All-India strike disrupts banking services

New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) Banking operations across the country were paralysed today following a day-long strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) comprising nine unions against outsourcing services and privatisation.

In the national capital, hundreds of employees gathered for a sit-in at the local headquarters of the State Bank of India (SBI) on the Parliament Street.

The unions also are demanding resumption of recruitment stopped by bank managements following large scale computerisation of operations and introduction of yet another option for pension denied to over half of the bank employees.

''The anti-people and anti-labour economic policies of the Manmohan Singh government have hit almost all sections of the society,'' Amarjeet Kaur, National Secretary of CPI and Secretary of central trade union AITUC, told the protestors at the SBI rally.

Clearing operations were paralysed in the commercial capital Mumbai as the agitating employees stayed away from work.

UFBU Kolkata convenor Ashok Dutta told UNI that more than one million employees across the country ''willingly participated''in the strike and staged peaceful demonstration in front of their respective offices.

Uttar Pradesh reported an estimated loss of Rs 5,000 crore as no transaction could take place following the strike.

Over 11 lakh bank officers and employees boycotted work in hundreds of branches across the state.

Forum convener Anil Srivastava said thousands of employees gathered outside the SBI main branch and participated in a sit in.

Banking services in Bihar too were affected as more than 50,000 employees and officers of nationalised banks joined a day's token strike.

Functioning of rural banks was also badly affected as their head offices in Patna remained closed and branches in some districts also did not operate.

MORE UNI TEAM AK RP VC1910