#5DaysBanking #SavePSB: Young bank activists are fighting a quiet battle
PTI reported that the constable was eventually suspended from duty and arrested. The way employees of state-owned banks agitate against the management is changing. Organized labour unions with clear political affiliations have been the face of activism for long.
They stage physical protests, marches with flags and at times resort to strikes. The new cohort of technology-savvy employees prefer the anonymity that platforms such as X provide. And instead of strikes, satire and even humour are among the weapons in their arsenal.
On X, Newton Bank Kumar (@idesibanda) has over 76,000 followers. Among them is Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of Paytm. Newton is among a handful of bankers who are using social media to register their protest—against issues that include management decisions, wrongful portrayal of public sector banks, lackadaisical bank unions, wage negotiations, working conditions, and even the sale of public sector banks (PSBs).
A video from an aquarium in Japan was doing the rounds in 2022. The aquarium had reportedly changed the diet of its in-house penguins and otters due to rising costs. The animals refused to eat the cheaper fish.
A handle called WhiteCollarMazdoor (@BankerDihaadi) reposted the video on 10 February this year, with a caustic remark: “Penguins are better than bankers at protesting against mistreatment". We don’t know who WhiteCollarMazdoor is. X, where he has over 13,000 followers, reveals that he is a banker and an IITian.
“Please don’t ask why banking after IIT," his tagline on the social media platform states. Then comes a disclaimer: “Not a representative of any community or organization. Mint managed to get in touch with Newton Bank Kumar.
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