Unions of public sector banks (PSBs) will join the general strike called by central trade unions for February 20 and 21. The 26 PSBs have about 10 lakh employees.
The call for a countrywide strike has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), comprising nine national level unions including the AIBEA, the NCBE, the BEFI, the NBEF, the NOBW and the AIBOC.
Even though bank managements have decided to stock adequate cash in ATMs, normal banking operations are likely to be affected. A number of banks have already informed customers of the fallout of the proposed strike.
Corporation Bank, for instance, has said: “A section of the bank's employees may participate in the proposed strike… It is likely that normal functioning of the bank branches and offices may get affected.”
On the part of employees, the Delhi State Bank Employees Federation has noted that the clearing house function of the Reserve Bank of India and other banking operations would also be affected.
Wage revision
Apart from their opposition to banking sector reforms and any likely merger of banks, the employee unions, according to the National Organisation of Bank Workers, are pressing for early wage revision which, it says, has fallen due since November last.
The general strike has been called by all 11 central trade unions, including the Congress-affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), demanding increased wages.
Keywords: PSU bank strike, inflation, wage hike, merger of banks
sir,
The Indian Banks could face the turbulence of economic slowdown
particularly in US and European country because they were insulated
against such crisis on account of their PSU status.what has happened
to the Times Bank,Global Trust Bank,Punjab & Sind Bank which were
opened at the time of LPG policies introduced by the than Finance
Minister DR. Man Mohan Singh.In the hide of FDI the UPA govt wants to
bring back the black money hoarded by the corrupt politicians &
industrialists. The Govt wants to give banking licence to private
sector players including brokerage firms, real estate companies and
finance companies managed by industrial houses . They want to bring
back the banking era of 1969 wherein banks were in the hands of
industrialist,garnering the public funds for use of their business
interest.
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