Banks strike: Customers face tough times

Bank customers had to face tough time for the second day in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh as employees of public sector banks participated in two-day long nationwide strike to press for various demands, including wage revision.
Much to the inconvenience of harried customers, protesters under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) staged demonstrations and took out protest rallies at several places to express their anger against apathetic attitude of IBA and Centre towards their demands.
Reports from various places said ATMs at certain places ran out of cash, adding to customers' woes. Huge rush of customers could be seen outside ATMs who queued up to withdraw money from the cash dispensing machines.

Cheques worth several crore of rupees remained uncleared and transactions like cash deposit, drafts, payments were affected due to strike.
Almost 2,500 bank employees assembled here and took out a protest rally.
Protesters warned of intensifying their agitation if their demands were not met.

While addressing the protesters here, Sanjeev Kumar Bandlish, Senior Vice President, National Confederation of Bank Employees said the IBA has deferred meeting with UFBU which was scheduled to be held on February 13 for discussion and asked fellow employees to gear up for a long drawn agitation in coming days.
In Amritsar, bank employees gathered at Jallianwala Bagh threatened to go for indefinite strike if their demands are not met.

"Centre with eye on elections, constituted the 7th Pay Commission for central and state government employees whereas the public sector bank employees wage revision has been due since November 2012. But no sincere efforts has been made by the government to raise their wages as per their demands," said a bank employee.