State Bank of India has more than 400 million customers across India and is the largest public sector bank in the country. The bank has more than 22,000 branches across India and more than 62,000 ATMs to serve its customers. Today being the fourth Saturday, the bank was already closed and now it is likely to remain closed on Monday and Tuesday as well. So, if you have a job related to a bank, it may not be due to lack of staff or because the bank is closed.
If you are thinking, then let us tell you that on January 30 and 31, banks will remain closed because the employees can be on strike for two days across the country. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of trade unions in the banking sector, has called for a two-day strike from January 30 to press for various demands including pension and wage revision.
The UFBU said in a statement that since there was no response from the Indian Banks’ Union to the demands during its meeting held in Mumbai earlier this month, it has been decided to call for a strike on January 30 and 31. It added that the unions are demanding five-day banking, updating of pension and recruitment of people in all cadres, among other issues.
It may be recalled that currently banks work six days and five days a week alternately as second and fourth Saturdays have been declared as holidays.
IBA has already informed SBI about the strike call given by United Forum of Bank Unions. SBI informed the stock exchanges that AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF and INBOC have proposed to go on a nationwide bank strike on 30 and 31 January 2023 to press for their demands.
Meanwhile, according to reports, the Union Finance Ministry has asked public sector banks to hold wage talks with the unions and defer the bank strike which is due just before the Union Budget.