Bank employees observe all-India strike over long-pending demands

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Bank employees and officers staging protest in Vijayawada on Friday. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri

Bank employees and officers observed an all-India strike on Friday in response to a call by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), demanding the settlement of long-pending issues and opposing what they described as unilateral and discriminatory policies affecting the banking sector.

Addressing a gathering held in connection with the strike, K. Ramesh Babu, secretary, KDBECC, N. Subba Rao, president, KDBECC, and leaders of various bank employees’ and officers’ unions criticised the delay in resolving the demands of employees, officers and retirees.

The leaders included representatives of the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Bank Employees’ Federation (AP&TBEF), All India Central Bank Employees’ Federation (AICBEF) and Andhra Pradesh Bank Retirees’ Federation (APBRF), among others.

The union leaders said bank employees and officers had consistently contributed to the growth and stability of the Indian banking system and urged the government and bank managements to respect their legitimate demands.

They called for meaningful negotiations with employees’ organisations and a time-bound settlement of all pending issues. They also appealed to bank employees and officers to remain united and vigilant in protecting their rights and strengthening the public banking system.

The major demands included implementation of a five-day banking week in accordance with the commitment made earlier and withdrawal of the government’s unilateral Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The unions also demanded that implementation of the PLI scheme be kept in abeyance pending consultations.

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