Bank Unions Demand Change: Nationwide Strike Advocates for Five-Day Workweek

Bank unions across India staged a one-day strike demanding a five-day workweek for employees. Despite the protest, measures were taken to assure minimal disruption to customers. Union leaders stressed the need for the reform due to its long-standing nature and potential benefits to employee well-being.

In a nationwide push evident of their simmering discontent, bank unions across India held a one-day strike on Tuesday, pressing hard for the long-awaited implementation of a five-day workweek for bank employees.

The collective show of defiance was orchestrated by various bank employee unions whose leaders were clear in their message: this peaceful protest was aimed at garnering the government's attention on issues that remain unresolved. Despite the strike, the union leaders ensured that customers were spared significant inconvenience—informed in advance of the strike, while alternative services like ATMs and digital banking continued to operate smoothly.

The demands are not newfound; as Sanjay Kuthe, General Secretary of the Indian Bank Officers Association for Maharashtra and Goa, explained, the need for a five-day workweek has been two years in waiting. His exasperation was shared by Wilbur Anton of the National Confederation for Bank Employees in Maharashtra, both emphasizing the repeated yet unfulfilled requests for change. Despite some brick-and-mortar branches temporarily ceasing operations, the backbone of digital services stood firm, minimizing disruption to essential banking services for the public.

(With inputs from agencies.)