The proposed three-day nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30 has been deferred after the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) gave an assurance on the demands raised by bank unions, including the long-pending demand to declare all Saturdays as holidays for bank employees, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) said in a statement on Sunday, September 27.
ANI reported that the Sunday openings were aimed at helping customers clear pending work before the proposed strike. The committee will consider possible options and hold discussions with all stakeholders on the issue. It will also work towards finding a solution acceptable to all sides, while taking into account the interests of bank customers. The demand for a five-day banking week has been pending for some time. Under the existing system, banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, while bank unions have been seeking holidays on all Saturdays. The Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Scale IV and above officers is another issue raised by bank unions. The focus will now shift to the high-level committee and further discussions between the IBA and bank unions on the five-day banking week, holidays on all Saturdays, the PLI scheme and other pending demands.
This means there will be no three-day nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30 at this stage. On Sunday, several bank branches had also opened to help customers complete transactions ahead of the planned three-day closure.
