PUDUCHERRY: Banking operations across the Union territory were disrupted on Friday after the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) called a one-day nationwide strike that saw over 500 employees and officers of public sector banks in Puducherry down shutters and stage protests.
Branches closed, dharna staged
Branches across the city temporarily halted counter services as staff joined the action. Workers and office-bearers of the participating unions staged a dharna in front of the UCO Bank branch in Puducherry to press the UFBU’s agenda.
The UFBU, an umbrella body representing seven unions, announced the strike as part of a national campaign to press several demands relating to work conditions and pensions.
Core demands
The unions’ stated demands, several of which were highlighted by participants in Puducherry, include:
- Immediate implementation of a five-day workweek for bank staff;
- Resolution of pending wage-related issues affecting officers and employees;
- Updation and improvement of pensions for retired bank employees;
- A uniform dearness allowance (DA) formula for all pensioners;
- An option for employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to revert to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
Union representatives in Puducherry said the strike was intended to signal the seriousness of their demands and to press both bank managements and the government for talks.
Immediate impact on customers and businesses
Customers requiring in-branch services were affected for the day as counters remained shut at many public sector bank branches. Cash withdrawals from ATMs and digital transactions were not reported as part of the UFBU’s action in Puducherry in the available reporting, though branch-level closures created difficulties for those needing teller services, cheque clearances and over-the-counter transactions.
Small businesses and individuals who depend on branch banking for cash management and documentation were among those likely to feel the immediate effects of the disruption. The unions said the one-day strike was a warning shot meant to accelerate negotiations on the outstanding issues.
Background and wider context
The UFBU periodically organises coordinated industrial action to press collective demands affecting staff across public sector banks. Demands on work patterns, wages and pension revisions have been recurring subjects in the unions’ negotiations with bank employers and the central authorities.
In recent years, changes in the banking sector — including consolidation, digitisation and evolving labour contracts — have added urgency to debates over working hours, compensation structures and retirement benefits. The demand for the option to switch from NPS to OPS reflects wider concerns among some bank employees about retirement security and the adequacy of defined-contribution pensions.
What unions say and what it means
Union leaders framed the strike as a demonstration of unity across cadres of bank staff and as leverage to reopen stalled talks on pay and pension reforms. For customers, a prolonged work stoppage or repeated action could push more transactions online, but in the short term it creates inconvenience for those who rely on in-person services.
| Issue | Union demand |
|---|---|
| Working days | Five-day workweek |
| Wages | Resolution of pending wage-related issues |
| Pensions | Updation/improvement and uniform DA formula for pensioners |
| NPS-covered employees | Option to switch to OPS |
This strike forms part of the UFBU’s nationwide action; in Puducherry the participation of more than 500 staff marked a significant local turnout. Bank customers in the territory were advised to check for branch reopening and to plan non-urgent transactions accordingly.
There was no immediate report of talks being scheduled between the UFBU and bank managements or the central agencies over the specific demands stated during the Puducherry action.
Further developments will depend on whether the UFBU escalates action or obtains a response from the employers and the authorities. In the interim, customers requiring urgent in-person banking services are likely to face delays until normal operations resume.
