Bank employee unions have called a pan-India strike on January 27 — sparking concern about a major disruption in services next week. The protest has not yet been confirmed and it remains somewhat unclear if banks across the country will actually shutter their doors on Tuesday. It will also be the fourth consecutive day that banks remain closed following the weekend and Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
Bulletins released by major banks have already informed customers about the disruption in banking services if the strike materialises. The United Forum of Bank Unions had also served a strike notice earlier this month. Representatives also attended conciliation meetings on Wednesday and Thursday with the Chief Labour Commissioner.
“Besides representatives of IBA and various Banks, representatives of DFS, the Ministry of Finance, were present. From UFBU, all our 9 unions were present. Despite detailed discussions, finally there was no positive outcome out of the conciliation proceedings,” it said.
It had subsequently decided to go ahead with the strike on January 27.
Why are bank employees protesting?
Bank employees currently get a holiday on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month as well as the Sundays. There have been growing calls for all Saturdays to be declared as off days — with the Indian Banks’ Association and UFBU reaching an agreement during the wage revision settlement in March 2024. But matters have so far remained unchanged.
“It is unfortunate that the government is not responding to our genuine demand. There would be no loss of man-hours as we have agreed to work an extra 40 minutes daily from Monday to Friday,” UFBU had said earlier this month.
What can customers do if the strike happens?
The strike has been proposed from “midnight of January 26 to midnight of January 27” for banks across the country. According to a update shared by the State Bank of India, customers have been advised to use digital banking services or use ATMs for cash needs during this period. Customer service points will also be available for those requiring support.