Online Meeting Harassment & Target Pressure: BEFI Protests Against Anti-employee Policies of IOB Management

The Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) held a protest demonstration in front of the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Office of the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) on 28 January 2025, demanding an end to alleged anti-worker practices by the bank management. The protest highlighted violations of labour laws and the pressure exerted on employees to meet unattainable business targets.

(Sanil Babu, State Secretary of BEFI, addressing the demonstration at IOB Regional Office, Thiruvananthapuram.)  

Also Read : IOB Officer Alleges Caste Discrimination, Harassment and Assault by Senior Officials

Protest Against Unfair Work Policies

BEFI organized the protest in response to a recent incident where two clerical employees were allegedly forced to leave the branch and canvas for gold loans. According to reports, the Regional Manager of the Thiruvananthapuram office instructed these employees to return only after achieving the assigned targets, despite clerical staff not being responsible for such tasks under the existing bipartite agreement. The incident came to light through a video circulated on social media, sparking widespread outrage.

Sanil Babu, State Secretary of BEFI, termed the incident as bizarre and unacceptable. Speaking to Kanal, he said, “There is no provision in the bipartite settlement to assign targets to a clerical cadre employee. Besides this violation, asking a staff member to canvas gold loans to achieve targets is unheard of. Strict actions must be taken to stop this illogical business practice. Moreover, sending a clerical employee out of the branch and telling them not to return without achieving targets will adversely affect the core activities of the bank.”

(As part of the demonstration, Employees raise slogans against the anti-employee policies in IOB.) 

Pressure on Bankers and Violation of Agreements

The protest also addressed broader concerns regarding the pressure and intimidation faced by banking staff through online meetings. Employees are reportedly being forced to meet unrealistic targets beyond their designated job responsibilities. As per established norms, a Customer Service Associate may assist in acquiring new business, marketing, and guiding customers about banking products within office hours, but cannot be assigned specific sales targets.

The demonstrators emphasized that such practices violate the terms of the bipartite settlement, which clearly defines the roles of clerical and officer-level employees. BEFI representatives called for immediate corrective measures and urged authorities to intervene to ensure compliance with labour laws.

(From the protest demonstration organised by BEFI at IOB Regional Office Thiruvananthapuram.) 

Protest Led by Senior Leaders

The demonstration was inaugurated by Advocate I.B. Satish, MLA. Several key officials addressed the gathering, including BEFI State General Secretary N. Sanil Babu, Indian Overseas Bank Staff Federation of India Central Committee Member M. Chendurnathan, BEFI State Vice President K. Harikumar, Joint Secretary S.B.S. Prashanth, and District Secretary N. Nishant. District President S. Sajeev Kumar presided over the event.

Related Incident in Ernakulam

A similar incident was reported in the Ernakulam region, where an IOB officer was allegedly compelled by the Regional Manager to complete extensive targets. When the officer refused, a heated argument ensued, during which the Regional Manager allegedly manhandled the banker. Following a police complaint, a non-bailable offence was registered against the Regional Manager, who is reportedly in hiding to evade arrest.

BEFI leaders urged the management to put an end to such coercive practices and ensure that bank employees are allowed to perform their duties as per the established norms. They also called for stricter regulations to prevent further exploitation of banking staff.