NEW DELHI: Banking services, particularly at public sector banks, were affected across several states on Friday as employees and officers joined a nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to press for immediate implementation of a five-day workweek and resolution of pending wage-related issues.Most public sector bank branches were either completely or partially closed. Cash deposits and withdrawals, cheque clearances and administrative work were affected, while digital services such as UPI and internet banking remained functional. Some old-generation private banks were also affected, but private sector banks largely remained unaffected.The UFBU, an umbrella body of seven unions representing 90% of bank officers and employees, called the strike after its demands remained unresolved.“Since there was no positive outcome and the government did not agree to our demand, this strike is forced on us. Bank employees and officers are highly aggrieved that they alone are being discriminated against,” AIBEA general secretary C H Venkatachalam said.The unions are demanding that all Saturdays be declared holidays. The demand was reportedly agreed upon during the 12th Bipartite Settlement signed with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) in March 2024 but is awaiting government notification. Banks currently remain open on the first, third and fifth Saturdays.Other demands include updation and improvement of pension, a uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners and an option for NPS-covered employees to switch to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
Bihar
Bank employees in Bihar observed the strike, demanding a five-day workweek, the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and performance-linked incentive (PLI), among other pending issues.A bank employee said, “Whatever is brought to us for implementation, we implement it, putting aside our entire social and personal lives. Despite this, five-day banking has neither been given nor implemented. Our demand from the government is not merely a demand; it has already been accepted by them. It is now only a matter of implementing it.”
Coimbatore
Bank employees staged a protest in Coimbatore as part of the UFBU’s nationwide strike, demanding a five-day workweek and resolution of pending issues.
Jharkhand
Banking services were affected across Jharkhand as employees of nationalised banks, State Bank of India and Gramin banks joined the nationwide strike. Private banks remained unaffected.“Services such as cash deposits, withdrawals, cheque clearances and administrative work were hit at branches of nationalised banks, State Bank of India and Gramin banks in the state,” said Umesh Das, deputy general secretary of the Bank of India Employees Union, Jharkhand.Das said that, barring a few top-rank officials, all employees were on strike.“We are also demanding uniformity in the performance-linked incentive (PLI) policy, besides updation and improvement of pension, a uniform dearness allowance formula for all pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to switch to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS),” he said.Neha Shrivastava, a member of the State Bank Staff Association, said that if their demands were not met, they would go on a three-day strike from September 28 to September 30 and an indefinite strike from October 26.
Madhya Pradesh
The nationwide strike brought operations at around 7,000 bank branches in Madhya Pradesh to a halt on Friday, affecting daily business worth around Rs 5,500 crore, a bank employees’ organisation said.Speaking to the media Madhya Pradesh Bank Employees Association chairman Mohankrishna Shukla said that around 42,000 employees and officers from nearly 7,000 of the state’s 8,707 bank branches joined the strike.Employees of 12 public sector banks, various regional rural banks and cooperative banks participated in the strike.Cash deposits and withdrawals, cheque clearance, renewal of fixed deposit schemes, government treasury-related work and other financial activities were affected.Bank employees also staged protests across Madhya Pradesh, demanding immediate implementation of a five-day workweek.
Lucknow
Bank employees observed a one-day nationwide strike in Lucknow on Friday, demanding immediate implementation of a five-day workweek.The main branch of State Bank of India remained closed due to the strike, while employees at Indian Bank also participated in the agitation.
Jammu
Bank employees affiliated with seven UFBU unions observed a one-day strike in Jammu on Friday and protested outside the RBI regional office.A UFBU leader said the demand for a five-day banking week had been pending for more than two years despite government assurances.“It has been almost two-and-a-half years since March 2024, but what has the government done? We are being forced to come out and protest against the government so that we can awaken it and remind it of the promise made to us,” he said.He said employees of SBI, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank and Union Bank were among those supporting the agitation.“All seven unions and their members are on strike. Employees of all these banks are supporting the agitation,” he said.The unions warned of further strikes, including a five-day strike from September 26 to 30 and an indefinite strike from October 26 if their demands remain unresolved.
