SBI employees' strike enters fifth day

Agartala, Apr 7 (UNI) Banking operations in all the 33 branches of the State Bank of India in Tripura remained paralysed as the employees' strike to support their charter of demands entered the fifth day today.

Spokesman of the bank's joint movement committee Dilip Deb described the strike as 'total' and said it would continue till the demands were fulfilled.

''We have no other option but to continue the strike because of the negative attitude of the Finance Ministry,'' he added.

In the charter of demands 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. The charter of demands also includes DA linked with price rise.

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

UNI RB PL RD 1320