New Delhi, September 24 (Daily Kiran) : In an effort to minimize disruptions to banking services, the Indian government has ordered public sector banks to remain open on Sunday. This decision comes just a day before a proposed three-day nationwide strike by bank employees, scheduled from September 28 to 30.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved full operations for all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches, and currency chests on Sunday. The Finance Ministry confirmed that all public sector banks and regional rural banks (RRBs) will function normally.
In a statement, the Finance Ministry noted, “Given the planned three-day nationwide bank strike by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and the weekend holidays on September 26 and 27, the government has taken proactive steps to secure citizens’ banking needs.”
This measure aims to reduce potential disruptions to economic activities during the strike period. If banks were to close on both Saturday and Sunday, banking operations would be impacted for five consecutive days due to the strike.
The UFBU and several other unions have called for the strike to demand a five-day banking system and the withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Currently, bank employees receive two Saturdays off each month, but unions are pushing for additional Saturdays to be designated as holidays.
The Finance Ministry emphasized that the welfare and convenience of bank customers is a top priority for the government. Both the government and bank management have urged unions to reconsider the proposed strike, assuring that necessary banking services will continue uninterrupted.
The government has appealed to employees of public sector banks and RRBs to withdraw the planned strike, stating that it has already addressed one of the unions’ major demands by postponing the PLI scheme.
Taking into account the concerns raised, the government decided to suspend the PLI scheme after extensive discussions. This initiative fulfills one of the unions’ two key demands.
The ministry added, “Most of the unions’ concerns have been largely addressed, and discussions on the remaining demand are ongoing. The government continues to actively implement welfare measures for banking sector employees. Therefore, we urge bank employees to avoid resorting to strikes, work towards resolving issues through dialogue, and maintain uninterrupted banking services.”
Leave a Comment