Banking operations were hit across Chhattisgarh as officials of public sector banks went on a two-day strike on Monday to press for a revision in wages.
The striking bank employees raised slogans and demonstrated before the Punjab National Bank near Motibagh here in Raipur. Because of the bank strike, business worth Rs 1,000 crore has been hit in the State, including Raipur. On the call of United Forum of Bank Union, about 1,500 branches of nationalised and rural banks of the State remained closed. The officers and employees of these banks were on strike in support of their charter of demands, including new pay-scale.
They staged sit-in and demonstrations at all the 27 district headquarters, including Raipur. Customers had a harrowing time, however, ATMs of all banks were open. Bank Employees’ Union leaders Sharad Rathore, Vijay Yechuri, BK Chatterjee, SB Bardhan, DK Sarkar, Shakeel Sajid, Suresh Bani, Sushant Mukherjee, Dharmendra Agrawal and others said that 10th pay-scale had been implemented on November 1, 2012. Even after, it has not been implemented in the banks. They have also demanded to stop new reform in banking sector and termed it as anti-worker and anti-nation action. It should immediately be stopped, they added.
The union leaders demanded immediate appointment on the 50,000 vacant posts of officers and employees in the nationalised and rural banks. They said, on the call of United Forum of Bank Union, all the officers and employees would remain on strike on Tuesday also. The employees’ leaders said that on the condition of not considering their demands, they would chalk out further strategy. Officers and employees of about 1500 branches of various banks in the state are participating in the strike. With the strike, about Rs 400 crore business has been affected in Raipur alone.