Two-day strike call by bank employees

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 18: In protest against the alleged calculated design on part of the Government and the bankers to denigrate public sector banking institution of the country and alleged move to allow more foreign direct investment (FDI) in the banking sector, the bank employees throughout the country, cutting across the organizational barriers have called for a two-day strike on September 24 and September 25. The unions have also threatened to go for strike in all the public sector banks for an indefinite period if their demands are not addressed by the authorities by the next month.

The north-east chapter of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) sources said, on the specious plea of competition, swift changes have been made pushing public sector banks into the morass of ever-intensified crisis. The sole intent and purpose behind the move is nothing but wholesale privatization through backdoor, sources alleged.

According to the sources, the latest report of the Raghuram Rajan Committee prescribed reduction of Government share of equity in public sector banks and amendment of the Banking Regulation Act to allow more FDI in banking sector with full voting rights. On the other hand, merger of banks as implemented unilaterally upon the State Bank of Sourashtra was just a modest beginning of the design, it added.

This was quite contrary to the assurance given by the Indian Bankers Association (IBA) as given through the memorandum of understanding signed on February 25, upon which the two-day country-wide bank strike on February 25 and February 26 was called off by the UFBU, said the sources.

According to the union sources, IBA has not only fallen back on its commitment, it is also ‘moving fast with its agenda’ like privatization and outsourcing of bank’s jobs of perennial nature and dragging its feet on its commitments regarding various important issues like pension option, compassionate appointment, recruitment and wage revision, it added.

Several unions and employees associations in the banking sector including APBEA, NCBE, AIBOC, AIBOA and BEF (north-east circle) have extended support to the proposed strike.
source: sentinel assam