Union Bank Casual Employees Stage Nationwide Dharna for Bonus Payment and Regularisation of Employment

On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, casual employees of Union Bank of India staged a nationwide dharna to protest against the non-payment of bonuses and the continued denial of regularisation of their employment status. Demonstrations were reported from various centres across multiple states, with significant participation from casual employees and their families. The agitation also intensified the demands for equal pay for equal work and payment of minimum wages for casual workers. 

(A picture from the dharna held at Ernakulam, Kerala.) 

Decades-Long Struggle for Recognition

Casual employees have long alleged systemic exploitation within Union Bank of India. Despite carrying out the duties of permanent staff for years, many of these workers remain on daily wages without official acknowledgment. The All India Union Bank Employees Federation (AIUBEF), claims that the bank management has continuously denied the existence of casual labourers in its workforce.

According to a document issued by AIUBEF, the bank’s management misused the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Umadevi case (2006) to avoid regularising casual workers. Employees were allegedly made to work under different names, thus obscuring any record of continued employment. This, the Federation argues, is a violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and basic human rights.

(Casual employees commemorating Dr. B R Ambedkar as part of the dharna in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.)

Unfulfilled Promises of Bonus Payment

One of the key demands raised during the protest was the payment of bonuses to eligible casual employees. On 11 December 2024, the Regional Labour Commissioner(RLC), Kolkata convened a conciliation meeting attended by management representatives and AIUBEF General Secretary Jagannatha Chakraborty. In that meeting, the MD & CEO(through her authorised representatives), agreed to disburse bonuses by 31 December 2024 and report the payments to the RLC by 31 January 2025.

(A copy of the agreement reached in the conciliation meeting on 11 December 2024.)

However, according to AIUBEF, the bank has yet to honour this commitment. Speaking to Kanal, General Secretary Chakraborty said, “The due payment of bonus is a burning issue among the casual employees. The management’s hesitation to pay the bonus to the eligible casual employees stems from their reluctance to acknowledge the existence of casual labour in the bank. If the management pays the bonus, it will be a testament to the existence of casual labour in Union Bank of India. They are very desperate to avoid such a situation.”

He also condemned the management's disregard towards the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. "Union Bank MD & CEO has now backed out from her own agreement. As a result, very few casual workers are paid the bonus. Interestingly, the MD & CEO is now avoiding to report to the RLC about the status of paying bonus to casual employees as per her agreement signed in the conciliation meeting", Chakraborty added. 

Pending Legal Disputes and Unresolved Recruitment

In addition to the bonus issue, AIUBEF has long demanded regularisation of employment and implementation of equal pay for equal work. A legal case related to equal pay remains pending in the CGIT-cum-Labour Court, Kolkata. The issue of permanent recruitment also remains unresolved.

According to the document released by AIUBEF, a recruitment drive for subordinate staff was last conducted in 2014, in which 442 out of 1,165 vacancies were filled by casual employees. The remaining 786, despite years of service, were not absorbed into regular positions. Due to alleged corruption, recruitment was not conducted in several regions including parts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Since then, there has been no fresh recruitment in the sub-staff cadre.

(Casual workers in Uttar Pradesh protesting with a picture of Dr. B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary.)

An RTI-based analysis by AIUBEF revealed discrepancies in government records. While the Finance Ministry had stated in Parliament that only 74 posts were vacant in the subordinate cadre as of 01 December 2021, internal records showed that more than 4,000 branches were operating without a designated housekeeper-cum-peon. AIUBEF brought these issues to the notice of the Finance Minister in a letter dated 03 October 2022, but no action was reportedly taken.(Casual workers observing dharna in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.) 

Call for Accountability

AIUBEF has called upon the government, particularly the Department of Financial Services (DFS), to exercise vigilance and intervene in the matter. They argue that systemic neglect and an over-reliance on "managerial autonomy" have allowed the exploitation to persist.

(Dharna organised in Telangana.)

The nationwide dharna by casual employees of Union Bank underscores a prolonged struggle for recognition, fair wages, and regular employment. Despite multiple rounds of conciliation and legal interventions, core demands remain unmet.