Demanding pay revision and protesting privatisation of banks, employees of most of the banks of the State went on strike on Wednesday to support the nationwide one-day strike called by the United Forum of Banking Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions.
Due to the bandh, normal retail banking operations in the State-run banks including cheque clearances and other normal banking activities were hit. As employees joined the strike and shouted slogans in support of their demands in front of their bank branches, banking services in all the major cities, including the capital city, remained affected causing great difficulties for customers.
According the UFBU sources, the strike was total in 75,000 branches of 27 public sector banks, and 25,000 branches of 18 private and eight foreign banks across India.
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 Organisation of Bank Workers, All India Bank Officers’ Association and National Organisation of Bank Officers.
“Despite our repeated demands, the Government does not pay heed to our demands. We have been providing services to the general public including the Jan Dhan Yojana of the Government till 8pm on every working day with very little staff strength but the Government has not been revising our pays despite it being overdue by years,” said the UFBU Odisha convener.
The convener said their pay revision is overdue by over two years, but the Government is yet to revise it.“If the Government fails to meet our genuine demands, we will go for another three-day strike beginning December 4,” said a bank officer.