Around 100,000 bank employees and officers of 27 public sector banks including State Bank of India (SBI), 12 private sector and eight foreign banks will go on a nationwide strike for two days from Wednesday, said the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).
UFBU, the umbrella organisation of five employees unions and four officers unions of state-run banks in the country, is demanding immediate wage revision and is also protesting against the ongoing banking sector reforms.
SBI has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that UFBU has given a notice to IBA calling for a nationwide bank strike from Dec 18, 2013.
"All India State Bank Officers' Federation and All India State Bank of India Staff Federation being part of UFBU will also participate in the said strike," the SBI said.
Nine unions, AIBEA, All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation Of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation Of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organisation Of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO) have given the strike call under the UBFU umbrella.
According to UFBU, the last wage settlement in the banking sector expired in October 2012. However, the discussions on a revised settlement since one year have been inconclusive, UFBU said.