Guwahati/Agartala, Dec 16 (IANS): Banking services were badly affected in the northeastern states on Thursday as most of the major banks remained closed due to two-day nation-wide employees' strike against bank privatisation.

Protest demonstrations were also held in front of the bank branches in many cities across the region by the striking employees.

Leaders of the striking employees claimed that the response on the first day of the two-day bank strike was very good in all the eight northeastern states.

The strike was called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).

UFBU leader Sanjay Datta said that they want that the government not move the Bank Privatisation Bill (Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2021) during the ongoing winter session of the Parliament.

The government had in Budget 2021-22 announced its intent to take up privatisation of two more public sector banks (PSBs) during the year.

"The bank strike is not in the interest of the employees alone... the agitation is to protest policies of the Central government and to protect the Indian banks from so-called reforms," Datta said.

He said that PSBs are implementing all government schemes including Jan-Dhan Yojana, social sector insurance scheme and Mudra schemes, meant for the economically and socially backward sections of the society.

The banking employees have also been protesting the outsourcing of non-core activities by the authorities.