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.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on Thursday said its two-day nationwide strike on March 24 and 25 will be observed as scheduled since discussions with the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) over key demands failed to yield any positive outcome. In a meeting with the IBA, all UFBU constituents raised issues, including recruitment in all cadres and a five-day workweek.
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.
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.
Public sector banks have lost nearly Rs 2.85 lakh crore on account of loan dues of 13 corporates even as the banks are used to bail out ailing financial institutions such as Yes Bank and IL&FS, United Forum of Bank Unions alleged on Monday. In a press release, UFBU's convener B Rambabu said the organisation calls for a two-day all India bank strike on December 16 and 17 protesting against Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021 and opposing the Centre's alleged move to privatise PSBs. According to the statistics given by the UFBU, the 13 corporates' outstanding dues were at Rs 486,800 crore and it was resolved at Rs 161,820 crore resulting in a loss of Rs 284,980 crore.
The unions also made a case for introduction of cluster or hub banking, identifying few branches of each bank in each locality so as to enable bank employees to work on rotation.
Services such as deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearance and loan approvals would be affected due to the strike.
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.
United Forum of Bank Unions is seeking at least a 15-per cent hike, but the Indian Banks' Association has capped the raise at 12.25 per cent.
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.
Over 8.5 lakh employees, majorly from public sector banks (PSBs), will get a 15 per cent hike in pay, with the conclusion of the 11th Bipartite Wage Negotiations on Wednesday. After three years of intense negotiations, the UFBU, which represents four bank officer associations and five workman unions, and the IBA on July 22 entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for an annual wage hike of 15 per cent.
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.
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.
Bank unions - officers and workmen - had buried their differences and sat across the table on August 29 to work out a fresh deal with the IBA involving a 20 per cent wage hike.
Bank employees' unions have decided go on a day-long strike on January 7 across the country to press for a wage hike. Bank unions have also threatened to go on strike on multiple days later this month if their demand is not accepted.
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.
The strike call is over privatisation, mergers, and also due to write-off of corporate NPAs, criminalisation of willful default
The United Forum of Bank Unions would be holding a one-day all-India strike on January 7 followed by a four-day strike from January 21-24.
Banking operations including cheque clearance across the country got affected on Monday as bankers under the aegis of the United Forum of Bank Unions have gone on a nationwide strike to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders.
FM has called for a tripartite meet to resolve the bank staff issue and avoid a strike.
Normal banking operations like cheque clearance in public sector banks across the country are likely to be hit on Wednesday as employees have decided to go on one-day nation-wide strike to press for wage revision.
Operations in branches of public sector banks are affected and cheque clearance would be delayed.
During the negotiations held on May 5, IBA made two unacceptable propositions including an offer of 2 per cent hike in the wage bill cost as on March 31, 2017
As many as 8.5 lakh bank employees are set to benefit from the wage hike, which will be effective from November 2017.
The staff of public sector banks had gone on a nationwide strike for two days beginning February 10 after discussions with the IBA failed.
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.
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.
About 1 million bank officers are expected to participate in the strike on May 30 and May 31
Strike is total, impacts all branches of PSU and private banks. Clearing operation at RBI also hit.
The Indian Banks Association has suggested certain alternative proposals on pension after meeting the representatives of United Forum of Bank Unions, general secretary of the All India Bank Officers' Association R J Sridharan said.
Dissatisfied with the wage hike offer made by Indian Banks' Association (IBA), public sector lenders' employee unions on Monday threatened to go on a two-day strike from February 10.
Banks, including country's largest lender State Bank of India, have informed the customers well in advance about the likely inconvenience due to strike.
Banking operations are likely to be hit on Tuesday as unions have called a nationwide strike to protest mergers of public sector undertaking banks and the proposed hike in foreign direct investment limit to 74 per cent in the sector.
The wage revision of public sector bank employees is due from November 2012.
Bank unions appear to be divided on whether or not to go on a two-day nationwide strike on October 5 and 6.
Unions claimed that about 10 lakh staff and officers of public sector banks and some private sector banks are participating in the strike.
The decision is in response to the strike call given by United Forum Of Bank Unions, which has more than 10 lakh (1 million) employees and officers of banking Industry under its umbrella.
The conciliation talks between UFBU and Indian Banks Association held in Mumbai moved a step ahead positively after the IBA offered a 9.5 per cent hike on pay slip cost and hold another round of talks on January 27, UFBU national Convenor M V Murali told PTI in Tirupati over phone.
Banking services are likely to be affected for the next four days as employees of PSU banks plan to go on a zone-wise relay strike beginning with Southern region from Tuesday, after wage revision talks failed.
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