The finance ministry on Monday urged bank employees to refrain from resorting to strikes and resolve their remaining demands through dialogue, saying most concerns raised by unions had been substantially addressed.The appeal comes ahead of a three-day nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) from September 28 to 30. The unions are primarily seeking implementation of a five-day banking week and withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.The government said the PLI scheme had already been kept in abeyance earlier this month following discussions with unions, while the remaining demand for a five-day workweek continues to be examined.“Given that most concerns of the unions have been substantially addressed, that the remaining demand continues to be examined, and that the Government continues to proactively introduce welfare measures for the banking workforce, bank employees are urged to refrain from resorting to strikes, work towards resolving issues through dialogue, and ensure that banking services remain uninterrupted,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
Five-day banking demand remains
The proposed strike follows a one-day nationwide strike held on September 11 over the unions’ demands, despite what the government described as sustained conciliatory engagement.The government said the September 28-30 strike would coincide with the half-yearly closing of banks on September 30, a period significant for reconciliation, provisioning, treasury and market operations.The strike would also follow the weekend, potentially resulting in an effective five-day closure of branch-based banking services. The government said this could affect customers, businesses, government transactions and international banking operations.An indefinite strike has also been proposed from October 26 over the remaining demand for a five-day workweek.The finance ministry said banking services were relied upon by citizens and that the remaining Saturdays, other than the second and fourth Saturdays, continued to provide an opportunity for customers to access banking services.
Government lists measures for bank staff
The government said it had introduced several measures aimed at improving the working environment, transparency and welfare of bank employees.These include increases in salary and allowances, fixation of new pay scales for all cadres, a higher Staff Welfare Fund and an increase in executive posts at the levels of assistant general manager, deputy general manager, general manager and chief general manager.Public sector banks recruited around 4.82 lakh employees between FY2014-15 and FY2025-26, with recruitment doubling over the last three years, according to the government.As of July 1, 95.84% of officer positions and 92% of subordinate and award staff positions were filled.Other measures listed by the government include improved transfer and promotion processes, special leave provisions for women employees, revised family pensions, enhanced medical insurance for retirees and a higher conveyance allowance for employees with disabilities.The government has also begun negotiations for the upcoming Bipartite Settlement ahead of the November 2027 deadline, with the stated aim of ensuring timely revision of bankers’ salaries and allowances.
Banks prepare for possible disruption
The proposed strike has prompted banks to advise customers to complete important branch-related transactions before the strike period.State Bank of India said it was taking steps to continue providing essential banking services during the proposed strike and asked customers to use alternative channels, including ATMs, customer service centres, internet banking, mobile banking, UPI and other digital services.Union Bank of India similarly said it was working to maintain essential banking services, while cautioning that branch operations could be affected during the three-day strike.The government said public sector banks play a key role in financial inclusion, digital banking, financial literacy and rural outreach, and stressed the importance of maintaining uninterrupted banking services while the outstanding demand is addressed through dialogue.
