Banking services were affected across several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Friday as bank employees and officers joined a one-day nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to press for the implementation of a five-day banking system.
In Shimla, more than 300 bank employees and officers participated in a protest demonstration near the DC Office, expressing their dissatisfaction over the delay in implementing the long-pending demand.
Employees and officers from various banks and affiliated unions took part in the demonstration and extended their support to the nationwide strike. Protesters raised their concerns over the continued five-day-plus working schedule and called for the introduction of a banking system that operates from Monday to Friday.
The strike affected normal banking operations in several parts of the state, with branches witnessing disruptions as employees stayed away from work in support of the UFBU's demands.
The five-day banking week has been a longstanding demand of bank employees' unions. The unions have argued that reducing the working week would bring banking operations in line with changing workplace practices while providing employees with additional weekly time off.
The demonstration in Shimla was part of the wider nationwide mobilisation by bank employees seeking action on the issue. Representatives of different banks and union organisations participated in the protest, signalling broad support for the demand within the banking workforce.
The unions have been pressing authorities and the banking industry to move forward on the five-day work week, making it one of the key issues in their ongoing campaign.
With employees participating across the state, the strike resulted in interruptions to branch-level banking services, although digital banking and other online services continued to remain available to customers.
