HC prevents bank staff from going on strike

Unions had planned two-day strike to protest merger of SBI associates, IDBI privatisation; matter to be heard on July 20

The Delhi High Court on Monday restrained a section of public sector bank employees from going on strike from Tuesday to protest against the proposed merger of State Bank of India associates and the privatisation of IDBI Bank.

Justice V K Rao, who passed the order on a plea of State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Jaipur and Bikaner, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Hyderabad and State Bank of Travancore, restrained State Sector Bank Employees' Association (SSBEA) and All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) from proceeding with the two-day strike.

"Respondents are restrained from resorting to any form of strike and?or from preventing or calculating to prevent the normal business of banking of the petitioner banks and/or restraining them from preventing, obstructing and hindering the customers and visitors of the bank, from ingress and egress out of all office/branch premises of the petitioner bank, throughout the country till the next date of hearing," the court said.

It listed the matter for hearing on July 20.

A section of public sector bank employees had threatened to go on a nationwide strike beginning Tuesday to protest against the proposed merger of SBI associates as well as the move to privatise IDBI Bank.

The five associate lenders of SBI are State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Hyderabad.

"As the conciliation meeting with the chief labour commissioner failed, we would continue with our strike call," AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam had said last week.

The strike was supposed to be observed by these associate banks on Tuesday, followed by other public sector banks on Wednesday.

Many banks including Bank of Baroda, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur and State Bank of Mysore have already informed that if strike materialised it could lead to inconvenience to their customers.