Bank employees and officers are firm on going ahead with their two-day nationwide strike towards the end of this month, a protest that will see participation of around 60,000 staffers of all public sector and old generation private banks in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Though the Chief Labour Commissioner, Delhi, called for a conciliation meeting of the bank managements and unions on Monday, United Forum of Bank Unions convenor (AP and Telangana) V.V.S.R Sarma does not expect it to change the course of the agitation in support of demands pertaining to wages.
“It is a statutory requirement,” he said about the need for such a meeting to be convened once a strike notice is given.
UFBU, an umbrella body of nine unions of bank officers and employees — AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO – had earlier this month given the strike call for May 30 and 31.
No work is likely to be transacted on these two days as 10 lakh employees and officers across the country will go on strike. Among customers, those who are likely to be impacted severely are pensioners and salaried preferring branch transactions.
In Telangana, the strike comes ahead of the scheduled reopening of schools on June 1. It also comes in the middle of Rythu Bandhu scheme implementation under which the State government, since May 10, had been issuing cheques to farmers.
Launched even as banks were emerging out of a cash crunch, the investment support scheme for farmers has so far progressed without major issues. On the request of the State government, the RBI had made arrangements for cash towards the scheme.
Up to May 25, the banks had paid ₹3,376 crore against 31.83 lakh cheques presented by farmers. The State government has estimated ₹5,700 crore to be paid under the scheme to around 58 lakh farmers.
The strike, however, is unlikely to affect customers opting for e-banking services.
Mr. Sarma said the objective was not to inconvenience the customers, but the 2% hike in the wage bill was too meagre and “humiliating” for the bank employees and officers.
He pointed out how many of the government programmes such as the demonetisation exercise, loan disbursements under Mudra Scheme and opening of Jan Dhan accounts would not have succeeded but for the work put in by bank employees and officers.
