Bank strike: Banking services impacted as employees and officers go on strike demanding 5-day working

Banking services especially at the 12 public sector banks across the country were impacted on Friday after the United Forum of Bank Unions UFBU called a nationwide strike demanding fiveday workweek and resolve pending wagerelated issuesThe strike call given by the UFBU an umbrella body of seven unions representing 90 per cent of officer and employee strength did not impact the functioning of new generation private sector banks such as ICICI Bank HDFC Bank Axis BankMost branches of public sector banks across the country were either completely or partially closed as both employees and officers observed the strike as per news agency PTIIn Maharashtra more than 60000 bank employees and officers are participating in the strike and banking operations will be severely affected with no staff available at the counters to serve customers while clearing operations will also be paralysed UFBU Maharashtra State saidUFBU Maharashtra strongly regrets that instead of resolving these legitimate issues in accordance withthe commitments and assurances extended through the IBA Indian Banks Association the government has adopted a course of action that is precipitating an unnecessary confrontation with the banking workforceThe demands of bank employees and officers are neither unreasonable nor unjustified UFBU Maharashtra saidBanking services such as cash deposits withdrawals cheque clearances locker services and administrative work were hit at branches of most public sector banks PSBsregional rural banks and some oldgeneration private sector banks However online and mobile banking services digital banking services including UPI and cash withdrawals at ATMs were functionalSince 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 the All India Bank Employees Association AIBEA a constituent of UFBU general secretary C H Venkatachalam saidMany public sector banks including the countrys largest lender State Bank of India had said We advise that while the bank has made all necessary arrangements to ensure normal functioning of the branches and offices on the days of strike it is likely that work in banks may be impacted by the strikeSimilarly Bank of Baroda had said The bank is taking all the necessary steps for smooth functioning of banks branches and offices on the day of strike in the event the strike materialises the functioning of the branches and offices may be affectedWhy is there a strikeThe unions are demanding the declaration of all Saturdays as holidays a key point that was reportedly agreed upon during the 12th Bipartite Settlement signed with the Indian Banks Association IBA in March 2024 but is awaiting government notificationCurrently banks are closed only on second and fourth SaturdaysAnother demand is the performance linked incentive scheme PLI Scheme which the unions say should be paid to all employees on a proportionate basis and no employee should be denied the right to incentive The government has put the PLI scheme on holdThe other residual demands including 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 as per PTIServices to be impacted for four days in MaharashtraThe strike will disrupt the banking services in the state for four days as it is a bank holiday on September 12 13 and 14 on account of second Saturday Sunday and Ganesh Chaturthi respectively Other states such as Andhra Pradesh Goa Karnataka Odisha Tamil Nadu and Telangana will too face a fourday banking service disruption as the banking operations remain closed for Ganesh Chaturthi on MondayWith inputs from PTI