Banking operations at public sector banks across the country were impacted on Tuesday as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) went on nationwide strike demanding the immediate implementation of a five-day work week.
Bank unions on Friday deferred their two-day nationwide strike beginning Monday after they received positive assurance from both the finance ministry and the IBA on their demands, including a five-day work week and adequate recruitment in all cadres. The strike call for March 24 and 25 was given by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine bank employees' association.
Bank employees want a five day work week.
Operations of public sector banks (PSBs) may be impacted as bank union AIBEA has given a strike call for Saturday to oppose incessant outsourcing of jobs. Although the officers are not part of the strike, there may be some impact on cash deposit and withdrawal, clearing of cheques etc. Several banks, including Bank of Baroda and Punjab & Sind Bank, have already informed their customers about the potential impact on services if November 19 strike materalises.
'What the RBI is doing is trying to catch the mouse when they have to catch the tiger.'
'Let them put their house in order first.' 'Let the RBI first rectify themselves.'
Lakhs of employees of public sector banks continued their strike on the second day on Friday as well to protest against proposed privatisation of banks by the government impacting normal operation across the country. Shutters of branches across many parts of the country on Friday were down following the strike call given by the United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). As a result, services such as deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearance and loan approvals remains paralaysed due to the two-day strike ending later in the day.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, has given a call for a two-day strike from December 16 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders. In the Union Budget presented in February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the privatisation of two public sector banks (PSBs) as part of its disinvestment plan. The government has already privatised IDBI Bank by selling its majority stake in the lender to LIC in 2019 and merged 14 public sector banks in the past four years.
Bank unions said they will not participate in the 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday, even as they expressed solidarity with farmers protesting against the new farm laws. Farmer groups, camping at various Delhi border points for over a week, have called for a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday to protest against three recently enacted agriculture-related legislations.
Services such as deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearance and loan approvals would be affected due to the strike.
United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, has given a call for a two-day strike from March 15 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders. In the Union Budget presented last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the privatisation of two public sector banks (PSBs) as part of its disinvestment plan. The government has already privatised IDBI Bank by selling its majority stake in the lender to LIC in 2019 and merged 14 public sector banks in the last four years.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, on Tuesday gave a call for a two-day strike from March 15 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders. In the Union Budget presented last week, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the privatisation of two Public Sector Banks (PSBs) as part of its disinvestment plan. The government has already privatised IDBI Bank by selling its majority stake in the lender to LIC in 2019 and merged 14 public sector banks in the last four years.
Employees of public sector banks (PSBs) on Thursday went on two-day strike against the move to privatise public sector banks impacting normal banking operation across the country. Many branches across different parts of the country were shut as the United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) had given two day strike call. As a result, services such as deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearance and loan approvals might be affected due to the strike. But ATMs are expected to function as usual.
Some of the services like cash deposit and withdrawal at the counter and cheque clearances have been impacted due to the strike by banking staff.
Most of the lenders had informed their customers in advance about the strike call given by All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), BEFI, INBEF, INBOC and Bank Karmachari Sena Mahasangh (BKSM), and its impact on banking services.
The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), which represents the employees of the public-sector banks, has threatened to go on a two-day strike from August 22, against the government's proposed Banking Bill, closure of rural branches and other set of banking sector reforms.
A bank employee from Rajasthan was shot dead on Thursday by terrorists in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
A joint forum of central trade unions has given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29 to protest against the government policies affecting workers, farmers, and people.
AIBEA has decided to write to the government and RBI against infusing money into Jet Airways. State-owned banks, including SBI and PNB, are the main lenders to Jet.
The association had earlier called for a strike on July 3 to oppose the merger plans of the subsidiary banks with the parent SBI. AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said though the government authorities and the bank managements deny any policy decisions or guidelines in this regard, there had been overt and covert attempts to merge the banks.
The unions have also threatened to explore an indefinite strike option, if their demands were not addressed.
AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said the SBI management has made it clear it would expedite the merger process. The association had chalked out the strike plan in view of this immediate threat, Venkatachalam added. The merger of the banks would lead to the closure of a large number of bank branches, thereby curtailing banking services for the masses. The closure of branches would also jeopardise the jobs of bank employees, he said.
Normal banking operations were affected on Wednesday as the Left-leaning bank employees went on a one-day nation-wide strike to protest the proposed merger of the State Bank of Indore with its parent SBI.
The finance ministry on Friday asked state governments to accord priority to employees of banks and insurance companies for Covid-19 vaccination, saying they are exposed to high risks during these difficult times.
The United Forum of Bank Employees Unions (UFBEU) representing about 9.5 lakh (950,000) bank employees across the country, has given a two-day nation-wide bank strike call on August 6 and 7 in support of their expedite settlement of wage revision demands.
FM has called for a tripartite meet to resolve the bank staff issue and avoid a strike.
C H Venkatachalam, convener, United Forum of Bank Unions, the umbrella body of the nine unions, said due to the failure of Thursday's talk between Indian Banks Association and UFBU before the chief labour commissioner, they have decided to go ahead with the strike. IBA is yet to resolve issues regarding wage revision and the pension option.
Banking operations were affected as the strike call given by the employees union to press for wage related issues entered the second day on Thursday.
The strike notices were given by workers' unions of various sectors such as coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banks and insurance.
The United Forum of Bank Unions, a body of nine bank unions, has announced a nationwide strike on September 12, after recent talks with the chief labour commissioner over the implementation of a memorandum of understanding failed.
The United Forum of Bank Employees Union has taken this decision of going on strike after failure of talks with the Indian Banks Association on May 11, C H Venkatachalam, convenor of UFBU, said.
However, the likely impact of strike may not be much excluding few areas, said SBI.
While Dhanlaxmi Bank faces governance issues similar to those in Lakshmi Vilas Bank, the financial profile of the Kerala-based bank is better.
Anticipating a sudden and huge crowd in bank branches following the announcement of various measures by the government on Friday, the AIBEA said since the number of employees in bank branches are very few, the crowds can pose a big risk for the bank staff as well as for the customers who might be visiting in large numbers.
Banks, including country's largest lender State Bank of India, have informed the customers well in advance about the likely inconvenience due to strike.
Bank strike continued for day-two on Tuesday, led by nine unions of public sector banks (PSBs) in the country, opposing government's policy to privatise the lenders. Customers will be inconvenienced to get services such as cash withdrawals, deposits, cheque clearances, remittance services. Government transactions related to treasury as well as business transactions will also be impacted. United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, had given a strike call for March 15 and 16.
The wage revision of public sector bank employees is due from November 2012.
About 1 million bank officers are expected to participate in the strike on May 30 and May 31
The strike call is over privatisation, mergers, and also due to write-off of corporate NPAs, criminalisation of willful default
As many as 8.5 lakh bank employees are set to benefit from the wage hike, which will be effective from November 2017.
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