Invisible on the Frontline: Bank Employees Ask for Special Insurance Scheme to be Extended to them

It has been a week since Anshul (name changed) was at her place of work. Her vehicle had broken down and there is no provision for conveyance in place. Even after explaining her situation to her seniors, she has been marked 'absent.' Anshul is a bank employee – one among many such frontline workers who have been forgotten.

“It is not that I do not want to go to my office but there is no mode of transport available. And it is not just me but several others who are facing the same situation," she told NewsClick. There are many like Anshul who have been marked absent for not coming in to work because of the non-availability of vehicles amid the lockdown.

The reasons for their troubles are not restricted to transportation. With the lockdown due to COVID-19 in its third phase, bank employees find themselves in difficult times. In a letter to the Chief Executive of the Indian Banks’ Association, the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) has highlighted several problems that bankers are faced with amid the pandemic.

On March 28, during the first phase of the lockdown, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that “banking services will continue unhindered. The statement may not have kept in mind the problems that bankers would face in seamlessly continuing with services. From a shortage of masks and gloves, to the unavailability of transportation, they are at risk too.

No social distancing:

With Jan Dhan account holders getting the second installment of Rs. 500 credited to their accounts, Ravi (name changed), a cashier, is facing a hard time. Amid the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus, the Centre on March 26 had announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 500 to women Jan Dhan account holders for the next three months as part of a package to help the economically disadvanted.

Ravi said that social distancing is largely being ignored. “We are working despite the risks. People are not wearing masks or gloves and social distancing is largely ignored. They are poor people. They do not know how to use ATM cards and are relying on the 500 rupees for their livelihood," he told NewsClick.

Another bank employee told NewsClick that social distancing inside the branch office is the responsibility of the branch manager, “but he is not responsible for what happens outside. Some personnel should be kept outside the branch to ensure that social distancing is followed,” he added.

The letter by the BEFI said: "There are huge crowds inside and outside the branch contravening social distance measure. There is no specific personnel to manage the crowd. Local administration should be approached for maintaining law and order as well as safe distancing measure.”

Shortage of masks and gloves:

Several bank employees that NewsClick spoke to complained about a shortage of masks and gloves. "Although, Rs 1000 was transferred into the accounts of bank employees for buying gloves and masks, there is a shortage of the items. We have been washing and re-using the same mask," said another employee.

The employees are demanding that equipment like masks and gloves should be made available to them. "We are in a sector where we deal with hundreds of unknown people. These basic necessities should be fulfilled,” the employee added.

Debashish Basu, General Secretary of BEFI told NewsClick that masks are gloves need to be changed on a regular basis but due to a “shortage in the supply of protective equipment, bank employees, particularly those from the cash department, are very vulnerable in this situation.”

"We have taken up the matter with the All India Bank Employees Association and asked for masks and gloves to be provided to the employees," said Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA).

No Transportation and Cluster for Bank Employees:

Like Anshul, a lot of bank employees have missed work due to the unavailability of transportation. "It has not happened at all banks, but at many branches; employees have been marked absent, a move which will perhaps affect their salary," said an Assistant Manager at a bank, requesting anonymity.

The employees said that were ready to go in to work if transportation was made available to them. Due to the lockdown, public transport has been suspended all over India. Bank employees who are dependent on public transport are facing problems like being marked absent from work and are subject to pay cuts, as a result.

"We demand that the cluster of branches of every bank should be made in such a manner so that no employee is required to attend his/her duties in a week. Also, the respective banks should arrange for transportation of their employees so that they can reach their offices. We have received many complaints where employees have been marked absent for no fault of theirs,” said Basu.

"We demand special leave for employees who are unable to attend their office during the lockdown period. We also ask that agency workers who are unable to go to work should be treated as on duty," Basu added.

"Transportation is a huge problem. Many employees are dependent on public transportation and local trains," Venkatachalam added.

Special insurance package for bank employees:

In the special insurance package under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, insurance has been provided for healthcare workers and others. As per the Finance Minister: "If any health professional, who while treating COVID-19 patients, meets with some accident, then he/she would be compensated with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme."

Bank employees are demanding that the special insurance package be extended to include them as they are also operating at high levels of risk while dealing with the public on a day-to-day basis. "We are also demanding that the special insurance scheme be extended to include bank employees. All the bank employees should be covered with special insurance scheme for COVID-19," Basu added.