Seeking five-day banking week, employees take out protest march, stage demonstration
Bank employees across India held a protest march demanding the implementation of a five-day work week, a promise they claim was made in a 2024 settlement. The unions also raised concerns regarding recruitment, pension schemes, and other service conditions.
Why it matters
The strike highlights ongoing labor disputes in the banking sector and the tension between employee unions and the government regarding workplace reforms.
Bank employees affiliated to the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) held a protest march and staged a demonstration in Hubballi on Friday, demanding introduction of a five-day banking week and urging the Centre to resolve their long-pending demands.
The protest was held in response to the call for nationwide strike on September 11 by the UFBU. The employees raised slogans demanding that the government implement five-day banking, which they said had already been agreed upon in March 2024 settlement and subsequently recommended to the government.
Addressing the protesters, the union leaders said the demand for five-day banking had been pending for nearly two-and-a-half years despite repeated discussions with the IBA and the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance.
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