A projected Rs. 100 crore worth of banking transactions were affected in the district after a section of employees of the five associated banks of State Bank of India struck work on Thursday to press their demands.
The employees in the clerical cadre, sub-staff and part-time employees in the branches of State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, and State Bank of Mysore, took part in the strike.
“We also had the outside support of officers for the strike,” claimed D. Manoharan, general secretary of District Bank Employees Union.
Due to the strike, foreign exchange and other cash transactions, and cheque clearances were affected.
The striking employees opposed the move to extend the service conditions and career progression norms followed in State Bank of India, to the five associate banks, and further wanted the management of the associate banks to recruit more sub-staff and part-time employees for managing the heavy workload.
“We are also against merger of any more associate banks with State Bank of India. Already the authorities have amalgamated some of the associate banks with the SBI,” said the bank employees.
