The State Bank Staff Union (SBSU) is up in arms against a directive by the SBI Kerala Circle.

Philip Koshy, General Secretary, SBSU (Kerala Circle) said the union will fight the bank’s move to form a multi-purpose sales force by shifting staff from transaction-based activity to marketing-based activity.

Holds protest marches 

Thousands of SBSU members took out protest marches in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode on Tuesday.

Koshy said employees identified for the marketing-based activity are being sought to be relieved from their normal duties immediately. They will be allowed to do only what they are asked to as per the daily activity list. The management is particularly adamant that they will not be deployed for any transactional business purpose. Some officers are also being roped in for the purpose, which, Koshy says, will badly affect the normal functioning of the bank in the State. 

‘Harsh working conditions’

“The ill-directed move will only aggravate the harsh working conditions of the staff that is already faced with the pressure from shortage of hands and network breakdowns. A few customers had to returned due to non-availability of staff to engage them during rush hours,” Koshy said.

Among them are new recruits to offices and institutions as also students who want to complete applications for various scholarships.

Customers desirous of transacting normal deposit/credit-related business will find it difficult since they are used to being attended to by experienced clerical grade staff who mostly happen to be members of the SBSU, he added. 

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