Public sector banks employees have threatened to go on a two-day strike on July 25 and 26 against proposed banking law amendments, outsourcing by banks, HR matters and other issues.
The strike was called by the All India Bank Employees's Association (AIBEA).
C H Venkatachalam, general secretary of AIBEA, said, “We wrote to the Indian Banks Association (IBA) as well as to the Government drawing their attention to the growing resentment and discontentment among bank employees and officers over the delay in redressing the issues, demands and concerns raised by UFBU. Unfortunately, there is no response from them and hence we have no other alternative than to again focus all these issues and demands through agitational programmes and strike.”
The strike will be against the proposed Banking Law amendments aimed at granting licence to companies and private business houses to start their own banks.
Venkatachalam said that there was an attempt to close down rural branches and open a large number of ultra-small branches thereby privatising bank operations through business correspondents.
“The other issues include outsourcing of regular banking tasks of employees and officers, jeopardising our job security. There is a need for adequate recruitments and revival of BSRBs (banking service recruitment boards),” said Venkatachalam.
He said the strikers would also protest attempts to unilaterally implement recommendations on HR matters through arbitrary guidelines and press for the resolutions of issues earlier raised by UFBU. The include revised compassionate appointment scheme, regulated and defined working hours, revised guidelines on staff housing loan, non-extension of pension option facility to voluntarily retired and resigned persons, improvements in pension scheme like updation, uniform DA, among others.
