On Friday, IDBI Malad Branch's Special Assistant Uday Kamath died due to the novel coronavirus at Bombay Hospital in Mumbai. He was 56. Kamath was admitted to the hospital on April 28.
The Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation in its letter said, "We all are passing through great challenge and are required to perform our duties by inviting great risk to our life, while it is most disgusting that management of the banks are not realising it and are not complying with the necessities."
The Federation added that in most of the banks sweepers have not been appointed and the work is getting done by casual and temporary employees, most of the banks have dispensed with the Guards at the entrance of the branch as also ATM locations, mask and sanitizer is not being provided regularly in sufficient quantity, travel arrangement is not being made by the bank.
"Even then most of our comrades are reporting to the duties in order to serve the customers and maintain reputation of our bank but bankers must realise and reciprocally should comply at least with Standard Operative Procedure i.e. SOP and whatever reasonably they are supposed to do with, such as reimbursement of expenses towards mask, sanitizer, life cover in the eventuality of unfortunate death and incentive to motivate employees those who are attending but unfortunately IDBI bank management has not extended any of those. Our affiliated unit has represented for the same and hope wiser counsel will prevail upon and management will move forward to comply with it urgently and if not we will have to raise our voice," the statement read.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, #TestRedZoneBankers started trending on Twitter. "Many Bankers are getting infected on daily basis coz banks are open in Red zones. We request to test all Bankers for covid specially in Red & orange zones. #TestRedZoneBankers We don’t want to loose another banker like Kamath Sir," said a Twitter user.
Another user said, "At the time, When Bank managment should think for their staffs, they just blidly following targets of @DFS_India to do Covid19 loans. We ready to do Loans, But Govt must start Covid19 testing of Bankers. We can't afford more deaths."
Here are some of the Twitter reactions:
