Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 28: United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU) covering public sector banks and several other banks has given a call for bank strike on Tuesday February 27. Although Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and National Organization of Bank Officers have not joined the strike call, considering that the UBFU has an overwhelming membership of nearly one million employees and officer, the strike today is expected to be total.

Private banks like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank,cooperative banks and others will function normally. Their clearing operations however, will be impaired.

The agitating bank workers are up in arms at the alleged effort being made by successive governments to shift control of public sector entities to private sector and foreign investors in the name of reforms. It has alleged that the government has been ammending labour laws to suit their needs, curbing trade union rights in banking sector etc. The employees and officers are also demanding compensation for extra work hours put during the period of demonitisation exercise. Appointment of workmen and officer employee directors to the boards of banks, adequate recruitment in all categories, removal of ceiling on gratuity, income tax exemption for superannuation benefits, improvement in pension benefits etc are the other demands which the unions say have not been met. Appointment of family members on compassionate grounds, which is approved by central government, has not been implemented by several banks, the unions allege.

Fixing of accountability in case of willful default, huge bad loans, and criminal action against willful defaulters etc are the other demands of the workmen and officer employees. UBFU says that it is compelled to go ahead with the strike as the Indian Banks Association and government representatives showed lack of responsibility at the concilliation meeting held with Chief Labour Commissioner at Delhi on February 21 this year.