IOB officials call for strike on March 2, demanding work-life balance and the right to disconnect

The Association added in a statement that repeated statements highlighting concerns about morale, mental well-being and institutional functioning have not received an adequate response | Photo credit: RAGHUNATHAN SR

Furthermore, without response from management, a conciliation meeting has also been scheduled between IOB management and IOBA members in the presence of the central labor commissioner on Wednesday, February 25.

“We are not demanding salary revision but asking for our dignity and cordial working atmosphere. We only want restoration of humane working hours, transparent governance, withdrawal of certain HR clauses like probationary period for promotions and unilateral policy decisions,” said Sreenivas Naick, Secretary General of IOBOA. business line.

IOB declined to comment at this time.

According to Naick, IOB officials across India are said to be facing unrealistic deadlines and targets, with management not attaching importance to work-life balance. “Officers are asked to sit after 9.30pm and are also called on public holidays, citing unrealistic deadlines,” he said.

Outlining their demands, he said there should be no “forced late meetings” or officers being called on holiday unless there was real urgency. Further, safety protocols should be put in place, especially for skeletal branches and women officers, he added. There should also be a right to disconnect – to regulate out-of-hours messaging on WhatsApp and other channels, he said, adding that there should also be a guarantee of fair and transparent HR governance.

The Association added in a statement that repeated statements highlighting concerns about morale, mental well-being and institutional functioning have not received an adequate response.

The public sector lender posted 56 per cent year-on-year growth in consolidated net profit at ₹1,365 crore for the quarter ended December 2025 (Q3FY26). Moreover, the bank’s total operations increased by ₹1.01 lakh crore to ₹6.44 lakh crore by December 2025, registering a year-on-year growth of 18.7 percent.

As part of the planned agitation schedule, demonstrations were held in regional centers on February 23, followed by protests on February 26, culminating in the March 2 strike.

Published on February 23, 2026