UFBU just postponed the planned Bank Strike for March 24 and 25, 2025. The strike was called because a number of demands, including adequate bank recruitment and five-day banking, had not been met. The strike was postponed following a conciliation meeting with officials from the IBA, DFS, and Bank on March 21, 2025, at the Chief Labour Commissioner's (CLC) office. Since DFS provided no concrete indication regarding 5-Days Banking, bank employees across began to criticize UFBU's decision as soon as the strike was postponed. AIBEA has now clarified its position on 5-day banking.
The implementation of weekly 5-day banking was the subject of extensive discussion. We emphasized that the matter is still pending with the Government, to whom the IBA has advised, despite the fact that our Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note was signed in March 2024, a year ago.
We clarified that disrespecting the sanctity of the bilateral settlement reached between the IBA and UFBU would be equivalent to keeping the matter open for so long. We also noted that the need for two days of weekly vacation has become essential in the current environment, when bank officers and managers labor beyond regular business hours and under a lot of stress.
IBA responded that they have recommended the subject to the Government and are seeking their approval in accordance with the Settlement/Joint Note. They promised to pursue the case with the government to obtain their proper consent when CLC pointed out that IBA should follow up with the government.
A DFS spokesman said that although the matter is being considered, no timeframe can be committed. As a result, this subject was in a virtual standstill. In order to learn the government's position and break the impasse, the Chief Labour Commissioner requested that a few high-ranking DFS officials attend the conciliation meeting.
A senior DFS Joint Secretary participated in the meeting via video conference and explained that the issue is receiving the government's serious attention, including from the Finance Minister, despite the fact that all of the DFS's top officials were preoccupied with the ongoing Parliament Session proceedings.
We expressed our dissatisfaction with the excessive hold-up in the case and requested that the government move quickly. He asked the UFBU to reevaluate our call, stating that the government is already giving the issue significant consideration, even at the level of the finance minister.
Given the growing workload, stress, and long work hours that bank employees must endure, the call for a 5-day banking workweek is both sensible and essential. The bipartite settlement between unions and the IBA is undermined by the implementation delay, as the AIBEA correctly noted. Although AIBEA has properly called for prompt action, the government's evasive answers suggest that more pressure, increased public awareness, or more agitation may be needed to hasten approval. A five-day workweek is long overdue, and workers deserve acceptable working conditions. Instead of dragging out the process, the Government and IBA now have the responsibility to fulfill their promises.
