Mumbai/Chennai: In a fresh trouble for businesses hit by GST and demonetization, various bank employees' unions have called for a 48-hour long strike on May 30-31 to press for their demands which they say are pending since years.
The State Bank of India – the largest bank of the country has already warned that routine banking services will be severely affected if the bank employees go ahead with their strike called by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBA).
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBA) – an umbrella organization of bank unions including AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO, has called the strike to press for several demands including wage revision and improvement in other service conditions.
SBI said the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) has communicated to the bank that the United Forum of Bank Unions has served a notice to go on a nationwide bank strike on May 30-31, 2018.
This is possibly the first time that the bank employees’ unions have called a two-day strike. Pressing similar demands, the bank unions have in the past called a day long strike. What worries mores the businesses is that services could be hit consecutively for five days if the unions go ahead with their decision as May 30 and May 31 fall on Wednesday and Thursday. After a day’s work on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are again weekly off.
Several others banks, including Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, and Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB), have also said that their services and functioning are likely to be impacted if the strike takes place.
“If the strike materialises, a certain section of the Bank’s employees may participate in the strike on the said date, in which case, it is likely that the normal functioning of the branches / offices of the Bank may get affected,” PSB said last week.
The bank said it is taking all necessary steps in terms of the existing guidelines to deal with the strike and for the smooth functioning of Bank's branches/offices.
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