AIBOC cites prolonged working hours and work-life balance concerns; seeks uniform performance-linked incentive scheme

Shillong, September 11: Bank employees and officers across public-sector and several private-sector banks observed a nationwide strike on Friday, demanding the immediate implementation of a five-day working week and a fair and uniform performance-linked incentive scheme.

Speaking during the agitation, All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) Deputy Secretary Shane Thomas said seven unions representing nearly nine lakh bank employees and officers participated in the industrial action.

Thomas said the demand for a five-day banking week was aimed at improving the work-life balance of bank employees, many of whom work beyond regular office hours to complete administrative and operational responsibilities.

“Banking is an essential service, but bankers, like employees in every other sector, also need a proper work-life balance,” he said, pointing out that officers and staff sometimes work until 11 pm or midnight, leaving them unable to attend family gatherings, weddings and even funerals.

He said an understanding on implementing a five-day workweek had already been reached during the previous bipartite settlement. Under the proposal, all Saturdays would be declared holidays, with daily working hours suitably adjusted. However, the proposal is still awaiting final approval from the Government.

Thomas said repeated assurances that the proposal was “under consideration” were no longer sufficient. While the Government had recently indicated that the system would be implemented “as soon as possible”, he said no specific deadline had been given.

“‘As soon as possible’ could mean anything. After waiting for several years without a clear decision, the national leadership decided to intensify the agitation,” he said.

Acknowledging that the strike could inconvenience customers, Thomas appealed to the public to support the employees’ demands and advised customers to make use of digital banking services, including mobile and internet banking and ATMs, wherever possible.

The unions have also raised concerns over disparities in the performance-linked incentive scheme. Thomas said bank employees were earlier covered under a common incentive system linked to the overall performance of their respective banks.

However, a separate scheme introduced for officers in Scale IV and above reportedly categorised eligible officers according to performance, with those placed in the lowest category potentially receiving no incentive.

Thomas clarified that the unions were not opposed to enhanced incentives for senior officers, but wanted the system to be transparent, equitable and uniformly applicable to employees and officers across all grades.

He said the disputed incentive scheme had been kept in abeyance for the 2025–26 financial year and indicated that the issue would be taken up during the next bipartite settlement.

Warning of further industrial action, Thomas said bank unions could observe another strike on September 28 and 29 if their demands remained unresolved. He added that an indefinite nationwide strike could begin on October 26 if the Government continued to delay a final decision.

Thomas expressed hope that the Government’s latest assurance would result in a positive outcome and pave the way for the early implementation of a five-day banking week across the country.