CHENNAI: The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), a pan-India bank employees union asked the Prime Minister to declare March 8, International Women's Day, a bank and government holiday to ensure necessary significance and prioritise attention to the issues relating to women.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AIBEA and its Women's Council, also asked that certain basic facilities be provided for women bank employees -- including separate toilet facilities for women employees and customers in all bank branches and established instructions and guidelines set up to deal with internal sexual harassment complaints.
"It is significant that women are joining banks in larger numbers in recent years compared to the past but it is our experience that women who join banks are facing innumerable problems and difficulties in the matter of their postings to proper places," said the letter.
"It is a matter of sad commentary that while your Government is harping on Swachh Bharat, there are a number of bank branches where there are no separate toilet facilities for women employees and women bank customers. Instruction needs to be given to all banks to ensure that all branches are provided with toilet facilities for women," the letter pointed out.
"Instructions and guidelines are also required to ensure that Internal Complaints Committee on instances of sexual harassments at the workplace is set up in every administrative office of the banks," it added.
Below is the full text of the letter:
To
Shri Narendra Modi
Hon. Prime Minister
Government of India
New Delhi
Respected Sir,
Your kind attention, please
On the eve of International Women’s Day when the whole world is talking about the emancipation and empowerment of women in our society and the steps to be taken thereon, we feel it appropriate to bring to your kind attention the following issues of concern which were discussed in our All India Women Bank Employees Convention.
1. To ensure necessary significance and priority attention to the issues relating to women and to create the awareness, 8th March to be declared as a Government and Bank Holiday every year.
2. It is significant that women are joining the Banks in larger number in the recent years compared to the past but it is our experience that women who join the Banks are facing innumerable problems and difficulties in the matter of their postings to proper places on joining the Banks. Women are being posted to branches in extreme rural centres where adequate safeguards are not available or where even minimum facilities are not available. Proper guidelines are to be given to the Banks to post them to centres where proper infrastructure, transportation and other facilities are available where they can stay safely or commute to their own places without much hassle.
3. Women employees, especially those who have joined the Banks in the recent years, face difficulties in getting transfer to their place of choice to join their husbands upon getting married. Revised guidelines are needed to be given to the Banks to extend transfer to such women employees on priority.
4. It is a matter of sad commentary that while your Government is harping on Swachh Bharat, there are number of Bank Branches where there is no separate toilet facilities for women employees and women bank customers. Instruction needs to be given to all Banks to ensure that all Branches are provided with toilet facilities for women.
5. Instructions and guidelines are also required to ensure that Internal Complaints Committee on instances of sexual harassments at workplace are set up in every administrative office of the Banks.
We are sure that all these important issues will receive your necessary attention and proper guidelines shall be issued to the Banks by the Government.
Thanking you, Sir,
Yours faithfully,
C.H. VENKATACHALAM, General Secretary, AIBEA.
LALITA JOSHI, Convener, Women's Council, AIBEA