BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 18th March 2025: Banking services are set to come to a halt for four consecutive days starting March 22, raising fears of potential disruptions to the financial system. The decision stems from a planned strike by bank unions, triggered by unmet demands related to their interests, compounded with scheduled holidays. Concerns grow as customers brace for the impact of this prolonged closure.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), Tripura State Committee organized a press conference at Agartala Press Club on Tuesday evening to shed light on the issue. Addressing the media, UFBU Convener Sanjay Datta confirmed the strike is scheduled for March 24 and 25 as part of a nationwide movement.
The two-day strike aims to press for various demands, including adequate recruitment across all cadres, regularization of temporary employees, implementation of a five-day work week in the banking sector, tax exemptions similar to those of government employees, amendments to gratuity laws to increase the ceiling to ₹25 lakh, halting outsourcing of permanent positions, and eliminating exploitative labor practices in the industry.
At the press conference, the union presented employment statistics in the banking sector, comparing public and private domains. “Since 2013, public sector banks have seen a decline of over one lakh employees, while private sector jobs have doubled. This staff shortage is hindering the public banking sector’s ability to deliver efficient services to citizens,” Datta stated.
The strike coincides with the fourth Saturday on March 22 and Sunday on March 23, combining with the planned two-day strike on March 24 and 25, leading to a total four-day shutdown. Given the end of the financial year, the decision is likely to create significant challenges for the public, especially since government projects heavily rely on banking operations.
Datta emphasized that despite the importance of banking in implementing government schemes, unresolved demands have forced unions to resort to such measures, potentially causing widespread inconvenience for ordinary citizens.
