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Image Source : PTI Bank strike today: Bank unions call for 2-day nationwide strike, banking services likely to be hit
Highlights
Employees of several state-owned banks including SBI will go on a two-day strike starting today
The strike has been called by the UFBU, AIBOC, AIBEA, NOBW
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu extends support to the two-day nationwide strike called
Employees of several state-owned banks including the State Bank of India (SBI) will go on a two-day strike starting today. The strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, including the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW).
The unions have been protesting ever since the Centre in its Budget 2021-22 announced its intent to privatise two public sector lenders. Soumya Datta, general secretary of AIBOC, has confirmed that the union has decided to go ahead with the two-day nationwide strike.
Nearly nine lakh employees and officers from various public sector banks (PSBs), old generation private sector banks and regional rural banks will participate in the strike.
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has extended support to the two-day nationwide strike called. Party general secretary and State Minister Durai Murugan wished the strike success and announced his party’s “total support” to the protest.
State Bank of India (SBI) had already warned customers about the nationwide strike’s possible impact on banking operations.
“We have been advised by the lndian Banks’ Association (lBA) that United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has served a Notice of Strike, informing that the members of the constituent Unions of UFBU viz. AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF and INBOC propose to go on a nationwide Bank Strike on 16th & 17th December, 2021 in support of their demands. We advise that while the Bank has made necessary arrangements to ensure normal functioning in its branches and offices on the days of strike, it is likely that work in our Bank may be impacted by the strike,” SBI said in an exchange filing earlier.
Stating that the strike is not in the interest of customers and investors, SBI, Canara Bank and UCO Bank, among others, urged their employees to reconsider their decision to go on strike.
“Furthermore, considering the ongoing pandemic situation, resorting to a strike will cause great inconvenience to the stakeholders,” SBI said in a tweet.
The Centre is widely expected to introduce a Bill — the Banking Laws (amendment) Bill — in the Parliament’s ongoing winter session to pave the way for the privatisation of two public sector banks. This Bill is yet to officially get Cabinet approval but sources say that this may have been discussed at today’s Cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, the employees and trade unions had started a protest campaign ‘Bank Bachao, Desh Bachao’ at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 1.
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