Mahabank Employees Protest Over Staffing Shortages and Working Conditions
On Monday, March 17, members of the All India Bank of Maharashtra Employees Federation gathered outside the bank’s headquarters, ‘Lokmangal,’ to protest against staffing shortages and demanding improved working conditions. Key demands included immediate recruitment across all levels, including peons, clerks, and support staff, an end to arbitrary management practices, and adherence to previous agreements with employees. The demonstrators also emphasized the need for enhanced customer service standards to ensure both safety and efficiency.
The protest was led by the Federation’s National General Secretary, Devidas Tuljapurkar, and Organizational Secretary, Shailesh Tilekar. Over 500 employees from 51 zonal offices participated in the demonstration.
Protesters highlighted the critical staffing shortages across Mahabank branches. They reported that over 700 branches are operating without regular peons, while 318 branches lack even a single clerk. In 1,290 branches, just one clerk manages the entire workload. This has forced employees to work overtime, including on holidays, and many are denied leave for personal or health reasons. Such conditions have led to heightened stress and health concerns among employees, directly impacting customer service quality.
As the number of customers and their expectations continue to grow, the lack of adequate staffing is making it increasingly difficult to provide efficient service. Employees also warned that being overburdened has led to a relaxation of essential regulations, increasing the risk of fraud and financial loss for both the bank and its customers.
Frustration among employees has grown due to the management’s perceived indifference to these issues. Protesters announced that if their demands are not met, they will initiate a nationwide strike on March 20. This strike will push for recruitment at all levels to alleviate the excessive workload faced by current employees.
In 2021, the bank abolished the position of sanitation workers and outsourced the role. As a result, many workers are now deprived of basic wages and benefits, such as leave and medical facilities, which were previously available to permanent employees. Workers with years of service in temporary roles now face job insecurity and a lack of legal protections.
“The bank management is disregarding legal agreements made with employee unions and ignoring High Court orders. This has created significant frustration among our workforce. We urge Mahabank customers to understand our stance and support our upcoming strike,” said Devidas Tuljapurkar, National General Secretary of the All India Bank of Maharashtra Employees Federation.
The strike aims to highlight the employees’ grievances and prompt the management to take decisive action towards resolving staffing and workplace issues.
