The two-day nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of bank employees and officers, to protest against the proposed privatisation of public sector banks, affected banking services in 217 public sector branches in the district on Thursday.
As part of the Centre’s disinvestment proposal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had, in the Union Budget, announced the privatisation of two banks in the country.
Unions have been protesting against the move and wanted the government to withdraw its decision to introduce the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, that was planned to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.
Over 2,000 employees from the public sector branches participated in the strike affecting regular services like deposits, withdrawals and cheque clearances. In many branches, a few employees were present and customers had to wait for long hours to complete their transactions.
Officials said Automated Teller Machines were refilled by private security agencies and there was no disruption in cash withdrawals on the first day of the strike.
Krishnagiri
Bank employees protested in front of State Bank of India here. They raised slogans demanding withdrawal of the move to privatise nationalised banks. They also opposed the banking reforms as they said that it would weaken the public sector banks.
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