Bank strike hits 7,000 branches in Madhya Pradesh, affects Rs 5,500 crore business

Banking operations were disrupted at around 7,000 branches across Madhya Pradesh on Friday as employees joined a nationwide strike demanding implementation of a five-day work week and resolution of other pending issues, a bank employees’ organisation said.

Around 42,000 employees and officers from nearly 7,000 of the state’s 8,707 bank branches participated in the strike, Madhya Pradesh Bank Employees Association chairman Mohankrishna Shukla told PTI.

Employees of 12 public sector banks, regional rural banks and cooperative banks took part in the strike, he said.

The strike affected several routine banking services, including cash deposits and withdrawals, cheque clearance, renewal of fixed deposit schemes and government treasury-related work.

According to Shukla, the disruption affected banking business worth around Rs 5,500 crore in the state.

Bank employees also staged protests at various places across Madhya Pradesh, pressing for immediate implementation of a five-day work week.

The employees’ other demands include revision and improvement of pension benefits, a uniform system for calculating dearness allowance for all pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to switch to the old pension scheme.

The strike is part of a broader demand by bank employees for changes in working conditions and retirement benefits.