Customers of public sector banks should brace for next two days of inconvenience as employees of these banks have chosen to proceed on a two-day strike starting Wednesday to protest against the proposed reforms in the banking sector and outsourcing of bank jobs.
The Banking Laws Amendment Bill 2011 which is before Parliament contains provisions such as raising of shareholders voting rights from 10% to 26% in private banks and supersession of bank boards. The Bill, bank union members say was being tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 22, despite protests from bankers’ unions.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided resort to the proposed strike to support its demands as the reconciliation talks called by Chief Labour Commission on Tuesday failed.
The UFBU, which is an umbrella organisation of five employee unions and four officer unions of state-run banks in the country, is against the proposed banking sector reforms and unilateral implementation of the Khandelwal committee report. The Centre-appointed Khandelwal panel had suggested a slew of measures including more outsourcing of non-core activities in a time-bound manner.
“Talks and reconciliation have failed. Government and the Indian Bank Association have not given any response to our demands. All India Bank strike stands for August 22 and August 23,” said Ashwani Rana, secretary general, National Organisation of Bank Workers which is an affiliate of UFBU.
Meanwhile talking to reporters in Chennai CM Baskaran convenor Tamil Nadu UFBU said “The Union government is going ahead with the banking reforms and policies aimed at diluting the public sector banking in India. Banking Laws Amendment Bill is being brought in the Lok Sabha on August 22 (Wednesday) despite our protest.”