Employees unions of five SBI associate banks to go for strike

The state sector bank employees association opposes merger of five Associate Banks with SBI

State Sector Bank Employees Association (SSBEA) comprising of the unions in the five associate banks has decided to go for an all India strike in five associate banks on June 7 and July 28, 2016, opposing merger with State Bank of India (SBI). The SSBEA represents 45,000 employees of five associate banks.

A meeting of SSBEA, an association of unions including State Bank of Travancore (SBT), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ) and State Bank of Patiala (SBP), was held in Chennai and decided that any move to merge the associate banks with SBI should be opposed.

They have decided to conduct agitations including demonstrations, mass meetings, rallies and processions on May 27, June 10, 21 and 29 and July 10, 2016. It would also conduct All India strike in five associate banks on June 7 and July 28, said a statement from All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA). The AIBEA General Secretary, C H Venkatachalam said that the association extends full support and solidarity for all the agitation programmes.

They also demanded that all the five associate banks be made as one entity and made as an effective bank of substantial size to ensure better growth of the bank.

The meeting also expressed its opposition to the attempts of SBI management to unilaterally impose adverse service conditions on the employees of the associate banks in violation of the bipartite settlement, said the association.