Central bank employees hold countrywide strike

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) Officers and employees of the Central Bank of India (CBI) today observed a one-day country-wide strike to protest against what they descibed as the "anti-employee policies of the Bank Management.

More than 33,000 Central bank employees throughout the country held protests and demonstrations against unilateral transfers, violation of policies and settlements and delay in settling of retirement benefits.

In Delhi, the bank employees and officers staged a sit-in at Jantar Mantar. They also organised a rally in the capital to protest the management's policies.

''It is a matter of regret that while the Bank management has been seeking cooperation of and involvement from the staff by talking about the bad financial health of the institution, at the same time it has chosen to target the trade unions, their leaders and basic trade union rights unmindful of its adverse impact on industrial relations and without any provocation from the unions,''leaders of the bank officers and employees unions - Central Bank Workers Union, Central Bank Staff Union, Central Bank Officers Union and Central Bank Officers Congress, said.

The unions have threatened that if the management continued to dillydally on their demands which also include withdrawing of transfers of office-bearers, restoring of staff welfare schemes and adopting existing norms of discussion with the employees representatives, they would be forced to intensify their agitation.

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