N.RAJAGOPAL

“52 year old woman Bank Manager committed suicide by hanging”. This news has shaken the conscious of the people all over the country particularly that of the bank employees and officers. Smt Padmavati, Branch Manager, Canara Bank, Bejai Branch of Mangalore city took this extreme step to end her life by hanging on 12th October 2022, allegedly due to work pressure. This is not a case in isolation; it is due to present day work pressure, as alleged. We mourn the untimely death by suicide of Smt Padmavati and share the grief of her family members and the Canbank family.

Nowadays it is widely seen that the bank executives have started exerting more pressure down the level of the organisation thinking that the desired results of business will be achieved. This is farce. The growth depends on so many factors including how the Union Government treats the Public Sector Banks and moreover it is a team work. But the present day management, for reasons best known to them, is not treating down the level staff in a proper manner and is seen pressurizing them unwarrantedly..

In the instant case, the lady Branch Manager just completed her house warming ceremony and ended her life within two days! Too much of VCs, meetings, mad rush towards achieving disproportionate targets, poor infrastructure, depleted staff strength, fixing personal accountability for no fault of theirs, denying leave, disturbance at late hours and out outside office hours, forcing them to attend office work on Hoilidays and the like are some of the reasons behind the mental agony of the Branch Managers. Smt. Padmavathi is one such Branch Manager who has allegedly suffered due to extreme pressure from the top. Ultimately, as every organisation washes off its moral responsibility, Canara Bank management may also take the same path as all these pressure tactics were orally made. It is very high time that the bank managements should introspect and ensure work life balance of all the staff members. A thorough probe should be conducted to find out the truth behind this suicide. Yes. Every organisation has a moral responsibility to protect the precious lives of its employees.

The trade unions also have an equal role to protect their members’ rights and lives. They should ensure that harassment in every form is completely eradicated. All the Unions have to educate their members and fight back this kind of offensive on the part of the Managements of the Banks and put a full stop to the suicides of bank staff.

BASIC QUALITY OF THE WORKER IS TO FIGHT

SUICIDE IS NOT THE SOLUTION