From Verbal Orders to Late-Night Meetings, AIBOBOU Exposes Systemic Strain on Bank of Baroda Officers

He recalled that two years ago, an officer died in a road accident after attending such a late-night meeting. Despite this, the bank has yet to provide any compensation to the officer’s family. He contrasted this with state government practices, where appointments for dependents are usually processed within two to three months.

Daily Calls, Meetings and Pressure Affect Customer Service

He pointed out that branches are burdened with back-to-back calls and online meetings, which prevent staff from carrying out core banking operations.

He further warned that this system has deteriorated service quality, and officers are pushed to meet targets “by hook or crook”—a method which, he stressed, is not acceptable in a government-owned bank where everything should be documented.

Alleged Collusion with Majority Union and Erosion of Trust

Highlighting another concern, the AIBOBOU leader alleged that the majority officers' association has failed to raise such issues because of its close alignment with management.

He explained that many officers now lack faith in union protection and feel compelled to comply with late working hours for fear of being transferred. This has led to a widespread loss of confidence among officers in the trade union mechanism itself. He claimed that  AIBOBOU, as a minority union, has taken up these critical matters.

Management Instructions Are Verbal, Not Written

He stated that after the recent incident, a Zonal Manager claimed he had already instructed regions not to conduct meetings after 6 PM. However, he pointed out that this instruction was never issued in writing—“that is also hawa only,” he said, referring to the verbal nature of communication.

He said AIBOBOU has now demanded proper written instructions stating that even branch managers should not attend meetings beyond 6 PM. The union has also directed its members not to take any official calls between 8 PM and 8 AM, describing that time as “quality time to spend with family.”

He further alleged that management is disregarding even the guidelines issued by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), under the Ministry of Finance, which owns the bank. “The unfortunate thing is these people defy even the DFS guidelines,” he said.

Legal Action and Workload Analysis

The union has taken legal steps, Sriniwasrao confirmed, with one case filed against the promotion process and another against the transfer policy. Hearings are expected within the next couple of months, expressing confidence that the officers will receive justice.

He estimated that officers are working an additional 2.5 to 3 hours daily. With around 42,000 officers putting in this extra time, it results in 1,26,000 additional man-hours each day. Calculated in monetary terms, this equals approximately ₹1,300 crore per year. According to him, this figure represents the salary cost of additional staff that should have been recruited. Instead, the bank shows these savings as part of its profit, while officers continue to work under pressure.

Arbitrary Transfers and Lack of Written Orders

According to Sriniwasrao , transfers within the bank are being conducted in a highly informal manner. Officers are often called on the phone and told they have been transferred to another location, with instructions to report the next day—without receiving written orders or proper relieving documentation.

He emphasised that there is no uniform policy—one region operates differently from another. Due to this, many officers now call the bank "Bank of Hawa" (bank of air), as everything from transfers to instructions is carried out informally, without documentation or written directives

Post-Merger IT Inefficiencies Have Created Monitoring Gaps

According to Sriniwasrao, “When Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank merged into BoB, Vijaya Bank had an excellent IT system. Whatever was done at the branch would instantly reflect on the dashboards of controlling officers. For example, a Regional Manager could see a sanctioned loan within minutes at the Regional or Head Office level.”

He added, “I am from Vijaya Bank, and we used to call people from the regional office to appreciate good performance, while also checking whether precautions had been taken. That was the kind of follow-up we maintained.”

Now, despite major IT spending, Bank of Baroda’s systems remain poorly monitored. Branches receive no real-time updates from the top, so officers are frequently called to report figures—housing loans, gold loans, deposit status, RTI accounts, and more.

This consumes significant time. Regional Office staff now call branches twice daily to collect basic data—something that earlier happened only during quarterly reviews. This micromanagement has become routine and excessive.

A Minority Union Trying to Make a Difference

Summing up the situation, he described this as the ground reality faced by officers in BoB today. Despite being a minority organisation, he said AIBOBOU is making every sincere effort to improve the service conditions of its members.

The account provided by AIBOBOU highlights long-standing operational and systemic issues within Bank of Baroda. From outdated IT systems and informal orders to over-monitoring and extended work hours, the union has called for transparent written instructions, work-life balance, and adherence to central government norms.