The Hindu Business Line : Banking operations partially hit

Mumbai, Aug. 20 The one-day strike called by the three bank unions partially affected banking operations across the country with around 5 lakh employees staying away from work.

However, branches of Bank of Baroda and Indian Overseas Bank functioned almost normally as the main unions of these banks did not join the strike.

Employees of two major banks ICICI Bank and State Bank of India did not participate in the strike. Clearing operations were more or less smooth though the number of cheques cleared in the day would have been lower than the normal day, said a bank official.

The three unions — All India Bank Officers Association, All India Bank Employees Association and the Bank Employees Federation of India — had called for the strike to protest against the Government’s attempt for mergers of public sector banks. The All India Reserve Bank Employees Association also joined the strike today with around 15,000 employees staying away.

According to Mr C.H. Venkatachalam, Convenor, United Forum for Bank Unions (UFBU), clearing operations and cash transactions were affected in all public sector banks with the exception of State Bank of India.

However, a senior official from the Union Bank of India said the impact of the strike on the bank’s countrywide operations was negligible. The bank’s operations were hampered in around 700 branches spread across the States of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Assam.

The employees of cooperative banks, regional rural banks, some foreign banks and a few old generation private banks also went on strike today.

The UFBU will meet on August 21 to decide on further course of action.

More Stories on : Trade & Labour Unions | Public Sector Banks

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