If the strike materialises, customer-faced branch banking services will be available only on two days during that week as October 2 is a national holiday.
Indefinite strike from Oct. 26The UFBU has also threatened an indefinite strike from October 26.
At the heart of the protests is the delay in implementing 5-day banking week through the month.
“The Central government, Reserve Bank of India, insurance sector and Securities and Exchange Board of India follow a 5-day work week.
“Customers are requested to plan and complete banking transactions well in advance of the strike dates,” it said.
With bank employees and officers planning a three-day strike beginning September 28, which along with the preceding weekend will mean no branch services possible for five days on the trot, the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) Telangana has urged customers to complete their banking transactions well in advance.
If the strike materialises, customer-faced branch banking services will be available only on two days during that week as October 2 is a national holiday.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of seven bank employees and officers’ unions whose membership runs into several lakh, has given the strike call in support of various demands, prime among them implementation of a five-day work week.
It is the second phase of agitation programmes drawn up by UFBU and follows the one-day strike on September 11 that impacted branch services across public sector banks, regional rural banks and old general private banks. The strike with the weekend that followed and Ganesh Chaturthi holiday resulted in closure of the branches for four days.
Indefinite strike from Oct. 26
The UFBU has also threatened an indefinite strike from October 26.
At the heart of the protests is the delay in implementing 5-day banking week through the month. At present second and fourth Saturdays are holidays, besides Sundays. The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and the employees and officers’ unions in December 2023 had recommended declaring all Saturdays as holidays with a condition that the staff will work an additional 40 minutes on other working days.
“The Central government, Reserve Bank of India, insurance sector and Securities and Exchange Board of India follow a 5-day work week. Hence, we are demanding a 5-day week as per the bipartite agreement,” said L.Chandrasekhar, general secretary of the National Confederation of Bank Employees, a constituent of UFBU.
Making a case, he pointed to the extensive round-the-clock alternate digital delivery channels available.
Restoration of old pension scheme and change of Dearness Allowance (DA) series for pensioners are the other demands behind the bank strike, he said, adding a conciliation meeting at the office of the Chief Labour Commissioner in Delhi is scheduled on September 22.
The SLBC in Telangana, with the State Bank of India as its convenor, said while all efforts will be made to provide skeleton services during the strike, customers may experience inconvenience in the event normal operations are affected. “Customers are requested to plan and complete banking transactions well in advance of the strike dates,” it said.
