Bank employees from nationalised and regional rural banks staged a one-day protest on Tuesday, demanding the implementation of a five-day work week promised under the 12th Bipartite Wage Settlement.
Employees abstained from work and held demonstrations in Kalaburagi, gathering outside the Lead Bank office and the Karnataka Gramin Bank Regional Office, local media reported. The protest was organised by multiple bank employee unions.
The demonstrators said the demand stems from the 12th Bipartite Wage Settlement signed in March 2024 between the Indian Banks’ Association and the United Forum of Bank Unions, which recommended a five-day work system for bank employees. The agreement was subsequently forwarded to the Union government for approval.
Union leaders said the proposal has remained pending for over a year, despite repeated representations. They described the delay as unjustified, particularly when several financial institutions — including the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, LIC, GIC and SEBI — already operate on a five-day work schedule.
Employee representatives argued that the continued absence of a five-day work week amounts to discrimination against bank staff. They said the existing six-day system increases stress levels and adversely affects work-life balance.
“A five-day work week will reduce fatigue, improve efficiency and ultimately enhance customer service,” union leaders said during the protest, according to local reports.
Office-bearers of the Regional Rural Bank Employees Federation said prior notice of the strike had been given and that the Centre had ample opportunity to address the issue before it escalated into a protest.
Representatives from major unions, including the State Bank of India Officers’ Association, State Bank Staff Union and the All India Bank Employees Association, were present at the demonstration.
The unions said further action could follow if the government does not move towards approving the five-day work week in the coming months.