Ahead of the strike by the banks from September 28 to 30, the Finance Ministry has called a meeting of chief executives of public sector banks and regional
rural banks on Monday. The meeting aims to discuss measures to ensure continuity of banking operations and essential customer services during the three-day strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions to press for 5-day banking and other demands. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) Secretary will chair the meeting to discuss measures to ensure continuity of banking operations and essential customer services during the strike period, according to a communication sent to banks. The meeting is expected to deliberate on contingency measures to minimise disruption to banking services and ensure that customers continue to have access to essential facilities during the strike. The proposed September 28 to 30 strike is part of the union forum's wider programme, which also includes a continuous strike from October 26. Notably, it is a weekend of September 26 and 27, making it a long break. This strike, if it materialises, would coincide with the half-yearly closing of the banking sector. Bank unions under UFBU had gone on nationwide strike on September 11 over their demand. UFBU claims to represent 90 per cent of the banking workforce, and their other demands include updation and improvement of pension, a uniform dearness allowance formula for all pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to switch to the old pension scheme (OPS).
SBI issues advisory:
The State Bank of India (SBI) has issued a fresh customer advisory ahead of the bank strike.
SBI has advised its customers to complete important banking transactions to avoid possible inconvenience. The announcement is relevant for services that require a visit to a bank branch or assistance from bank employees.
Customers with pending documentation or other branch-dependent work should therefore plan these transactions ahead of September 28.
