Srinagar: A delegation of the State Bank of India Officers’ Association (SBIOA), Jammu Module, on Monday met Rajya Sabha MP Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan and sought his intervention for the early implementation of a five-day working week in the banking sector.
During the meeting, the delegation urged the MP to take up the matter with the Union Finance Minister and the Department of Financial Services, seeking a decision on declaring the remaining Saturdays as bank holidays.
Led by SBIOA Jammu Module President Shah Zaman, the delegation said the proposed arrangement would provide bank employees with a more sustainable work schedule while ensuring uninterrupted banking services through adjusted weekday working hours and digital banking facilities.
The association maintained that bank unions had agreed to compensate for the additional holidays by extending working hours on weekdays, ensuring that the total number of working hours remained unchanged. It also said provisions could be made for elderly people, rural customers and those unable to access digital banking services.
The delegation pointed out that several institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation, central government offices, courts and financial market regulators, follow a five-day working week.
Citing the Ministry of Finance’s reply to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1187 on February 10, 2026, the association said the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) had submitted a proposal on July 12, 2023, seeking to declare all Saturdays as banking holidays.
It also referred to the 12th Bipartite Settlement and 9th Joint Note signed on March 8, 2024, which recorded the recommendation and stated that revised working hours would come into effect following government approval and necessary clearances.
The delegation further informed the MP that a high-level committee comprising representatives of the IBA and bank unions had been constituted following industrial-relations discussions on September 27, 2026. The committee held its first meeting on October 1.
While welcoming the discussions, the association said the constitution of the committee had not resulted in a final government decision and called for a transparent, time-bound roadmap for implementation.
The delegation also urged Ramzan to raise the issue in Parliament through a question, Zero Hour submission or Special Mention to seek clarity on the status of the IBA proposal and the timeline for the government’s decision.
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