PSU Bank Staff including workmen and officers decided for all India Strike on 22 August following the failure of conciliation meeting with Chief Labour Commissioner AK Nayak on Friday. The meeting held between Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) and Bank Unions to cancel nationwide strike , had also failed.
Around 10 lakh bank employees of public sector banks will go on nationwide strike tomorrow. Employee unions under UFBU or United Forum of Bank Unions, which claims membership of nearly 10 lakh across banks, have called for the one-day strike against reforms proposed by the government.
United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) is an umbrella body of nine unions, including All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW).
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No assurance from Government on Charter of Demands
CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said, “We wanted an assurance that the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister will give a statement that there will be no privatisation of banks and no mergers of public sector banks. As no such assurance came at today’s conciliation meeting, we have decided to go ahead with the August 22 strike.”
What are the demands of Bank Unions ?
Nearly 10 lakh bank employees will participate in the strike that is against the government’s move to privatise Public Sector Banks and plan to merge and consolidate them.
Other demands include
- Criminal action against wilful default of bank loans,
- Implementing recommendations of parilamentary committee on recovery of NPAs, abolishing Banks Board Bureau,
- Reimbursement of expenses incurred during the demonetisation and Jan Dhan campaigns, and
- Removal of Gratuity Ceiling under Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
Besides the above demands, the union also wants withdrawal of the proposed financial resolution and deposit insurance (FRDA) Bill , total exemption of gratuity and leave encashment on retirement.
Most public sector banks have informed their customers about impact on banking transactions and functioning of branches if the strike takes off. While operations at private lenders – like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank – are expected to be normal except delay in cheque clearances.
