The focus of banks in states such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal is to replenish ATMs with cash ahead of the long holiday break next week, said a leader in a bank’s officers’ association.
Some states will have holidays, ranging from three to five days, due to festivals next week.
In Tamil Nadu, between 21 and 25 October, branches of government-owned banks and insurance companies would remain closed due to festivals and weekly closures.
If employees take two days of casual leave on 19 and 20 October then the whole week is off for them.
In West Bengal, 20 and 22 October are holidays while 23 October is a working day, but Saturday is a weekly holiday.
Second and fourth Saturdays of a month are holidays for government-owned banks.
“Bank management have not approached the unions in connection with the continuous holidays,” a senior leader in a bank officer’s association said on Saturday.
“Instructions are being given on the mode of replenishing the Automatic Teller Machines so that they do not run out of cash,” he added.
According to him, the holidays are known at the beginning of the year itself. The bank managements could have pro-actively discussed with the unions to sort out the issue.
While union leaders agree that it is going to be a long weekend, they also cite it is not a new phenomenon in the country.
He said the unions would have even agreed to shift the holiday falling on 24 October to some other Saturday provided those who apply for leave on that day are not denied the same.
All India Bank Employees’ Association general secretary C.H. Venkatachalam had earlier said that it is only in Tamil Nadu that the holidays are consecutive.
“In many other states and union territories it is not the case. It is also not the first time when banks are closed for consecutive days due to festivals,” he said.