Bank strike: Services at branches, ATMs could be hit for two days

New Delhi, Jan 31: Banking services across the country likely to be affected for the next two days as several bank employee unions have called for a two-day bank strike from today, January 31, 2020.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) have called for the strike, seeking wage revision, a demand that has been pending since November 2017.

The strike will coincide with the beginning of the Budget session of parliament and presentation of union Budget 2020-21.

What the bank employees union says

The call was made after a meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner remained inconclusive, PTI quoted AIBOC President Sunil Kumar as saying.

"Today's talks with Indian Banks' Association (IBA) failed on-demand from unions, so strike call stands," AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said.

The rigid approach adopted by IBA has left unions with no option but to go on strike, Venkatachalam said. "We appeal to the banking customers to bear with us for this disruption in services due to the strike but the same has been forced on us by the bank managements and IBA," he said.

What is their demand

The unions are demanding wage revision settlement at 20 per cent hike on payslip along with adequate loading. The last wage revision, which was for the period November 1, 2012, to October 31, 2017, the employees got a 15 per cent hike.

Banking and ATM services to be hit

Several banks including the Stata Bank of India (SBI) have informed customers in regard to the 2-day bank strike from 31st January 2020.

SBI said that it is likely that work in its offices and branches may be impacted to some extent by the strike.