Banking operations across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as in the rest of the country, were crippled on Friday when thousands of employees struck work in support of multiple demands ranging from no privatisation of public sector banks to recovery of non-performing assets.
The strike was total. No work was conducted, including cheque clearance, declared VVSR Sarma, Convenor of the United Forum of Bank Unions (TS and AP).
Employees in different cadres of all public sector banks, old generation private banks, regional rural banks in both the States participated, he said, estimating their number to be around 50,000. Automated teller machines (ATMs), however, functioned as usual, he added.
The agitation, Mr. Sarma explained, was primarily against privatisation of public sector banks, demanding that no amendments be made to labour laws that are labour friendly besides stressing on recovery of bad loans.
The UFBU comprises nine trade unions of bank employees and officers (AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW, NOBO).
While he said that the strike was not against the proposed merger of SBI’s associate banks with the parent, BEFI General Secretary (AP and TS) P. Venkataramaiah said the opposition to merger was as much a part of the agenda as others.
All India Andhra Bank Award Employees’ Union general secretary T. Ravindranath, in a release said, around 20,000 employees working in 2,800 branches /offices of Andhra Bank across the Country participated in the strike against government’s ‘anti public sector policies’ of privatisation and mergers. On bad loans, he said, the names of loan defaulters should be published, stringent measures initiated to recover bad loans and declare wilful default as criminal offence.
A protest rally was organised at the State Bank of Hyderabad’s office in Gunfoundry area in Hyderabad, which was addressed by several central trade unions leaders.
