Bank employees to strike on Sept 7 over private banks getting new licences

Mumbai, Aug 31 (ANI): Public sector bank employees will go on a nation-wide strike on September 7 in protest over granting of new licences to private sector banks.

The employees are also demanding an increase in public sector branches from the existing 40,000 to 100,000.

Apart from state-owned bank employees, nearly 4.4 million employees, including those from organised and unorganised sectors and industries would take part in the strike.

"The All India Bank Employees Association's (AIBEA) and the Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation (MSBEF) have taken an initiative in the strike and other trade unions affiliated with INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS, HMKP would also be participating in the strike," said AIBEA General Secretary Vishwas Utagi.

There are 27 PSU banks, 18 private banks, 82 regional rural banks and 16 foreign banks in the country, besides around 2,100 co-operative banks. (ANI)