Banks to provide adequate security and safety to the public transacting through ATMs.

AIBOA's Circular Letter No.9/VI/2013

November 23, 2013

To:

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Dear comrades,

PROFIT NOT AT THE COST OF PUBLIC

Any Time Money [ATM] the alternative delivery channel brought into the Banking system, during first decade of reform in India, has unleased new working environment [ie];

i]          The service providers are entrusted with the contract of cash management, maintaining sufficient cash in the ATMs, watch and ward staff appointed on contract.

ii]         Installation of ATM machines by the firms with Global exposure

iii]        Access to money by any passerby etc.

            The recent attack of a female officer staff working in “Corporation Bank, Bengaluru” while remaining inside the ATM, clearly expose the lackadaisical attitude of the Bank managements in providing safety and security to the public at large and also the staff appointed on contract or otherwise to attend to the assignment.

There is a definite disconnect between the Branch and the ATM outfit in all respects. 

ATMs have been programmed to deal with a dozen jobs handled by the present workforce at the counter.  

With no immediate liability to the service provider to compensate the user on account of the physical assault as that of the one happened at Bengaluru, public at large are always at risk and loss of peace.  

The safety and security of the property and also of human lives are necessarily to be protected and preserved.

            The outsourcing business model agreed by the Bank management is necessarily under the “cost cutting exercise” dictated and directed by the controller and also the owner of the Public Sector Banks.  

Visible job losses, now attack on the security of life of the customer and also of the staff, are more and more becoming the order of the day.  

This menace has to be fought tooth and nail.

            The tendency of the Bank managements to shift their responsibility in the event of calamity is well known and also experienced by the public time and again.  

As the saying goes, “People money for People welfare”, it is time for the Bank managements to reasonably respond to this grave situation created due to poor execution of service contracts by out sourced agencies.

Our Organisation congratulates the Govt. of Karnataka for its immediate steps to secure the life of the citizens in the state and also directed the Bank managements to provide adequate security in the  ATMs within three days lest to close the ATMs in the State.

AIBOA directs the affiliated units and State Committees to take up with Central office of the Banks having the headquarters in their State to provide adequate security and safety to the public transacting through ATMs.

Yours comradely,

/S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY