Gonda: Banking operations came to a complete standstill across Gonda district on Friday as officers and employees of nationalised banks, regional rural banks and other banking institutions participated in the one-day nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).
The strike, organised under the banner of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), saw enthusiastic participation from members of the All India Indian Bank Officers’ Association (AIIBOA) and other constituent organisations. Bank employees raised concerns over the delay in implementing five-day banking and alleged discriminatory practices in the name of Performance Linked Incentive (PLI).
Addressing the key demands, AIIBOA divisional secretary Tarun Shukla said the government and bank management had adopted an increasingly indifferent attitude towards employees. He demanded immediate implementation of five-day banking in accordance with the bilateral agreement signed on March 8, 2024, stating that the matter had remained pending with the government for 18 months. He also called for an end to discriminatory and divisive treatment of officers under the PLI system.
Shukla further highlighted pending demands concerning pension updation, adequate recruitment and an end to harassment of bank officers. He said the failure of talks with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) on September 4 and conciliation proceedings before the Chief Labour Commissioner on September 8 had left the unions with no option but to proceed with the strike.
Rally Highlights Bankers’ Demands
Hundreds of bank officers and employees took part in a rally that began at the Indian Bank Zonal Office premises in Gonda. The procession passed through Guru Nanak Chauraha before culminating in a public meeting at Bus Adda Chauraha.
Participants carried placards bearing slogans such as “Bank Bachao Desh Bachao”, “No Privatisation” and “We Want 5 Days Banking”. The rally reflected growing concern among banking employees over pending service-related demands and the future of public sector banking.
Among those present were Dr Anjani Kumar Pandey; Ashutosh Kumar, senior vice-president of AIIBOA Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand; the state president of the Regional Rural Bank Officers’ Association; Sudhir Singh from the employees’ union; Shailendra Singh, divisional president of the Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank; president Narendra Singh; regional secretary Arvind Yadav of Balrampur; and Indian Bank secretary Mukesh Kumar.
Other participants included Kaushal Yadav, A.K. Tiwari, Shiv Prasad Mishra, Suresh Kumar, Sudhanshu Srivastava, Sukhdeep Singh, Prashant Srivastava, Siddharth Tripathi, Abhay Shukla and Amit Verma, along with hundreds of other officers and employees.
The participating unions resolved to intensify their agitation if the government and IBA failed to take positive action on their demands. They announced preparations for a three-day strike from September 28 to 30, followed by an indefinite strike beginning October 26.
The Gonda mobilisation marked a strong show of solidarity among banking employees, with unions reiterating their commitment to securing five-day banking, fair employment practices and the protection of public sector banking.
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