Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Sep 26: State cooperative banks in Goa will remain open and fully operational during the three-day nationwide bank strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) from September 28 to 30.

The Goa Urban Co-operative Bank and Goa State Co-operative Bank have informed customers that their branches will function during regular banking hours and will not participate in the strike.

UFBU Goa convenor Santosh Haldankar said the strike has been called to press for a five-day banking week and changes to the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

He said digital banking, internet banking and UPI services would continue during the strike. ATMs would also be stocked in advance, while outsourced agencies would undertake cash replenishment to minimise inconvenience to customers.

Haldankar said bank unions had been demanding a five-day banking week for more than a decade. He said an agreement reached between the unions and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) on March 8, 2024, to declare all Saturdays as holidays was still awaiting approval from the Department of Financial Services.

Under the proposal, bank employees would work an additional 40 minutes from Monday to Friday in lieu of working Saturdays.

“We are not asking for a five-day week to sit at home. We need to recharge physically and mentally so that we can provide better customer service on Mondays,” Haldankar said.

He also criticised directions to keep bank branches open on Sunday, September 27, saying that the move did not address the unions' pending demands.

Haldankar warned that if the demands were not addressed, bank unions would proceed with an indefinite strike from October 26.