Banking and financial market operations across the country were hit today with over 10 lakh bank employees representing public, private and foreign banks going on a daylong strike against government’s bank reform measures.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine different trade unions of bank officers and employees, had called the strike in protest against government plans to merge state-owned banks into a consolidated entity, outsource many of the non-core activities to private parties and impose an embargo on permanent appointments in non-essential banking areas.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, and Minister of State for Finance Pawan Bansal, who is looking after the banking sector, were not in the Capital to speak on the issue.
In New Delhi, more than 1,000 employees cheered speeches and chanted slogans on the wide front staircase of the main Parliament Street branch of the State Bank of India.
“We are certain that good sense will prevail,” said Mr V.K. Gupta, senior vice-president of the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation.
“If it doesn’t, if (the government) does not do what it should, then we are left with no alternative but to go on indefinite strike,” he told reporters.
