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Aryavart Bank Weekend Work Mandate Faces Wrath of Bank Unions
Aryavart Bank's directive for weekend work sparks uproar among bank unions, including AIBEA and AIRRBEA. The move faces staunch opposition, with unions decrying its impact on work-life balance. Similar controversies have recently plagued other public sector banks.
Author: Saurav Kumar
Published: January 15, 2024
In a surprising development, the management of Aryavart Bank, a Regional Rural Bank (RRB) based in Uttar Pradesh, issued a directive instructing its officials and employees to resume work on either Saturday or Sunday (13th and 14th January).
This official communication mandated tasks such as relending and customer interaction for Non-Performing Asset (NPA) recovery through field visits.
Image : Aryavart Bank Unions Message to Skip Weekend Work
In December, Aryavart bank made headlines with Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) affiliated Aryavart Bank Officers Organisation that proposed compulsory retirement of non-performing employees above 50.
Unified Opposition to Weekend Work
Bank employee unions, including the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and All India Regional Rural Bank Employees Association (AIRRBEA), vehemently opposed the directive on weekend work. They instructed their members to abstain from going to banks on the past weekend.
Social media messages from unions underscored the adverse impact of such orders on the work-life balance of bankers. Unions categorically rejected any cooperation regarding bankers working on weekends.
A member of a bank union claimed that over 60% of the workforce did not comply with the official directive. However, a few bankers, anticipating threats of sudden transfers or actions by higher officials, did work on the weekend.
Aryavart Bank is Regional Rural Bank constituted on 1st April, 2019 after amalgamation of two Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) namely Gramin Bank of Aryavart and Allahabad UP Gramin Bank. It is operating from 26 districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Voluntary On Paper, Compulsory In Action
According to a member of AIRRBEA, weekend work at Aryavart Bank has been ongoing for the past 10 months continuously. Though officially presented as voluntary, in practice, bankers are coerced into working on weekends.
He remarked, “Since the appointment of a new chairman, weekend work has become a routine, prompting unions to collectively boycott the practice.”
A banker speaking anonymously to Kanal stated, “The voluntary appeal from the bank management to work on weekends is a façade to restrict bankers from taking compensatory leave. We are constantly pressured via phone calls to work on weekends.”
Another official from AIRRBEA commented on the overwhelming weekend work pressure at Aryavart Bank, describing it as nauseating. Bankers on weekend duty face close monitoring, including the sharing of live location during field visits.
Controversy Around Weekend Work
Recent incidents of bankers being compelled to work on weekends have stirred controversy. For instance, SBI branches in the Rampur region of Uttar Pradesh were directed to remain open on a weekend (November 25, November 26, and November 27, 2023).
Similarly, bankers in the Bank of Baroda were instructed by regional heads in Rajasthan to complete the uploading of BOB World-related documents on the portal on the weekend. Last weekend, Bank of Baroda in the Noida region issued a directive to bankers to work on January 14 ( a holiday for Makar Sankranti)
But fortunately, the decision was reversed after All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) unit in Bank of Baroda stood against the order.
The trend of weekend work directly highlights the larger concern of bankers facing pressure to meet targets, leading to resentment within the banking fraternity.