After 3 holidays one day bank strike effect services across Himachal

Banking remained disrupted today across Himachal Pradesh as well as the Nation as a one day strike was observed by the employees under the banner of United forum of bank unions (URBU).

The major demand remained immediate implementation of a five-day work week.

The strike irked customers more as services were already affected due to the consecutive holidays of the fourth Saturday, Sunday, and Republic Day. The strike further halted operations, leaving customers like Vinod Kumar in Shimla unable to deposit cheques at UCO and SBI branches.

The unions are protesting the delay in implementing an agreement reached with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) in March 2024, which proposed making all Saturdays holidays. Currently, banks are closed only on the second and fourth Saturdays, forcing a six-day work week for two weeks every month.

The UFBU argues that a five-day week is already standard at the RBI, LIC, and most government offices. Their proposal includes extending daily working hours from Monday to Friday by approximately 40 minutes to maintain total weekly hours.

While a joint note was issued in March 2024, final government approval is pending. The strike, from midnight January 26 to midnight January 27, impacted cash transactions, cheque clearing, and branch services nationwide.