Finance ministry denies 'commitment' to 5-day bank week ahead of strike, says report

The Finance Ministry has reportedly dismissed claims that it had agreed to the implementation of a five-day work week for banks, saying there was no such commitment from the ministry.The clarification comes days before bank employee unions are set to begin a three-day nationwide strike from September 28 over a range of demands, including five-day banking, according to government sources, cited by PTI.The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which claims to represent around 90 per cent of the banking workforce, said the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) had agreed to the five-day work week as part of the 12th Bipartite Settlement/9th Joint Note signed on March 8, 2024.Under the proposal, working hours from Monday to Friday would be increased by 40 minutes to make up for the additional working day being removed.