Nationwide Bank Employees Strike Postponed Following Agreement Between IBA and UFBU
A proposed three-day nationwide bank strike has been postponed after an agreement was reached between the Indian Banks Association and the United Forum of Bank Unions.
New Delhi, September 27 (Daily Kiran) : A planned three-day nationwide strike by bank employees, set to begin on September 28, has been postponed. This decision follows a meeting on Sunday night between the Indian Banks Association (IBA) and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), where various pending issues were discussed.
According to UFBU representatives, the meeting commenced around 9:30 PM. After extensive discussions, both parties agreed to continue talks to find solutions on several matters, including declaring the remaining Saturday of the week as a bank holiday. Consequently, UFBU decided to defer its planned strike actions.
During the meeting, it was agreed that a high-level committee would be formed immediately to consider the proposal for declaring the remaining Saturday as a holiday. This committee will explore all potential options related to the five-day banking week and will seek to engage with various stakeholders to develop a solution acceptable to employees, banks, and customers alike.
This issue has been a central demand of bank employee organizations, which have long advocated for a five-day banking week with Saturdays off.
Additionally, the meeting addressed the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for officers at Scale-4 and above. It was agreed that further discussions would take place with the IBA regarding this scheme, allowing unions and associations to voice their concerns and suggestions for necessary adjustments to be proposed to the government.
Both parties will also engage in discussions about other pending issues documented in the minutes from March 8, 2024, aiming to resolve these matters promptly.
The UFBU had initially called for the strike due to demands related to the five-day banking week, pension issues, and other employee welfare concerns. There were concerns that the strike could disrupt operations in public sector banks and some older private banks. In anticipation, banks advised customers to complete urgent transactions beforehand and to utilize digital banking services as much as possible.
