Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 25: Demanding upward revision of their pay, public sector bank employees will be undertaking a two-day strike on May 30 and 31 under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). UFBU has given call for the strike in view of failure of negotiations being undertaken with Indian Banks Association (IBA) which represents managements of public sector banks. As bank employees from the state will also stay off work on these two days, banking services are likely to be paralyzed.

All India Bank Employees Association president, K Vasanth Rai, addressing a press conference here on Thursday May 24, said that there has been no progress even after several rounds of talks with IBA for wage revision. He said that the issue had been brought to the notice of the central government, but there is no response from them. "To pledge solidarity to the cause, over ten lac employees all over the country will take part in the two-day strike. In the city, protest and demonstration will be held opposite State Bank of Mysuru at K G Road here" he revealed.

He expressed displeasure at the lack of proper response to the demand for wage revision of bank employees once every five years. He said that during the last five years, business turnover of banks have gone up considerably and they have earned good profit. "Still, employees are being deprived of wage revision. It is true that some industrialists and businessmen have raised loans running into crores of rupees and defrauded the bank. There are many who obtained loans with the specific purpose of defrauding the banks, and fled. Because of the central government's failure to frame rigid rules, money of the general public is being wasted in this way," he lamented.

Rai said that the central government has been utilizing services of bank employees to implement various government programmes. At the same time, it has overlooked the need to revise their pay, he alleged.