and restricting long working hours.

The letter described a toxic work culture marked by late-night meetings, abusive language, constant digital monitoring through WhatsApp and GPS, and unrealistic performance targets. According to the association, repeated warnings had been ignored, showing a deeper failure in the system to enforce discipline and accountability.

Demands for Urgent Action
In its communication, the AIWBOA made four key demands: