‘Overburdened’ bank employees demand exemption from poll duty

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Bank Employees’ Union on Tuesday demanded that bank employees should be exempted from election duty. In a letter to the Election Commission (EC), the union stated that most of the bank employees are overloaded with work, more so due to backlog generated post demonetisation, and thus, “it would not be fair to deploy bank employees on election duty”. Union’s general secretary Jagmohan Mendiratta told TOI, “We have written to the EC for exempting bank employees from election duty because there is so much of work in the banks these days, which will be badly affected. Besides, demonetisation has generated extra work for us, which is pending as well.”The union further said amid such a heavy workload, they also needed time for their families, besides ensuring that their work is completed in time. They said there were many central and state government employees, who could be deployed on election duty.It has been learnt, however, that women employees are being exempted from joining election duty at certain places, besides only those with unavoidable reasons. Nearly 3,000-4,000 employees are likely to be roped in for election duty this time, while majority of them are “unwilling”.Before the state goes to poll on February 15, the training for election duty is likely to be held in Haridwar and Roorkee on January 21 and February 1, while in places like Almora, Rudrapur and Kashipur, the plan is to rope them in during the counting.“I have been called for election duty, even as I don’t wish to go, I will have to go. Not just bank employees, PSU staff and teachers will also be cooperating. But having said that, we have exerted ourselves since November first week when demonetisation was announced and banking work might suffer if we are asked to go on election duty” said a city-based bank employee.