Bank strike Day 2: Operations hit, Unions blame Indian Banks Association

Bank unions on Thusday blamed Indian Banks Association (IBA) for forcing them to go on a strike, affecting banking transactions for a second day. Transactions worth Rs 434 billion were affected, claim the bank unions.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, called for a two-day strike that started on Wednesday.

“It is the IBA which has put the banking public to trouble and not the unions. The unions had given a strike notice 20 days before the actual strike. The IBA did not respond to that,” C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA).

The IBA has to be blamed for the strike. Even for the conciliation meeting called by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Delhi) the IBA had sent a junior official who had no authority, said the Association.

“While the IBA has put the customers to difficulty it is the banks who will be saving cost or earning income due the two day strike. The staff will not be paid wages for the period they were on strike; there will be saving on power costs as the offices were closed,” he said.