New Delhi, September 20 (Daily Kiran) : The Finance Ministry has scheduled a meeting with the chief executives of public sector banks, regional rural banks, the Indian Banks’ Association, and NABARD on Monday. This meeting aims to review preparations and contingency plans ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide bank strike set to begin on September 28.
Chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Financial Services, the discussion will primarily focus on ensuring the continuity of banking services and the availability of essential services for customers during the strike. Officials are also expected to address contingency arrangements to minimize disruptions, especially since the strike coincides with the banks’ semi-annual closing period.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), a coalition of seven bank employee and officer unions, has called for the strike. The unions are pushing for several demands, with the implementation of a five-day banking week being a key issue. UFBU had previously organized a nationwide strike on September 11 to advocate for this demand.
During the last strike, banking services were disrupted in many areas, affecting counter services, cash transactions, and check clearances. While operations in Mumbai remained largely normal, several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, reported significant disruptions, particularly in smaller towns and cities.
In addition to the five-day workweek, the unions are seeking improvements in pension benefits, the application of a uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners, and an option for employees under the National Pension System to revert to the old pension scheme. UFBU claims to represent nearly 90 percent of banking employees in the country.
The upcoming strike could have a substantial impact on customers, as September 26 and 27 fall on a weekend. This means that regular branch operations may be affected for five consecutive days from September 26 to September 30, raising concerns over check processing, cash transactions, and other services reliant on branch operations.
The unions issued a notice for the strike on August 26, followed by reconciliation meetings involving union representatives, the IBA, and government officials. However, no concrete resolution has been reached regarding the demand for a five-day banking week.
Leave a Comment