Employees of state-owned banks threaten two-day strike from Jan 31

New Delhi, January 15

Bank unions have threatened to go on a two-day nationwide strike beginning January 31 to press for early wage revision.

The wage revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017.

The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of the nine bank unions including All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW).

If proposed strike materialises, it will coincide with beginning of the Budget session and presentation of Budget 2020-21.

UFBU in circular alleged rigid approach of the Indian Banks’ Association on demands for a fair wage revision settlement.

“In this background, the meeting of UFBU held at Mumbai on January 13 came to the unanimous and inescapable conclusion that intensified agitational actions have to be resorted to press our demands for reasonable resolution and satisfactory settlement,” it said.

Unions are demanding wage revision settlement at 20 per cent hike on pay slip components with adequate loading.

In the past wage settlement, which was for the period November 1, 2012, to October 31, 2017, the employees got a 15 per cent hike.

Earlier this month, a section of bank employees had gone on a day-long strike on January 8 in support of 10 major trade unions’ protest call against the government’s “anti-people” policies. PTI