Bank of Maharashtra Employees Call Out Severe Staff Shortage in Online Protest

The Bank of Maharashtra (BOM) employees' agitation has intensified as they demand urgent staff recruitment, fair HR policies, and union rights. The protest, amplified on social media on 9th March(Sunday) with the hashtag #Bom_Staff_Ladhenge_Jitenge, has gained attention, with banking unions and employees uniting for their cause.

The campaign, which started as an online protest, is now evolving into a large-scale agitation, with employees warning of a nationwide strike on March 20, 2025, if their demands are not met.

Social Media Outcry: Voices of BOM Employees

Image: Social media campaign room in Latur

A participant in the social media campaign told Kanal, “The online protest was a direct response to the massive staff shortage, evident from over 2 lakh tweets generated by just 4,000 union members. This highlights the fact that, despite the bank’s strong financial growth, we continue to work under undesirable conditions.”

He further added, “We are struggling with an extreme lack of leave, disrupting our work-life balance, yet management has ignored our repeated appeals. Left with no other choice, we are now forced to resort to protest and strike.”

Image: Social media campaign room in Nagpur

Image: Social media campaign room in Akola

As per members of social media campaign, there were approximately 2.20 lakh tweets with the hashtag “#Bom_Staff_Ladhenge_Jitenge”, reflecting the rising distress among employees of BoM.

Employees have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration over staff shortages and not having proper management. The movement has seen thousands of tweets calling out the bank’s management and the government for failing to address their concerns.

One X user tweeted:

 “बेहरी सरकार @DFS_India और बेहरा @mahabank management. Are you deaf, dumb, and blind @FinMinIndia? We want adequate recruitment to provide better service.”

Image: Tweets from X (formerly Twitter)

The agitation focuses on the severe shortage of clerical and sub-staff, which employees say is causing excessive workload, stress, and delays in banking services.

A key demand has been highlighted in another tweet:

“We demand adequate recruitment in clerical and sub-staff.”

With over 42% reduction in clerical staff over the past decade, employees fear that without immediate hiring, banking operations could suffer further.

Image: Data of decline in clerical staff of Bank of Maharashtra

Unions Stand in Solidarity

The All India Bank of Maharashtra Employees Federation (AIBOMEF) has officially backed the movement, emphasizing that the struggle is not just about BOM employees but about ensuring fair treatment across all Public Sector Banks (PSBs).

A user tweeted:

“Fight Together, Win Together.”

Image: Tweets from X (formerly Twitter)

Additionally, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), General Secretary, C.H. Venkatachalam extended his support, strengthening the movement.

 “We extend full solidarity with BoM employees in their fight for justice.”

With union backing, employees believe their demands will now surely be addressed by the government and banking authorities.

Key Demands of Employees

The core demands of the movement include:

• Recruitment of PTS by Absorption of temporary PTS.
• Adequate recruitment of clerical and sub-staff.
• Filling up of special assistant posts as per agreement.
• Restoration of bipartisan practices.
• Restoration of union offices.
• Honoring the De Jure Recognition Agreement in letter and spirit.

Employees argue that these changes are necessary to maintain banking efficiency and  customer service quality.

Nationwide Strike Looms

With no official response from BoM management or financial authorities, employees are preparing for the March 20, 2025 strike, which could severely impact banking operations nationwide. Customers are being advised to complete their essential banking transactions in advance to avoid inconvenience.