Privacy in commercial bank branches

Readers might be aware that shop clients have the right to see figures being jotted on their account at the cashier’s counter. Does this not also hold as regards bank clients? Or are the commercial banks awaiting court litigation to effect this modification?

What is being done to ensure that adherence to clients’ instructions and privacy issues are being catered for by the commercial banks on the counter or at the desk of the relevant official dealing with one’s share purchases, visa electronic form filling, linking of accounts etc. which do not appear on the forms presented for the client’s signature?

Notwithstanding expensive branch refurbishments, with funds de­ducted from profits which otherwise would go towards dividends to shareholders, privacy issues at some branches remain.

The stock response many a time is that the particular branch manager vacates her desk so that a particular transaction can be undertaken in some semblance of privacy. A procedure which by its very singular nature would signal to an “innocent” waiting at that branch for another transaction that that particular person might have a fat transaction in the offing. (Not likely the case with the undersigned.)

The above does not refer to Marsal­forn where no bank branches operate (just ATMs) but is the case in other localities I have had the misfortune of needing to use.

Data protection legislation in print is fine but its enforcement leaves much to be desired.