Bank strike from September 28: Customers may get just 2 days of banking in 9 days

Bank employees are gearing up for a three-day nationwide strike from September 28 over their demand for a five-day working week, even as the government has directed public sector banks to take measures to ensure uninterrupted essential banking services.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of seven bank employee and officer unions, has called the strike from September 28 to 30.

It had earlier observed a one-day nationwide strike on September 11 and has also given a call for an indefinite strike from October 26.

Govt directs PSBs to prepare

In a communication dated September 21, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) asked public sector banks to make preparations for the proposed three-day strike and ensure the availability of essential banking services.

The department said banks should inform customers about the strike through SMS, email, social media and other channels and advise them to complete essential banking transactions by September 25.

It also directed banks to keep strategic and important branches handling government transactions operational by deploying non-striking employees or staff from administrative offices, wherever required.

Banks have also been asked to ensure that IT platforms and digital banking channels remain fully operational, with adequate technical support and redundancy.

The DFS said specific attention should be given to the uninterrupted functioning of currency chests, cheque clearing processing centres, data centres and disaster recovery centres, treasury operations and payment systems.

The department has also asked public sector banks to coordinate with district administrations for maintaining law and order and ensuring security of critical banking infrastructure.

The directions followed a meeting of the Crisis Management Group chaired by the DFS secretary on September 18 and a meeting with heads of public sector banks, regional rural banks and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) on September 21 to review preparedness for the strike.

The DFS has separately requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to sensitise state and Union Territory law enforcement agencies to provide security cover to critical banking infrastructure, maintain law and order around bank branches and offices, and ensure the safety of employees who do not participate in the strike.

Bank unions demand five-day working week

The unions are demanding that all Saturdays be declared holidays for bank employees. The demand was part of the 12th Bipartite Settlement signed between the IBA and bank unions in March 2024, but is awaiting government notification.

Currently, banks remain open on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of a month. Under the proposed five-day banking week, banks would operate from Monday to Friday, with daily working hours increased by 40 minutes.

No banking services for five days

Banking services were affected across the country during the September 11 strike. Several public sector bank branches either remained closed or witnessed disruption in cash deposits and withdrawals, cheque clearing and administrative work.

If the September 28-30 strike goes ahead, bank branches could remain closed for five consecutive days as September 26 is the fourth Saturday and September 27 is Sunday.

Customers could also be looking at just two days of banking in nine days beginning September 26, given October 2 is a public holiday.

The UFBU, in a post on X on Monday, alleged that the Department of Financial Services had directed public sector bank managing directors and CEOs to use "carrot and stick" measures to deter employees from joining the proposed strike, including filing FIRs in cases involving obstruction of duty.

The government communication, however, said bank management should make efforts to persuade employees to refrain from the strike and sensitise them about maintaining industrial discipline and continuity of essential banking services.

It also directed banks to document, including through photographs and CCTV footage, any obstruction to the entry of non-striking employees into branches or critical infrastructure and deal with such incidents under applicable rules and law.

Each public sector bank has been asked to nominate a nodal officer and establish monitoring arrangements, including a war room, to coordinate the response during the strike period.

The DFS has sought reports from banks on their preparedness by the evening of September 22