Shillong: Banking operations across Meghalaya were disrupted on Tuesday as employees and officers joined a nationwide strike to press for the introduction of a five-day work week, bringing services at most banks to a halt for the day.
The protest was organised under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and saw participation from staff of public sector, private, foreign, regional rural and cooperative banks.
Union leaders said the strike was a culmination of years of unfulfilled assurances and growing dissatisfaction over working conditions in the banking sector.
UFBU convenor Wandaplang Mawroh said bank employees have long been seeking parity with other financial institutions and government offices that already function on a five-day schedule.
He added that the demand was neither abrupt nor unreasonable, as the proposal had been examined and recommended by the Indian Banks’ Association in 2023 and later agreed upon in a joint note in 2024.
Under the proposed system, all Saturdays would be declared holidays, while working hours from Monday to Friday would be extended by about 40 minutes.
Union representatives argued that such an arrangement would not inconvenience customers, particularly at a time when alternative banking channels such as ATMs, internet banking and mobile applications are widely available.
Mawroh maintained that the agitation was not directed against the public but aimed at ensuring a more humane and sustainable work environment for bank staff.
He said employees felt increasingly aggrieved over what they described as discriminatory treatment, noting that banks already observe holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays.
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According to union estimates, around eight lakh bank employees and officers across the country took part in the strike.
While branch-level services were affected, digital platforms and automated services were expected to remain functional.
The UFBU expressed disappointment over what it termed prolonged delays by the government in approving the five-day work week, despite assurances given in 2015 and again in 2022.
Union leaders said the strike was a last resort after repeated representations failed to yield results.
In a statement, the forum appealed to customers for patience, saying the temporary inconvenience was unavoidable in the larger interest of fairness and work-life balance for bank employees.
