NT Reporter
Panaji
Pressing their demand
for a five-day work week, bank employees across India
will go on a one-day nationwide strike on January 27. With this move, banks
are set to remain closed for four days from January 24 to January 27.
“More than eight lakh bank staff are expected to take part across the country, said Santosh Haldankar, a representative of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).
He said that at present banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, while the first, third and fifth Saturdays are working days. Bank unions want all Saturdays to be declared holidays.
“Bank employees are being unfairly discriminated against,” Haldankar
said.
The UFBU is a joint body of nine major bank unions and includes organisations representing both bank employees and officers.
Haldankar said the demand for a five-day work week is not new. He said that in 2015, during an agreement between bank unions, the Indian Banks’ Association and the government, it was promised that this issue would be considered later. He said that in 2022 there was further discussion, during which it was suggested that banks could increase working hours from Monday to Friday if all Saturdays were made holidays. However, the government has not yet given the final approval.
Haldankar said many other offices, including government departments, the RBI and insurance companies, already follow a five-day work week. He said customers would not face major problems as digital banking services are widely available.
