Chidambaram appeals SBI employees withdraw stir

Bangalore, Apr 6: Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today appealed to the striking SBI employees to give up the protest and resume work with their modified demand being considered by the management.

Talking to newsmen here he said that the Central Labour Commissioner was seized of the issue and with the management seeking time to go through the revised demand there was ''no need to inconvenience people by continuing the strike'' The management would be able to find a solution he added.

Mr Chidambaram said there was no justification at all to inconvenience the people.

He said unlike other PSU Banks, SBI employees enjoy triple benefit of contributory provident fund, pension and gratutity. The workmen had pointed out certain anomolies in the agreement signed with the management in 2002 and based on that they had resorted to the strike.

UNI