Banking services disrupted as employees go on nationwide strike over five-day work week demand

NEW DELHI: Bank employees across India went on a nationwide strike on Tuesday, demanding the immediate implementation of a five-day work week, leading to widespread disruption of banking services. The strike, called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), affected cash deposits, withdrawals, cheque clearances and other routine banking operations, causing inconvenience to customers across several states.

In Gujarat’s Vadodara, a large number of employees from nationalized banks participated in the protest. Employees said that despite submitting multiple memoranda to the government over the years, no concrete action had been taken on their long-pending demand, forcing them to resort to a strike. Many bank branches either remained closed or operated with minimal staff.

A protesting employee said that over eight lakh bank employees nationwide were participating in the strike. He added that the demand for a five-day banking week had been pending since 2015, even though institutions such as LIC, the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, and both Central and state government offices already follow a five-day work schedule. Employees claimed they were repeatedly assured that banks would also shift to this system, but the promise was never fulfilled.

In West Bengal, protests were held in districts such as Cooch Behar and Murshidabad. Bank unions demonstrated outside State Bank of India branches and other banks, displaying posters highlighting their demands. Protesters pointed out that banks across the world and most government offices in India function five days a week, while nationalized and private banks continue to work six days. In Berhampore and nearby areas, bank branches and ATMs remained closed, disrupting daily financial activities.

Similar scenes were reported from Uttar Pradesh, where over 10,000 bank employees from nearly 250 banks joined the strike in Ghazipur district alone. Banking activities came to a complete halt, affecting transactions worth over Rs 150 crore. In Lucknow, All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) Senior Vice-President Ramnath Shukla said the demand for five-day banking had been ongoing for nearly a decade. He noted that when the second and fourth Saturdays were declared holidays, employees were assured that all Saturdays would eventually be off. (IANS)

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