Strike: Banks strive for 'minimising inconvenience' to public

Even as a majority of PSU bank branches remained closed or non-operational due to the day-long nationwide strike today, the lenders said they made alternative arrangements, like opening a few branches and filling cash in ATMs, to minimise inconvenience for customers.

The employees and officers of public sector banks across the country are on a one-day strike to press for their demands, including compensation from the government for the work bank employees did during demonetisation, strong mechanism for recovery of non-performing loans and action against bank loan defaulters.

Indian Banks' Association (IBA) Chairman Rajeev Rishi said banks were advised to inform their customers about today's strike so that they could do their urgent and large banking related transactions in advance.
 

"We have made sure that alternative banking transaction channels like ATMs are filled up with cash. By and large banks have made all efforts to minimise inconvenience to the customers," Rishi said.

A leading banker said wherever possible, they tried to open the bank branch even with only a few staff members.

"At our bank nearly 40 per cent of the branches across the country are opened," said an executive director of a public sector bank.

Today's strike has been called under the aegis of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).

The UFBU is an umbrella body of nine unions, but two of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh affiliates -- the National Organisation of Bank Workers and the National Organisation of Bank Officers -- are not part of the stir.

The UFBU claims membership of nearly 10 lakh employees across banks.

"The government should give compensation to banks and reimburse other related cost which were incurred during the demonetisation drive. We want strict action against loan defaulters," All India Bank Officers' Association general secretary Dilip Saha said.

The unions said they are also protesting against the outsourcing of permanent jobs in the banking sector.