Bank strike from Sept 28 over five-day work week, pending demands
New Delhi, Sept 25 (TNT): The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of seven bank employees’ and officers’ unions, has called a three-day nationwide strike from September 28 to 30, with the demand for implementation of a five-day working week among the key issues.
The UFBU, which claims to represent more than 90 per cent of the banking workforce across public sector, private sector, foreign, Regional Rural and cooperative banks, said the demand for a five-day working week had remained pending despite agreements reached with bank managements.
According to the UFBU, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and bank managements had agreed in 2015 to make the second and fourth Saturdays of every month holidays, while the remaining Saturdays continued as working days.
The issue was subsequently discussed in the 2020 agreement, with the IBA and bank managements assuring that the demand for a five-day working week would be considered further.
In the agreement signed in March 2024, the IBA and bank managements agreed that the remaining Saturdays would also be declared holidays, while unions agreed to an additional 40 minutes of working time from Monday to Friday, the UFBU said.
The proposal has been recommended to the Finance Ministry for approval and remains pending, according to the unions.
The UFBU said implementation of the five-day working week would not reduce customer service hours as the additional 40 minutes of working time from Monday to Friday would compensate for the working Saturdays.
The unions have also raised several other pending demands, including adequate recruitment of clerical and subordinate staff, conversion from the National Pension System (NPS) to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), income-tax exemption on additional bank contributions to NPS and an increase in the gratuity ceiling.
Other demands include pension updation, uniform dearness allowance on pension, revision of ex-gratia for pre-November 2022 pensioners, ex-gratia for pensioners in private banks, filling of workman and officer director posts in banks, introduction of a leave bank and banks bearing medical insurance premiums for retirees.
The UFBU said these issues were treated as “residual issues” after the settlement signed on March 8, 2024, but remained unresolved.
The proposed strike is expected to affect normal branch operations during the three-day period, though banks have advised customers to use digital and alternate banking channels.
TNT KS
