Ranchi, September 11: Banking operations were disrupted across Jharkhand on Friday as more than 40,000 bank employees joined a nationwide one-day strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).Around 3,000 bank branches across the state, including branches of public sector banks and some private banks, remained closed during the protest.
Banking transactions estimated at nearly Rs 8,000 crore were affected due to the strike.The employees organised demonstrations outside bank branches, raising demands related to working hours, incentive payments, recruitment and pension benefits.
The major demand of the unions is the introduction of a five-day working week for bank employees. They also sought a uniform and fair system for performance-linked incentives, recruitment at different levels and revision of pension-related benefits for retired employees.
Union representatives said employees had been expecting the five-day working system after an assurance given by the Centre in 2024. However, they claimed that the proposed change had not been implemented despite the passage of considerable time.
Several branch-level services, including cash deposits, withdrawals and cheque-related transactions, were affected during the strike.
Bank employees, however, said efforts had been made to minimise inconvenience to customers. ATMs were stocked with cash in advance, while customers could continue to use digital banking facilities for many transactions.
The unions have warned of further industrial action if their demands are not addressed.According to the unions, a three-day strike has been planned from September 28, followed by an indefinite strike from October 26.
The proposed escalation could lead to wider disruption of banking services if no agreement is reached between the employees’ unions and the authorities.
