Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 10: Normal banking operations today were hit after the nationwide strike called by the national organizations of bank employees and officers across the country to mark their protest against banking sector reforms as also to impress upon the Government the need for immediate settlement of their wage accord.
Terming the first day of two day strike a successful, the leaders of various banking union namely All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers' Confederation, AIBOA, BEFI, NCBE, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO hoped the second day also to receive massive response from the cadre.
Terming the strike a 'total success', union leaders said in response to the call of United Forum of Bank Unions comprising of 9 bank trade unions, 10 lakh bank employees and officers working in public sector banks, old generation private banks, Regional Rural Banks, workmen employees of foreign Banks observed All India Strike today on the following demands like Immediate Wage Revision for bank employees and officers and Stopping retrograde Banking Sector reforms.
They said that the 'Wage Revision Settlement' in the Banks is due from November 2012, despite UFBU has submitted the charter of demands in October, 2012. Indian Banks Association (IBA) has been delaying the matter for the past one year. "Despite the unfavourable economic scenario, Banks have been earning good profits over the years, they said while adding that the bad Loans are increasing not because of employees.
Speakers while addressing the protesting bank employees said, "About 10 crore cheques worth Rs. 7,40,000 crores could not be cleared. In Chennai clearing house , about 90 lakh cheques worth about Rs. 64,000 crores could not be processed in clearing. Government transactions, foreign exchange transactions,. Money market operations, etc. were also affected. In many places, ATMs did not function or were dried up."
The General Secretary of the Federation Com Arun Kumar Gupta, Vinod kumar, Com Ashawani Pradhan, Com T K Sharma and Com V K Shah all from PNBOA while Com Ashok Sahni , Com Gopal Sharma and Com Rajiv Malhotra from PNB Staff Union-J&K addressed the protesting bank employees. |
