800 SBI employees in Tripura to join nation-wide strike

Agartala, Mar 31 (UNI) Tripura State government employees may face serious problems in drawing their salary as transactions in all the 33 branches of the State Bank of India in the state will come to a halt from April 3 with the employees joining the nation-wide indefinite strike in support of their charter of demands.

Addressing a press conference here last night, leaders of the joint movement committee of the SBI said the charter of demands included review of the present pension system and linking DA with rise in the prices of essential commodities.

The employees and officers of the SBI have already sent memoranda to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister for redressal of their grievances.

Regretting the harrasment of the common people because of the strike, the leaders of the movement committee said the bank employees had no other alternative but to resort to the strike as the government had so far refused to redress their grievances.

The SBI employees have been demanding 50 per cent of the gross salary as pension instead of Rs 4,500 to Rs 5000 being given currently.

In 1969 the SBI employees went on strike for 21 days to press for their charter of demands.

Meanwhile, Tripura government officials said the state government would not beable to help employees in getting their salaries early because of year ending stipulation and formalities.

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