Bank Strike Over Reforms Hit Services Across India
Government transactions, foreign exchange transactions and money market operations were also affected. "All our RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlements) involving clearing of payments with banks that are on strike are affected," an executive of a foreign bank based in Delhi and not part of the strike, he told IANS. In Mumbai, all branches of public sector banks, private banks, many foreign banks in the city, and the regional rural bank branches were deserted.
"The strike is total. Over a million employees in all these banks, barring the cooperative sector banks, are taking part with around 90,000 bank branches to remain shut for two days for our various demands," AIBEA vice-president Vishwas Utagi told IANS. Branches of nationalized and foreign banks remained closed in Kolkata as the strikers picketed the gates. Some branches of a couple of private banks opened in the morning hours, but had to down shutters after agitators entered the premises and asked the employees to move out, sources said.
Almost all ATMs of nationalized, private and foreign banks were closed in the eastern metropolis, while a few ATMs of private banks were open till they were got closed in the afternoon by the protestors. The UFBU includes AIBEA, National Confederation of Bank Employees, Bank Employees Federation of India, Indian National Bank Employees Federation, Indian National Bank Officers Congress, National Organization of Bank Workers, All India Bank Officers Association, and National Organization of Bank Officers. Besides wage revision, the unions are also demanding suitable compensation for risk and responsibility that have increased in the banking sector due to competition and workload pressures. Rejecting the IBA demand to restrict the strike to a day, All India Bank Officers Confederation general secretary Y. Sudarshan said the employees would stage demonstrations in front of Canara Bank and Vijaya Bank branches in Bangalore Tuesday to press for their demands. "There is no change in our two-day strike call. Employees of all public sector banks will stay away from work on Tuesday also," he said. UFBU earlier went on strike on the same issues on Dec 18 last year.
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