SBI Officers’ Association Urges MP Manish Tewari to Push for Five-Day Work Week in Banks

A delegation of the State Bank of India Officers’ Association (SBIOA) has urged Member of Parliament Manish Tewari to intervene in the long-pending demand for implementing a five-day work week in the banking sector. The delegation, led by Prem Pawar, Deputy General Secretary of the Panchkula module, met Tewari at his residence in Chandigarh and submitted a memorandum requesting him to raise the issue in the upcoming session of Parliament.

During the meeting, the delegation requested the MP to urge the Central Government to expedite the approval and implementation of a five-day work week for bank employees. The association highlighted that the demand has been pending for a long time despite acceptance by the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

Prem Pawar informed Tewari that bank employees have been getting holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month since 2015. The IBA had accepted the demand to declare all Saturdays as holidays under the 12th Bipartite Settlement and the ninth joint note. However, the necessary government approval and implementation of the proposal are still awaited.

Several important financial institutions and market regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), already follow a five-day working schedule. The association argued that extending the same arrangement to the banking sector would bring uniformity in working days across the financial industry.

According to the delegation, implementing a five-day work week would improve work-life balance, support employees’ physical and mental well-being and provide more time for personal and family responsibilities. The move would benefit around 20 lakh bank officers and employees across the country.

The association reiterated that the demand has already received acceptance at the industry level and that the remaining steps are necessary to make it effective. It requested the government to take an early decision rather than delay the matter further.

Manish Tewari assured the delegation that he would raise the issue in Parliament. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) had also announced a three-day strike from 28 to 30 September 2026, demanding implementation of 5-day banking. But the strike was deferred on the night of 27 September 2026 without any proper reason.

The deferment of strike has created a big chaos in the industry. Bankers have been demanding 5-day banking for the last two decades. But the Government is not paying attention to the demand of bankers.

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