Banking services in Maharashtra hit as 60,000 bank employees go on 2-day strike

Banking services in the state have been hit as close to 60000 bank employees from various public sector banks are on a twoday nationwide strike beginning Thursday to protest against the governments decision to privatise two more public sector banks unions saidUnions claimed that about nine lakh employees of staterun banks are observing strike across the countryThe government had in Budget 202122 announced its intent to take up privatisation of two public sector banks PSBs during the yearThe twoday strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions UFBU the umbrella body of nine unions including All India Bank Officers Confederation AIBOC All India Bank Employees Association AIBEA and National Organisation of Bank Workers NOBWUFBUs Convenor Maharashtra Devidas Tuljapurkar said that public sector banks are on the forefront in implementing all government schemes such as JanDhan Yojana social sector insurance scheme and Mudra schemes meant for the economically and socially backward sections of the societyPrivatisation may result in closure of bank branches in rural and backward areas which may affect the implementation of various government schemes in these regions Tuljapurkar addedAlso read 23 Bank of India customers allegedly lose Rs 3 lakh at Mulund ATMApart from public sector banks some employees from old generation private sector banks and regional rural banks are also on strike Employee unions from Life Insurance Corporation LIC and Reserve Bank of India RBI employees are also extending support to the strike he saidHe said bank employees right from sweeper to senior executive in scale 5 are observing the twoday strikeTuljapurkar further said approximately 5000 bank employees will demonstrate at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on ThursdayBank unions have decided to go on strike despite various public sector banks including State Bank of India Canara Bank UCO Bank Central Bank of India urging them to withdraw the proposed strike and inviting them for further discussionsOn Monday SBI in a statement said it has requested the staff members to reconsider their decision and refrain from participating in the strike in the interest of our customers investors and banksConsidering the ongoing pandemic situation resorting to a strike will cause great inconvenience to the stakeholders SBI had said PTI HVThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever