Banking services across the country remained suspended for the second day in a row as about 10 lakh employees stayed away from work in support of the strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).

SBI Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri on Thursday said that the two-day bank strike has had a significant impact on normal banking activities. All public sector banks, and some private and foreign banks across the country remained shut, thereby delaying cheque transactions of about Rs 80,000 crore over two days. In the financial capital of the country, cheque transactions worth around Rs 15,000 crore were delayed over two days.

Phone calls made to many public sector banks in rural areas did not elicit any response. A State Bank of India employee who picked up the call in Namakkal (Tamil Nadu) said, “All our branches are closed, however, all ATMs are functioning normally.”

The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill was originally scheduled to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. However, uproar over the coal scam ensured that no business was transacted on Wednesday or Thursday.

“These issues (for which the strike has been called) are completely outside the purview of banks. It has nothing to do with banks' management or employees. They have no ability to influence. But stoppage of work for two days is not helping anybody,” SBI Chairman said.

“The strike was a 100 per cent success…If and when the government introduces the Bill, the union has decided to go on a flash strike,” Vishwas Utagi, Secretary, All-India Bank Employees Association, said.

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