The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to undertake further preparatory programmes to go for intermittent strikes, prolonged strikes, and also indefinite strike to protest against the government’s proposal to privatise public sector banks (PSBs).

This comes in the wake of about 10 lakh employees and officers, owing allegiance to nine unions under the aegis of UFBU, going on a two-day strike on March 15 and 16.

“...We must intensify our campaign amongst the people, particularly the beneficiaries and other sections of the people.

“...It was decided to undertake a mass campaign of collection of supportive signatures in the petition to Prime Minister,” said Sanjeev K Bandlish, Convenor, UFBU, in a statement.

UFBU decided to embark upon programmes, including collecting five crore signatures from the people in the Petition to Prime Minister during April, May and June; and organisational meetings at all levels in Aprilto ensure total membership contact.

The forum’s constituents will also hold mass rallies, dharnas, seminars and workshops in all the States in April, May and June.

“We are opposed to privatisation of banks and are convinced that privatisation is not the solution to the problems faced by the banks.

“It is imperative that we should prepare ourselves for a prolonged and sustained struggle and also elicit support from the people,” said Bandlish.

In her Union Budget speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “Other than IDBI Bank, we propose to take up the privatisation of two Public Sector Banks and one General Insurance company in the year 2021-22.”

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