Public Sector Bank Employees in India: Work Pressure, Key Issues, Strike Deferment and Comparison with Private Banks
1. Introduction Public sector banks (PSBs) play a vital role in India's economic development. They provide banking services across urban, semi-urban and rural areas, implement government-sponsored financial inclusion programmes, extend agricultural and priority-sector credit, distribute welfare benefits and support small businesses and weaker sections of society. However, the responsibilities of public sector bank employees have increased considerably. Along with traditional banking activities, employees must handle digital transactions, customer grievances, regulatory compliance, loan processing, recovery, government schemes, business development and various reporting requirements. The central issue is not simply the number of hours spent at the workplace. It is the combination of workload, staff availability, business targets, administrative responsibilities, customer expectations and accountability. These concerns have contributed to demands from bank unions for better working...