Starting in April 2027, bank branches will open 30 minutes later than their current schedule. This change comes as a result of an agreement between labor and management in the financial sector, reflecting shifts in customer behavior due to reduced working hours and the rise of digital banking.
According to reports from the financial sector on September 28, the National Financial Industry Labor Union and the Financial Industry Employers' Council reached a tentative agreement during central negotiations. This marks approximately five months since negotiations began in April.
Under the agreement, bank opening hours will shift from 9 AM to 9:30 AM starting in April 2027, while closing time will remain unchanged at 4 PM.
The decision was made considering that employees had to arrive earlier than the actual opening time for a 9 AM start, as well as the decrease in customers visiting branches due to the increase in online banking transactions. The government's push for a reduction in actual working hours was also reflected in this agreement.
Wages will increase by 3.0% based on total amounts, with the company covering the costs associated with hiring new young employees.
A flexible arrival system will be introduced, allowing employees to adjust their start times by up to 30 minutes within a total of one hour per week.
Additionally, a 'last call' system will be implemented to encourage employees to complete customer transactions in advance. This is intended to support the early closing policy agreed upon last October, which allows for a one-hour early departure on Fridays.
Furthermore, parental support programs will be expanded. The eligibility for parental leave will be extended to cover children until they finish sixth grade, and adjustments to working hours for employees with young children will also be prolonged.
However, the issue of relocating state-owned banks, which has been a major point of contention for the labor union during strikes, was not included in this tentative agreement.
Meanwhile, the financial union plans to hold a meeting of branch representatives on September 29 to share the details of the tentative agreement.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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