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Banking transactions to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore were affected in the state as about 40,000 bank employees went on a day long strike on Wednesday responding to the call of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to press for wage revision.
UFBU is an umbrella organization of nine unions of employees and officers of the banks. The unions include All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees' Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees' Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers' Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO).
"The employees have been demanding 23 per cent hike in wages. But the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) is adamant on offering only 11 per cent wage hike," said JB Mohapatra, Convenor, UFBU- Odisha state unit.
As many as 3,500 PSU banks pulled down their shutters today even as the private banks remained open.
Though the term of previous agreement on wage revision expired on 31 October, 2012, the revised wage agreement which was due on November 1, 2012, is yet to be finalised. The talks between the IBA and bank unions have failed after 16 rounds of negotiation. "The IBA, till now, has exhibited little seriousness in resolving the issues which has spread rampant discontentment among the bank officers/workmen. The whimsical offer of wage rise has totally been rejected by UFBU in the face of unbridled price rise and a high rate of inflation", read an official statement of UFBU.
Stating that the bank men of the country have extended total support in implementing all government sponsored schemes like financial inclusion and disbursement of aids and assistances under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, UFBU complained, "Despite these accelerated bank transactions, immediate wage revision of the bank employees and officers up to the appropriate level has not happened."
The banks have decided to go on four day zone wise strike starting from December 2. In Odisha, banks will go on strike again on December 4, Mohapatra added.
In the country, as many as one million bank employees and officers of 70,000 branches went on strike today demanding wage revision.
