Strike to affect banking operations tomorrow

New Delhi: Banking operations across the country are expected to be affected on Friday due to a day-long strike by banks employees protesting against the proposed banking sector reforms.

“Over ten lakh employees will be a part of the strike and you will see a direct impact on all the arms of banking across the country," Vishwas Utagi of All India Bank Employees Association said. He said crucial banking arms such as clearing houses, forex departments, call money markets and the Reserve Bank offices too would remain closed.

Utagi said bank employees were hopeful that the issue would be raised in Parliament, which is currently in session. Besides bank employees and officers of public sector banks, private banks, foreign banks, Co-operative banks and regional rural banks would also observe the strike.The conciliation talks between United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and the bank management failed on Wednesday.

The issues include privatisation of banking and outsourcing of bank jobs and attempts to impose anti-employee recommendations of Khandelwal Committee, a union official said.

In addition, there is pending issues related with pension and regulated working hours for officers.The bank unions met financial services secretary as well as the IBA (Indian Banks' Association) Chairman, but no solution could be found and the stalemate continued.

UFBU is an umbrella organisation of 5 workman unions and 4 officers unions of public sector and private sector banks in the country.

Source: Financial Express