Public sector banking came to a standstill Tuesday as over 800,000 employees struck for a five-day week, called by UFBU after failed mediation. Representing nine unions, the forum acts for staff at SBI, PNB, BoB, and others, crippling deposits, withdrawals, and clearances. Private banks like HDFC and ICICI ran uninterrupted.
Waves of protests rolled from Lucknow to Vadodra, Patna to Raipur and Cooch Behar. Lucknow’s Anshika Singh Visen of Indian Bank decried broken promises: ‘Bilateral talks set Monday-Friday hours with weekends free, but it’s shelved. Workload surges, balance suffers—unlike RBI or LIC.’ She stressed bankers’ unsung heroics in scheme rollout to rural India.
Gujarat’s Sanjay Jha blasted government inaction on repeated submissions. Bihar’s Ritika from PNB warned of escalating action amid health tolls from stress: ‘Our contributions to yojanas demand justice.’ Chhattisgarh mobilized massively, with leaders invoking decade-old assurances. A striker affirmed: ‘Institutions nationwide follow five days; banks must too.’
The fallout hit customers hard, with branches skeleton-staffed. This bold standoff spotlights chronic overwork, urging policymakers to honor commitments for a healthier, efficient sector.