[ Bading Dawa Tayeng ]
ITANAGAR, 27 Jan: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) staged a three-day nationwide strike since Sunday, seeking immediate implementation of a five-day work week.
The strike was observed at all the banks of the state,including the Apex Bank.
With the strike, banks in India were closed for three days from Sunday, affecting banking services.
Demonstrations took place at banks across the state.
All India Bank Officers’ Confederation state secretary Kukung Tayeng, who was present at the demonstration at the SBI branch in Bank Tinali, said that a five-day work week is essential to ensure a healthy work-life balance for bankers, “who are currently working under tremendous pressure.”
He expressed serious concern, stating that “more than 500 bank officers across the country have lost their lives due to extreme work pressure and stress in recent years.”
Tayeng also pointed out that “several key sectors,such as general insurance, SEBI, RBI and many other institutions are already following a five-day work week, and banks in most countries across the world operate only five days a week.”
“With the availability of multiple alternatives and digital banking channels such as internet banking, mobile banking, ATMs, and UPI services, customers would not face any inconvenience even if the banks function five days a week. Digital transformation has significantly reduced dependence on branch banking for routine transactions,” Tayeng said.
He added: “Our demand is rightful and legitimate. We have agreed to work an extra 40 minutes daily from Monday to Friday, ensuring that the work is done on time, while also promoting work-life balance.”
The decision to go on a strike announced by the UFBU came after a meeting with the chief labour commissioner on 23 January, which failed to yield any positive outcome.
The decision to declare all Saturdays as holidays was agreed between the Indian Banks’ Association and the UFBU during the wage revision settlement in March 2024.
The unions have been demanding the global standard of a five-day work week for over a decade. The government introduced holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month in 2015.
