Bank employees to go on strike March 24 and 25; start protests today

Demands include fresh recruitment at all levels and a five-day work week, says umbrella group of unions

Bank employees belonging to nine unions have said they will go on strike March 24 and 25 to press for their demands that include fresh recruitment at all levels and a five-day work week.

 

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella group of the nine unions, on Friday announced a plan for protest that will begin with evening demonstrations at district headquarters across India on February 14.

 

The unions want “regularisation” of all temporary employees and the immediate withdrawal of the recent directives by the Finance Ministry’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) on performance review and performance-linked incentives (PLI). PLI scheme, they say, threatens job security, creates division and discrimination among employees and officers, and undermines the autonomy of public sector banks (PSBs).

   

“All our unions and members are aware that on the one hand, our important demands remain pending, and on the other hand, new attacks are emerging. Hence, after due discussions and deliberations, it has been decided to launch an agitational programme culminating in a two-day continuous strike on March 24 and 25, 2025,” said UFBU in a statement,

 

Unions will hold a dharna (sit-in protest) before Parliament on March 3 and submit a memorandum to the Finance Minister and the DFS. This will be followed by unions serving notices of strike to the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), DFS and the labour commissioner, the UFBU said.

 

Bank employees have sought their safety from “assaults and abuse by unruly customers”. They want the government to fill up the posts of workmen/officer directors in PSBs. They have called for the early resolution of issues pending with the IBA.

 

The Gratuity Act should be amended to increase the ceiling to Rs 25 lakh in line with the scheme for government employees, along with exemption from income tax. The bank management should bear the income tax on staff welfare benefits provided on concessional terms to employees and officers, and this tax should not be recovered from them, said UFBU.

 

Bank officers and employees strongly oppose the micromanagement of PSBs by the DFS on policy matters affecting the service conditions of employees and officers, as well as the undermining of bilateralism. They oppose the outsourcing of permanent jobs in banks and unfair labour practices in the banking industry, it said.