Indian bank employees have reportedly warned about holding a nationwide strike on January 27 after months of stalled wage negotiations.
Employee unions spanning public sector banks, private financial institutions and regional rural banks have jointly called for the strike, pointing to stalled negotiations on wages, allowances and workplace conditions. If the strike proceeds, it is likely to disrupt branch-level operations and customer services across the country.
Reuters stated that union leaders are of the view that proposals made by the authorities don’t address the rise in the cost of living and increased workload, as per People Matters.
The unions are going to seek a comprehensive wage revision across all the categories of bank employees, along with higher allowances, better job security measures and steps to address staffing shortage. As per the unions, the work hours post-pandemic have become longer with added operational pressure, with not much change in compensation.
Thus, they have given a deadline to the authorities till January 27 for meaningful negotiations, which, according to them, have failed even after repeated talks. Notably, the strike has been backed by many federations which represent clerical staff and officers. This indicates a broad participation in the strike from across the entire banking workforce of the country.
If the strike is realised, customers across the country may face major banking disruption, including a delay in transactions, loan processing and other activities. However, digital banking services are expected to remain operational.
Bank management bodies and government officials have acknowledged receipt of the strike notice as of now.
