Bhubaneswar: Banking operations at public sector banks across Odisha have been disrupted on January 27 as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) goes on a nationwide strike, demanding a five-day work week.
As per reports, under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), more than 8,00,000 employees and officers from nine bank unions across the country have participated in the strike. The strike has affected services like cash deposits, withdrawals, cheque clearances, and administrative work at branches of public sector banks, including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, and Bank of Baroda. However, digital banking services, including UPI and internet banking have not been affected.
The UFBU, representing nine bank employee unions, has been pushing for all Saturdays to be declared holidays, citing an agreement made during the 12th Bipartite Settlement in March 2024. The unions decided to protest after a conciliation meeting held on January 23 did not lead to a resolution. The proposal is still awaiting formal notification from the government. At present, banks operate on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of every month.
With the latest agitation, banking operations have been disrupted for the fourth consecutive day, causing inconvenience to customers. Several public sector banks across Odisha witnessed partial to near-total suspension of services as employees stayed away from work in support of the strike.
