As the controversy escalated, SBI has decided to postpone the revised guidelines for recruitment of pregnant women candidates keeping in mind the public sentiments. The bank said, only the old rules related to the recruitment of pregnant women will be effective.
New Delhi. The country’s largest bank SBI also had to bow in front of women’s power and rights. The bank has withdrawn the order declaring pregnant women ineligible for jobs after heavy protests.
In a circular issued in December, SBI had declared a pregnant woman of more than 3 months as temporarily unfit for appointment. The bank had said that such a woman would be able to take appointment only after 4 months of the delivery of the child. Trade unions and Delhi Women’s Commission took a tough stand against this. After criticism all around, the bank on Saturday put this controversial order in cold storage. SBI said, only the old rules regarding recruitment of pregnant women will be effective. Its purpose behind the change in these parameters was to clear many unclear points.
Women’s Commission had issued notice
Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal had issued a notice to the bank calling the new SBI rules discriminatory against women. He termed it as a violation of maternity rights and increasing discrimination at the workplace. CPI MP Binoy Vishwam also wrote a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, appealing to withdraw this law. Apart from this, KS Krishna, general secretary of All India SBI Employees Association, had written a letter to SBI management pressurizing it to cancel the rule.
Promotion of women employees affected
Criticizing the new rule, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) said that it may also affect the promotion of women employees. By taking new appointments, this rule was made effective from December 21, 2021, but in the case of promotion, it was to be applicable from April 1, 2022. In such a situation, there was a possibility of its impact on the promotion of many women employees.
