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Vacant Workmen Director Posts from Decades In PSBs: Who Will Represent Bank Employees?
Bank employees across India are raising their concern against the prolonged vacancy of Workmen Director positions in Public Sector Banks (PSBs). For nearly a decade, these crucial roles have remained vacant, leaving employees without representation in key decision making processes. Despite repeated demands from bank employees, the government has failed to act, impacting transparency and accountability in the banking sector.
Author: Kalyani Mali
Published: March 25, 2025
The positions of Workmen Directors and Officer Directors in Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have remained vacant for nearly 8 to 10 years, leaving employees without a voice in bank governance. Workmen Directors play a crucial role in ensuring employee representation in decision-making processes. Despite repeated demands from bank union, the government has failed to appoint representatives to these key posts, affecting transparency and accountability in the banking sector.
The long-standing vacancy of these positions has resulted in important decisions being made without employee input, affecting staff morale and transparency in bank governance. Many major banks have had these posts unfilled for years, and All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) has been actively demanding their appointment. The government's delay in addressing this issue makes it even more important to restore these positions for fair and inclusive governance.
The Role of Workmen Directors
Workmen Directors serve as representatives of non-officer employees (workmen category) on the Board of Directors of PSBs. Their presence ensures that the voices of workers are heard and that decisions regarding policies, employment conditions, and operational matters consider employee welfare.
Government Delays Workmen Director Appointments: AIBEA
Kanal spoke to Mr. Devidas Tuljapurkar, Joint Secretary of AIBEA, and he provided critical insights into the issue. He stated that, “The government is purposely delaying the appointment of Workmen Directors and emphasized their crucial role in governance.”
He further remarked, “They act as watchdog in the system. All important decisions such as merger of banks, closure of branches in the name of rationalisation of branches , levy of exorbitant service charges, unbridled write off to corporate, sacrifice in the name of haircut, unbridled outsourcing of jobs etc important decisions have been taken in absence of this representation which to certain extent would have arrested this.”
A Decade-long Vacancy Crisis
Despite the importance of these roles, successive governments have failed to fill these posts. The last appointments were made several years ago, leaving a significant gap in employee representation. According to AIBEA, the Workmen Director positions in major banks such as Bank of Maharashtra, Punjab & Sind Bank, and Union Bank of India have been vacant for nearly a decade.
List of Banks and Vacant Positions
Image: Data on the vacancy of workmen director posts across all the PSBs.
Source: AIBEA
The prolonged delay in appointing Workmen Directors highlights a major gap in banking governance. Restoring these positions is not just a demand from employee unions, it is a necessity for fair and inclusive decision-making in public sector banks. The government must act swiftly to fill these posts and ensure that employees have rightful representation in policy-making.