780 SBI branches in WB on strike on Sept 15

Kolkata, Sept 06: Banking services in all the 780 branches of State Bank of India(SBI) under Bengal circle will come to a halt on September 15 in response to a one-day strike, called by the SBI Staff Association, to press for its seven-point charter of demands.

Speaking to newsmen here today to announce the strike call, SBISA (Bengal Circle) general secretary Ashok Dutt said their major demands included total implementation of the Bank management's commitment towards continuing with the SBI's Forex business from the city on 50:50 basis in accordance with the bipartite agreement with the Bank unions in January, 2000, regularisation of four sub-staff and gradual filing up of nearly 2,000 vacancies in various departments for the part several years.

Charging the SBI top management with violating most of the service conditions, bipartite agreements and commitments besides drastically reducing the number of permanent staff members through various undemocratic manners, Mr Dutta claimed that they had no option but to resort to the proposed strike to press for their long standing demands.

He, however, fully agreed that millions of SBI customers in Bengal circle would face severe hardship in view of the strike besides creating a bad impression among the general public, Mr Dutta hoped keeping in mind the larger and more important issues the customers would accept the inconveniences.

About 14,000 SBI employees in West Benbgal, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar islands under Bengal Circle are likely to take part in the strike, Mr Dutta said.

UNI