Who Will Save Bankers from Corona, Customers and Local Administration?

 While the government announced a package of measures for the poor, it failed to visualise that this may bring customers to the bank and the social distancing could go for a toss, exposing the bankers to the risk of contracting coronavirus. This is exactly what has happened as revealed in a tweetstream of banker who calls himself Newton Bank Kumar (@idesibanda). He created a hashtag #BankerHaiPoliceNahin, which remained trending  on Twitter for quite some time

How many reminders do u need
sir @narendramodi ji?
Banks are becoming the epicenter of CORONA. pls re-think about economic soldiers and citizens.
Thanks to @ABPNews for this coverage.@nsitharaman @idesibanda @ndtv @WHO @IndiaToday @IndianExpress https://t.co/vcWEnQPgHk pic.twitter.com/MrWfYwooPF

— Anil Kumar Meena (@Anilmeena89) April 13, 2020

Banking is the backbone of economy and so during the corona virus (COVID19) pandemic, it was considered as essential service. Bankers were asked to keep branches functioning with skeleton staff. However, due to lack of protective gears and mostly any security, these bankers are finding it very difficult to handle the situation, and are constantly working under fear of catching corona or facing anger from customers.

 

Several unions and associations of bank employees and officers have been raising voices about the risky environment under which they are forced to function. However, till date there is no respite from the government while number of customers visiting bank branches continue to increase. 

 

There have been some incidents where customers tried to attack bankers as well. Main issue all bank staff is facing is overcrowding in branches and lack of social distancing. However, instead of helping bankers do their jobs at some places like Barabanki, and Meerut. 

In fact, in Gurdaspur in Punjab, one deputy commissioner of police detained a bank manager for failing to enforce social distancing norms. As per report from The Tribune, after seating in the police station for half an hour, the manager was asked why he let the customers break social distancing norms.

In March, Indian National Bank Employees' Federation (INBEF) has raised this issue. Subhash S Sawant, general secretary of INBEF, in a letter to Sanjeev Bandlish, convenor of United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU) had said, "Customers irrespective of their age and gender do attend the branches.

 

We do not know their health status. They do use our banking services including toilets, sofas, chairs, and drinking water, whereby we are exposed to the maximum risk of contact. Branches have not even provided with required sanitisation kits and equipment. Under such circumstances it has become very difficult and vulnerable to work at the branches." 

 

Last week AIBEA sent a letter to Debashish Panda, secretary in the department of financial services on special leaves and providing special insurance to bank staffs. In the letter CH Venkatachalam, general Secretary, AIBEA, says, if bankers are quarantined for 14 days or hospitalised for treatment of COVID19, then this should be treated as special leave. 

 

"As a welfare gesture the finance minister has announced that all medial, para-medical and other frontline workers and connected staff who are on duty during this period will get an insurance cover of Rs50 lakh for three months.

 

Since bank staff are also facing the same kind of problem and risk possibilities, banks may be advised to go in for a similar comprehensive group insurance cover against risk to health and life during the next three months," the bank employee union demanded.

 

According to Mr Sawant from INBEF, the main reason for overcrowding in banks is relief deposited by government in bank accounts, especially for poor, who have no other source of income during the lockdown. He says, “We had cautioned the government that instead of depositing Rs500 per month in Jan Dhan accounts of women for three months it would have been better to depositing Rs1,500 in one go so that these account holders will not rush every month to withdraw the said amount. Similarly, other direct benefit transfers to farmers, labourers and weaker section have further added to the woes of the bank employees. There is heavy rush in the bank branches across the country, which have violated the norms of social distancing. Incidents of mob violence and man handling of the bank officials have been reported across the country.”

Basically, central, zonal or regional offices of the bank manage security at branches. When there is no security provided by the bank, the local police station is mandated to regularly visit the branch and mark it in a police diary kept in the branch.  

 

“Instead of providing security to bank officials police authorities are seeking explanations and issuing notices to bankers, which is really unfortunate. It is learnt that the ministry of home has issued advisory to all states to provide protection to doctors, medical and para medical staff. We therefore urge the finance minister, to issue similar advisory for bank staff as well,” Mr Sawant says in a letter sent to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman