Two-day bank strike cripples life in Jammu

Jammu, Sep 25 (UNI) Opposing privatisation, merger and acquisition of state-owned banks, the two-day nationwide strike in public sector banks, crippled life today for the second consecutive day in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, sources here said.

The strike, however, affected remittance of money to students, pensioners and traders in the state.

''The strike has caused lot of trouble to the commuters, especially the pensioners and those who require money in emergency,'' a customer visiting an ATM told UNI.

The country's banking industry was crippled for the second day as more than 8,00,000 bank employees and officers across India continued their strike.

The functioning of local Jammu and Kashmir Bank, regional rural banks and co-operative banks gave respite to those who had accounts in these banks but the shutters of all nationalised banks remained down due to the strike.

The two-day strike has been called by the United Form of Bank Unions (UFBU), the umbrella body of all bank unions, to press for a six-point charter of demands that includes opposition to amendment of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which would give equal voting rights to shareholders.

UNI VBH SKB ND1830