Patna : The nationwide bank strike scheduled for March 24 and 25 has been called off after positive developments in negotiations between union leaders and government officials. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing nine major banking sector unions, announced that the strike would be postponed following a reconciliation meeting held in Mumbai before the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC).
Key Assurances Given by Authorities
The meeting, attended by representatives from the Indian Banks Association (IBA), the Department of Financial Services (DFS), and UFBU, focused on addressing the unions’ core demands. The Joint Secretary of DFS participated via video conferencing, and the discussions reportedly took a constructive turn.
One of the major demands of the unions — the implementation of a five-day banking week — was acknowledged positively. According to union leaders, both the Finance Minister and the DFS Secretary have expressed agreement in principle on this demand, recognising its importance. The CLC has assured that he will personally oversee its implementation.
Further Discussions on Pending Issues
In addition to the five-day banking demand, the IBA has proposed further discussions on other significant issues, including recruitment, performance-linked incentives (PLI), and other pending concerns.
Raju Kumar Singh, UFBU’s Bihar convenor, and Amresh Vikramaditya, secretary of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), stated that these assurances prompted the decision to postpone the strike, allowing time for these processes to advance.
New Meeting Planned for April
A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for the third week of April, where progress on these commitments will be reviewed. Union leaders have indicated that the strike may be revived if there is no substantial progress by then.
