Why has bank employees’ union proposed increasing work hours?
In a fresh push for a five-day working week, the bank employees’ unions have now proposed an increase in work hours. In a letter to the Indian Banks’ Association, the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has come out with a list of proposals. The union proposed increasing working hours per day by 30 minutes and the present working hours be started 30 minutes early, Hindustan Times’ business website Livemint reported. the union has also proposed to increase the current customer service hours by 30 minutes. According to the letter sent by the bank employees body, the proposed working hours will be from 9.15 am to 4.45 pm instead of 9:45 am to 4:45 pm. The proposal states the cash transactions hours be revised to 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and 2 pm to 3.30 pm. The union has proposed the revised non-cash transactions hours to be from 3.30 pm to 4.45 pm, the Livemint report stated. CH Venkatachalam, general secretary of the AIBEA, told the website that the union has been demanding the introduction of five-days working a week in the banks. It was introduced in the Life Insurance Corporation last year. According to the union’s office bearer, the Indian Banks Association had sought its views on compensating the loss of two Saturdays as holidays. He said the working hours can be increased by thirty minutes and expressed hope that the IBA, Centre and the RBI will agree to the proposal.During the pandemic, the bank employees unions had raised the demand for a five days working week to protect the employees against the Covid-19 virus. The IBA had rejected the proposal but offered a 19 per cent pay hike to the employees. At present, the banks have holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays every month and on every Sunday.
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