Banking services at public sector banks will be affected on September 11, coinciding with the BRICS summit taking place in the national capital. The impact may persist beyond this date. Bank unions have called for a nationwide strike to press for demands such as the implementation of a five-day work week and other pending issues. Banking services across many parts of the country could be disrupted for four consecutive days due to this strike; September 11 is a Friday, followed by two days of bank holidays.

Additionally, some states will observe a holiday on September 14 due to Ganesh Chaturthi. Most public sector banks have informed their customers about the potential impact of the strike. SBI has advised customers that while it has made all necessary arrangements to ensure normal operations, banking activities are likely to be affected by the strike.

Why is the strike taking place?
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), a body representing bank employees and officers' unions, has called for this strike. Their primary demand is the implementation of a five-day work week. This issue has been pending for a long time, and the government has not made any commitment regarding it. Conciliation meetings held before the Chief Labour Commissioner also failed to yield a solution. Rupam Roy, General Secretary of the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), stated that the unions were compelled to launch this agitation due to the actions of the government and the management.

How will customers be affected?
Services such as cash withdrawals and deposits at public sector banks will be impacted by the strike. Since September 11 is a Friday and is followed by two bank holidays, banking operations could remain stalled for four consecutive days in many locations. This could cause significant inconvenience to customers regarding financial transactions. SBI has also alerted its customers about the likelihood of operations being affected.

What are the other key demands?
Apart from the five-day work week, the unions have other demands as well. These include the updation and improvement of pensions. There is also a demand for a uniform Dearness Allowance (DA) formula for all pensioners. Additionally, the demand to offer employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) the option to switch to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) remains unresolved.

L. Chandrashekhar, General Secretary of the National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), pointed out that a five-day work week is already observed in central and state government offices, the Reserve Bank of India, the Life Insurance Corporation of India, the General Insurance Corporation of India, NABARD, and several other institutions. Stock markets, money markets, and foreign exchange markets also operate on a five-day basis. The UFBU has also threatened a three-day nationwide strike starting on September 28, which would coincide with the half-yearly closing.

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