Customers Rush To Banks In Jammu Ahead Of Three-Day Strike From Monday

Jammu, Sep 27: Customers rushed to bank branches across Jammu on Sunday to complete their banking transactions ahead of a three-day nationwide strike by bank employees and officers under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) from Monday.

Several bank branches remained operational on Sunday ahead of a three-day strike starting from September 28 to 30, prompting customers to visit branches to complete their pending banking work.

Rajesh Mehta, Secretary, All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), J&K and Ladakh UT, said the unions had served the government the required 14-day notice for the strike, but employees are working on Sunday as it was enforced on us.

“The government failed to fulfill its promises and we were forced to go on a strike,” said Mehta.

He said bank employees wore black clothes on Sunday to register their protest and observed the day as “Black Sunday”.

The unions are demanding implementation of a five-day working week in the banking industry, with all Saturdays declared holidays. At present, banks remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

Mehta said the demand had been recommended by the Indian Banks’ Association based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the IBA and UFBU, but was awaiting government approval for the past two years.

He said around eight lakh bank employees and officers from public sector banks, private sector banks, foreign banks, regional rural banks and cooperative banks would participate in the three-day strike. (DE)