Bank employees and officers staging a protest as part of nationwide strike, in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
| Photo Credit: V RAJU
Responding to the call given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), bank employees and officers observed a strike demanding the implementation of several long-pending demands on Friday.R. Vasantha Rao and A. Sushma Conveners of the United Forum of Bank Unions, said that it was extremely unfortunate that the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) had assured implementation of a five-day work week, but the assurance is still yet to be implemented in practice.They also pointed out to disparity in performance-linked incentives payments. They alleged that senior-level officers in Scale IV and above are were reportedly being given incentives ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹15 lakh, while employees from the award staff category up to Scale III, despite contributing equally to the work and performance of the banks, receive comparatively lower amounts around ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 equivalent to approximately 10 to 15 days' salary.The striking employees and officers demanded immediate recruitment to fill long-pending vacancies in the clerical and sub-staff cadres. They also sought restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in place of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) for employees who joined the banking sector on or after 1 April 2010, and pension updation.Addressing the gathering, CPI Secretary Comrade J. V. Satyanarayana Murthy (Nani) extended his support to the strike and demanded that the government immediately address and implement the legitimate demands raised by the bank unions.Leaders and members of the United Forum of Bank Unions, including Trinath, Raju, Mahendra, Kamalakar, Ramesh, Yeta Prasad, Ravi, Aadaru Srinivas, Swathi, Prathyusha, Vaishali, and others participated in the programme. Published - September 11, 2026 10:43 pm IST
