Bank employees to go on nationwide strike from March 15-16

The near 10 lakh bank employees are protesting against govt's decision to privatise a few state-owned banks

All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said that around 10 lakh bank employees will go on a nationwide strike on March 15 and 16 since the conciliation meeting did not yield any positive results.

C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA said that the strike will be against the government's decision to privatise a few banks.

"Instead of taking action on these defaulters and recovering the bad loans, the attempt is to privatise and hand over the banks with public money to the big corporate houses," he said.

Additional Chief Labour Commissioner S C Joshi held a conciliation meeting on March 4, 9 and 10 between government and the Unions.  

Unions have offered to reconsider the strike if the government will agree to reconsider their decision to privatise the banks. The Finance Ministry representative could not give any such commitment.