Nationalised banks across the district downed shutters on Monday as part of the two-day all-India strike called by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) demanding implementation of the 10th bipartite wage agreement that Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) reached with UFBU and stopping of the reforms in banking sector.
Banking transactions came to a standstill as thousands of officers and staff struck work on the first day of the strike and staged a protest demonstration outside the Central Bank of India Regional Office at Benz Circle in Vijayawada.
Participating as the chief guest, Andhra Pradesh Bank Employees’ Federation general secretary B.S. Rambabu said over eight lakh officers and staff of public sector banks stayed away from work as IBA failed to honour its commitments while the Central government implemented a host of reforms detrimental to the sector, in undue haste.
PromiseThe promise that was made to the bank employees during the strike on December 18 to first clear 10 per cent of the salary arrears did not materialise, not to mention the dues outstanding since the 10th wage agreement was inked in November 2012.
The proposed opening of the gates for foreign investments in the banking sector was another danger but the government appeared to be intent on rolling out the red carpet to multinational banking conglomerates.
The latest round of negotiations on a host of issues raised by the PSBs failed and they had no option except to resort to strike this time for two consecutive days.
Banking unions’ leaders K.S. Rao, K. Nagesh Kumar, K. Raghu Ram, S. Rama Murthy, Prakash, B. Syam Babu. R. Ajay Kumar and others participated.
