Disallow customers who attack bank branch staff from opening accounts for 3 years: AIBEA

After the recent spate of attacks by customers against bank branch staff, the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has asked the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) to immediately black-list customers who attack branch staff, close their accounts, and ensure that no banks open errant customers’ account for at least another 3 years.

“We may be permitted to point out that employees and officers are working in the banks to earn their living and not to get attacked and beaten by unruly customers,” said C.H. Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA.

“It is not only physical attacks that are a matter of concern, but more often, we also get complaints from our members that customers use very abusive and foul language against the counter staff including lady employees. No customer, however valuable he or she may be, has any right to attack or abuse the bank staff,” he said.

Recently, a Union Bank of India official was reportedly attacked by a customer over tax deduction on their fixed deposit interest in Ahmedabad.

Separately, in Patna, a Canara Bank female staff was assaulted by a customer when he was forcing the bank staff to improve their CIBIL score, which is in an independent credit bureau and not related to Canara Bank.

“All these have been having a very adverse and demoralising effect on the bank staff at large. There is an impression amongst staff that managements are more concerned about impaired loans assets than about the human assets. We strongly feel that IBA should discuss these issues exclusively at their level and issue necessary guidelines to deal with such situations and instances,” Venkatachalam said.

Accordingly, the bank union has asked the IBA to issue a detailed SOP to branches to deal with such violent acts, allow branches to immediately FIR upon such incidents, ensure more security staff and surveillance cameras in branches, among others.

Devidas Tuljapurkar, General Secretary, Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation, said during the period of disbursement of “Ladki Bahin” scheme in Maharashtra, there was a huge rush at the counters resulting in several untoward incidents.

“Now RBI has asked for Re KYC after 10 years. All Jan Dhan Accounts opened in the first phase are due for Re KYC. The staff is inadequate. There are no security guards,” he said, adding that errant customers must be debarred from opening new accounts. ENDS