Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 27: Banking operations across India were severely disrupted on Tuesday as bank employees staged a nationwide strike, pressing for long-pending demands, foremost among them the implementation of a five-day work week. The agitation led to interruptions in cash deposits and withdrawals, cheque clearances, and other routine banking activities, causing inconvenience to customers and businesses alike.

The strike was organised by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which said repeated representations to the government on the issue had failed to yield results.

In Gujarat’s Vadodara, employees of nationalised banks turned out in large numbers. Protesters said they had submitted memoranda to the authorities several times demanding a five-day banking week, but the lack of action left them with no option but to resort to a strike. Many bank branches either remained shut or functioned with skeletal staff.

One protesting employee said over eight lakh bank workers across the country were participating in the strike. “Our demand for a five-day work week has been pending since 2015. Institutions like LIC, the Central government and state governments already follow this system. We were assured banks would also move to it, but nothing has changed,” he said.

Similar protests were reported from West Bengal’s Cooch Behar, where bank employees’ unions demonstrated outside State Bank of India and other branches, reiterating their demand. Protesters pointed out that major financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD and LIC already operate on a five-day schedule, while nationalised and private banks continue with longer work weeks despite an understanding with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

In Murshidabad district, bank branches and ATMs in Berhampore and surrounding areas remained closed. Posters highlighting union demands were displayed outside bank premises. Protesters said the issue had been pending for nearly three years and was repeatedly deferred despite assurances from the government.

Uttar Pradesh also witnessed widespread participation. In Ghazipur district, more than 10,000 employees from nearly 250 banks joined the strike, bringing banking activity to a complete standstill and affecting transactions worth over ?150 crore. Customers and local businesses faced major difficulties as services were suspended.

In Lucknow, All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) senior vice-president Ramnath Shukla said the demand for five-day banking had been raised for nearly a decade. “When the second and fourth Saturdays were declared holidays, it was promised that the remaining Saturdays would also be closed in the next settlement. Other departments were given a five-day work week without even asking for it,” he said.

Indian Bank employee Anshika Singh Visen echoed similar concerns, saying that although the last bipartite settlement proposed five-day banking, the decision was never implemented even as other proposals were accepted.

In Chandigarh, the one-day strike affected normal banking operations, with employees staging protests outside branches and raising slogans in support of their demand.

Chhattisgarh’s Raipur saw around 25,000 bank employees from nearly 2,500 banks participating in the strike, leading to a near-total shutdown of banking services across the state.

In Patna, Punjab National Bank employee Dimple clarified that the strike was not about avoiding work. “Under the bipartite settlement, the government had agreed to implement five-day banking within six months. Even after two years, nothing has happened. Institutions like RBI, SIDBI, SEBI and NABARD already work five days a week. We want the same for banks,” she said.

Another PNB employee, Ritika, said the 12th Bipartite Settlement clearly mentioned the implementation of five-day banking within six months. “It has been two years, but the promise remains unfulfilled. That is why we are on strike,” she said.

In Rajasthan’s Dholpur district, banks remained completely closed throughout the day, disrupting essential services such as cash transactions, deposits, withdrawals and cheque clearances, and causing significant hardship for the public.