by

pannvalan <pannvalan@yahoo.co.in>

Compare the gross salary of a postman in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of a police constable in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of a school teacher in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of a college lecturer/ associate professor in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of a central government staff (including Railways) in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of a state government staff in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of a central PSU like ONGC, IOC, Coal India Limited, MMTC, SAIL, Nuclear Power Corporation, NTPC etc. in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of an employee in a State Electricity Board or State Transport Corporation in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of an employee in an MNC in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of an employee in a foreign bank in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of an employee in RBI in 1970s, 1990s and now.

Compare the gross salary of an employee in a new generation private sector bank in 1990s and now.

In contrast, compare the salary of a bank staff, especially a public sector bank officer, in 1970s, 1990s and now. 

You will come to know as to what is your position in the organized sector now. Aren't you shocked?

To add insult to the injury, many central and state governments and central and state PSUs have started adopting '5 day week' long ago.

In sharp contrast, Bank Officers never see 'Sunrise' (not coffee) and 'Sunset' nowadays. They have no fixed working hours. Even Saturdays have now become a full working day for them.

Their genuine leave is denied or rationed and sanctioned leave is curtailed and they are recalled from leave midway with an advice to resume duty immediately.

Bank officers are asked to conduct 'Roadshows' and 'Recovery Drives' on Sundays and other holidays.

Business Review Meetings are wantonly conducted on Saturdays and Sundays.

Video Conference is held before and after office hours.

Bank officers are compelled to sell Gold Coins, Insurance Policies, Mutual Funds etc. now.

Bank officers at the lower levels are mercilessly punished for smaller mistakes, whereas top officials who deliberately cause crores of rupee loss to their bank are allowed to go scot-free and many of them get further elevation too!

Bank officers are exposed to the abuse of several demanding, querulous and litigant customers and their managements (except SBI) do not come to their rescue and support them at all in this respect.  Even when the mistakes lie on the side of the customers, bank officers are made to apologize to them.  If they don’t or even after tendering apology for no fault of theirs, they are shifted to a far off place. 

Even certain clients with a known history of vexatious complaints are given importance and action is initiated against the so called erring officials, basing on such silly, inconsequential and vexatious complaints.

Bank officers are left to face Consumer Forum, Ombudsman, Income Tax Department, Concurrent Auditors, Statutory Auditors, DRT, RBI-AFI, Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), CBI, CVC, Enforcement Directorate etc. on their own.  No moral, administrative, professional and financial support is extended by the bank managements.

Bank officers lose their life time savings because of postings to far off places.

Bank officers are unable to educate their children in their mother tongue, because of their frequent transfers that too outside their linguistic area.

In spite of all these, bank officers do not receive sympathy – leave along appreciation - from any quarters.

Worse still, they are treated like slaves and personal attendants by their bosses who exploit, tease, belittle, scold, abuse, insult, threaten, harass, humiliate, kick, torture and punish them, as they like.    Bank officers have lost their reputation and pride of place in every circle precisely because of this.

Unable to bear the work related stress and humiliation and torture by their incompetent bosses, many bank officers die while in service.

Even after retirement, bank officers do not live longer.

The bereaved families live on paltry sums given as family pension.

Is this we wanted? Can we allow these to go on forever?

My dear fellow officers, please rise and revolt!   (United we stand and divided we fall).