Two-day nationwide bank strike from today

Mumbai, Sept 24 (ANI): Over nine lakh bank employees are going on a two-day strike from today demanding settlement of issues like wage revision and termination of job outsourcing in banking sector among other things.

Normal banking transactions are likely to be disrupted across 50,000 branches, including about 15,000 branches of the State Bank of India (SBI) and its six associate banks.

The conciliatory talks held here yesterday between the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) under the aegis of Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC), S.K. Mukhopadhya, failed to yield any results. "We have decided to implement the strike on September 24 and 25 as planned. IBA could not offer the commitments that we had sought," said C.H. Venkatachalam, Convenor, UFBU.

The UFBU, comprising nine all-India unions and organisations, is protesting the Government's policy of privatisation and consolidation. It asked the IBA to give a timeframe for resolving the bank unions' demands on wage revision, pension option and compassionate appointment.

The unions are protesting merger and consolidation in the banking sector. Besides the merger, other demands include settlement of issues like wage revision, second option for pension scheme, termination of job outsourcing in the banking industry and immediate appointments in the Class IV cadre. (ANI)