Nagpur: What was expected to be the start of a rare three-day break for thousands of bank employees across Maharashtra instead turned into a day of frantic phone calls, cancelled travel plans and confusion after the proposed nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30 was withdrawn just hours before it was scheduled to begin.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) reached an understanding during late-night talks on Sunday, leading the unions to defer the strike. However, by the time the announcement was made around 9.30 pm, many employees had already packed their bags, boarded trains or buses and left for their hometowns.
For bank employees posted hundreds of kilometres away from their families, the proposed three-day strike had provided an opportunity to spend time with their loved ones. Several employees from Nagpur working in Mumbai, Pune and other states had booked their travel tickets weeks in advance.
The late announcement initially left many employees doubtful about the authenticity of messages circulating on WhatsApp groups. One bank employee had already left Mumbai for Nagpur when messages about the strike being called off began circulating. The employee continued the journey until official confirmation was received and later had to apply for casual leave instead of reporting for duty on Monday.
Several others were reportedly forced to cut short their journeys after learning that bank branches would function as usual. Some cancelled their reservations and returned to their workplaces, while others had to abandon family programmes planned around the proposed three-day break.
The last-minute decision also resulted in several employees working late on Sunday. Staff stayed back to clear pending work, prepare branches for Monday operations and ensure banking services continued without disruption after the strike was deferred.
The strike had been planned over several demands, including the demand to make all Saturdays bank holidays, changes to the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for senior officers and resolution of other long-pending issues.
Following Sunday’s discussions, the UFBU said a joint committee with the IBA would examine the demand for a five-day banking week, while talks on other issues would continue. The development prompted the unions to defer the September 28-30 strike.
While the decision ensured that banking services remained uninterrupted for customers, the last-minute reversal left several bank employees dealing with cancelled reservations, disrupted travel and family plans that had been made weeks in advance.
