The United Forum of Bank Unions has called a nationwide strike on September 11 over delays in five-day banking, differences on the PLI scheme and pending pension-related demands.

The UFBU, an umbrella body representing nine bank employees’ and officers’ unions, also announced plans for a three-day nationwide strike from September 28, coinciding with the half-yearly bank closure.

The unions warned that they could launch an indefinite strike from October 26 if the government and bank management fail to address their demands.

The UFBU took these decisions at a meeting on Sunday, citing what it described as the government’s negative response to several key demands.

If the unions proceed with the strikes, banking services could face disruptions, particularly across public sector banks and in several parts of the country.

September 11 falls on a Friday and precedes two bank holidays. September 14 will also mark a holiday in some states for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Five-Day Banking

On five-day banking, the unions said the Indian Banks’ Association agreed to the proposal under the 12th Bipartite Settlement and 9th Joint Note signed on March 8, 2024.

Under the proposal, banks would extend daily working hours by 40 minutes from Monday to Friday. The IBA later recommended the proposal to the government, but the government has yet to implement it, despite more than two years passing, the UFBU said.

Opposition to PLI Scheme

The unions have also opposed the government’s performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for bank officers in Scale IV and above.

According to the UFBU, the scheme differs from the understanding reached with the IBA, which linked incentives to the overall performance of individual banks while maintaining uniformity across employee cadres.

Under the government scheme, officers in Scale IV and above could receive PLI equivalent to up to 365 days of basic pay based on individual performance. In comparison, workmen employees and officers up to Scale III could receive a maximum of 15 days’ basic pay plus dearness allowance.

Other Pending Demands

The unions have also raised several other issues, including:

• Pension updation
• A uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners
• An option for NPS-covered employees to switch to the old pension scheme
• Other pending recruitment and employee-related demands

The UFBU has urged the government and bank management to resolve these issues before the proposed strikes escalate.