Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 8: The two-day strike called by the officers and employees of the banks ended on Friday August 7. The strike had been undertaken under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions, urging Indian Banks Association, which is the negotiating body, to settle pending issues like wage revision, another option for pension and employment on compassionate grounds at the earliest.

Employees of various banks held demonstration in front of Canara Bank circle office here on Friday. A protest was also held in front of the head office of Karnataka Bank in the city.

All India Bank Employees Association joint secretary P R Karanth, who addressed the protestors, said that the central government has now agreed to reconsider the pending issues through talks. United Forum of Bank Unions office bearers will meet on August 11 to consider the issues. If the Indian Banks Association continues to follow a rigid stand as in the past, on the issue of wage settlement, the bank employees will launch an indefinite strike, he warned.

The customers, particularly the business class, suffered a lot, as continuous money flow is an important ingredient for their business. Several ATMs started showing the sign, ‘unable to dispense cash’ by Friday morning, as withdrawals are particularly heavy during the first week of every month, and as several people wanting to draw heavy cash, also had to depend on ATMs to get cash. A few customers said, some banks had limited the access of their ATMs to their own banks, while in some ATMs, a maximum of Rs 5,000 alone could be withdrawn.