- Crisis In Indian Banking Leads to Work Pressure and Driving Employees To Despair, Commit Extreme Steps
- Toxic work culture on the rise in banks
- 5DaysBanking: Bankers Urgently Demand 2 Days Off Per Week
- Banks see over 15% growth in new credit card addition: RBI data
- Banks Transfer ₹37,176 Crore to RBI’s Depositor Education and Awareness Fund in Last 3 Years
- Calls for Bankers’ Safety Amplified After Video of SBI Branch Manager Attack Goes Viral
- Nainital Bank Faces Privatisation Move Amid Staff Protests
- Whistleblowers Expose Nexus Operating from Three Banks
- Preserving RRBs: AIRRBEA Defends Rural Banking Against AIBOC-AIBEA Merger Proposals
- Union Bank of India’s new directive for weekend work at Retail Loan Points (RLPs) has sparked outrage among bankers
Bank of Baroda Officers Oppose New Transfer Policy: Officers’ Association to Initiate Protest from 29 April
Bank of Baroda officers are up in arms against the institution's newly notified transfer policy, prompting protests and strikes across the country.
Author: Abhivad
Published: April 27, 2024
The Bank of Baroda (BOB) is facing widespread opposition from its officers over a recent circular introducing changes to the transfer policy. The contentious move has led to a wave of representations and strike-calls by different unions.
Opposition to New Transfer Policy
The BOB recently announced a revised transfer policy, stipulating that only the officers who have completed six years in the officers’ cadre within their current zone can request a transfer to another zone of their preference. As per earlier transfer policies, this minimum tenure was three years which saw a sudden increase to six years. However, this decision has drawn sharp criticism from the All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Association, which has labelled it as an anti-officer and unjust policy.
(The strike call given by All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Association.)
Action Programme by Officers’ Association
In response to the perceived injustice, the BOB Officers’ Union has initiated a series of protest actions. These include wearing black badges and ribbons starting from 29 April 2024, submitting memorandums to regional heads on 30 April, organising demonstrations outside regional offices between 1 to 4 May, and ultimately an All India Strike post the General Elections on 7 June 2024, if the concerns regarding the new transfer policy are not resolved.
The Federation of BOB Officers’ Associations has also joined the fray by demanding a review and rectification of the transfer guidelines for the upcoming year.
Bankers' Concerns
Bank of Baroda employees, particularly those affected by the new policy, have expressed their grievances. Haritha, a BOB officer from Kerala circle commented that the sudden increase in the minimum tenure from three to six years is causing panic and demoralisation among the officers and their families. “The previous policies had shorter tenures, offering hope of returning to our parent zone sooner. But if the minimum tenure is to be increased to 6 years, it is going to leave an adverse impact on us, especially on our family life”, she added.
(The letter from Federation of BOB Officers’ Associations to the MD & CEO of BOB)
Furthermore, the management's decision to extend the age criteria for retransfer to 58 years has been met with criticism, deemed as ruthless by affected officers. Concerns about work-life balance, especially due to the absence of recruitment since 2019, have exacerbated the situation.
The standoff between Bank of Baroda officers and management over the revised transfer policy continues to escalate. While the officers' unions demand a reconsideration of the guidelines, the bank's management faces mounting pressure to address the grievances and restore confidence among its workforce.