Bank employees strike nationwide over five-day week, PLI, pension demands
Banks across the country face disruption today as employees join a one-day strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions.
Bank employees across the country went on a one-day nationwide strike today, the 11th. The strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions, and the SBI Staff Association has also announced its support. The strike is likely to affect the daily functioning of banks in many cities across the country.
About 3,000 employees from around 400 bank branches in Varanasi are expected to take part in the strike. State coordinator Sanjay Sharma said that approximately 3,000 employees from these 400 branches in Varanasi will join the strike. Bank employees and officers had been raising their pending demands for a long time. The union tried to resolve the issue at various levels, but after no satisfactory solution was reached, the decision to call a nationwide strike was finally taken.
The State Bank of India Staff Association has also extended its full support to the strike proposed by the United Forum of Bank Unions. The strike is expected to affect banking services. Customers across the country may face difficulties with bank-related work today.
The first major demand of the strike is the implementation of a five-day working week in banks. Bank employees have long been demanding a five-day banking system. Along with this, there is also a demand to remove the shortcomings in the performance-linked incentive scheme, known as PLI, so that employees and officers get its proper benefit. Since the scheme is based on employee performance, there are complaints that its shortcomings mean many do not get the benefit they are due.
A permanent solution to pending pension issues is also central to the strike. According to union leaders, it is necessary to resolve this issue so that both serving and retired employees can be permanently freed from pension-related problems that have persisted for years. The issue is not limited to serving employees alone but is directly linked to the interests of retired employees as well.
SBI Staff Association deputy general secretary Manoj Singh said union office-bearers have appealed to all bank employees and officers across the country to join the strike in solidarity. He said bank employees from across the country would come together to strike in order to press their demands firmly. The union has also appealed to employees in Varanasi to make the strike a success.
