Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
Recently, various public sector bank managements have advertised for the recruitment of apprentices. The UCO Bank has announced 544 posts, Indian Bank 1500 posts, and Punjab National Bank 2700 posts for apprentices. These apprentices will be hired for one year and will be given Rs. 10000 to 15000 as allowance.
Various organizations of Bank workers including All India Bank Employees’ Association, Bank Employees Federation of India have been continuously demanding filling up of lakhs of vacancies in Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and also demanding Equal Pay for Equal Work for all the contractual and outsourced employees in the banks. To recruit apprentices is very clearly an attempt to circumvent these demands.
Bank unions have repeatedly pointed out that over last many years the managements of PSBs have followed a policy of not filling in the vacancies resulting from retirement, death, voluntary retirement or even promotion. As a result, the number of vacancies is continuously increasing. The unions have also pointed out that over last 15 years, Total business handled, Business handled per branch, Business per employee has increased many folds, but the number of permanent employees per branch has reduced by around 50%. They have also pointed out that in more than 75% of branches of all PSBs temporary employees are being engaged. The temporary employees in most cases are put on the job without proper training whereas the responsibility of their work is put on the shoulders of permanent employees. This state of affairs puts excessive strain on the permanent employees. With recruitment of apprentices, this situation will only worsen.
The permanent employees will have to spend considerable time in training these apprentices while also delivering their regular responsibilities. And these apprentices will be replaced every year and pushed into unemployment once again! Banking sector unions are correctly pointing out that such policies will have adverse impact on service to customers. Then the Government of India will turn around and use the dissatisfied customer voice to justify privatisation of banks! This is what Government of India has done in case of many PSEs like BSNL, Air India etc. We must strengthen our demand for the permanent recruitment of bank employees!