Banking operations in West Bengal are likely to come to a standstill on Tuesday with close to 70,000 officers and employees across about 4,000 bank branches in the state joining the All India General Strike on Feb 28.

Seven out of the nine All India Organisations in the banking industry have joined forces with the Central Trade Unions and other organisations to hold and All India General Strike.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), comprising nine banking sector unions, on Monday announced its decision to go ahead with the nationwide strike to protest privatisation of nationalised banks, disinvestment by the government in public sector banks, mergers and acquisitions and outsourcing of routine activities among others, said Mr Gautam Bose, UFBU Convenor.

UFBU further said that some of the officers and employees were being threatened not to participate in the strike.

“All the organisations have given due strike notice to the Indian Banks' Association so as to ensure that the strike is not termed illegal. The threat aims to curb our democratic right. So we have urged the State Administration to look into the matter and take immediate action against such hooliganism,” Mr Bose said.

According to Mr S. Chandrasekharan, executive director, UCO Bank, all bank branches in Kolkata are likely to remain closed but cash transactions on the ATMs will remain unaffected.

“Normally in West Bengal if any trade union calls for a bandh then the transport and logistics are affected and that makes it difficult for people to commute to work,” he said.

Published on February 27, 2012