Bank unions call for strike on Feb 10-11 after wage talks fail

The United Forum of Bank Unions on Monday called for a sector-wide strike on February 10-11, following the failure of talks on a rise in wages between an Indian Banks’ Association team and representatives of bank employee unions.

C H Venkatachalam, general secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association, said banks had offered a 10 per cent wage increase, but the unions refused to accept the offer.

Earlier, bank unions had announced plans for a two-day nationwide strike on January 20-21, followed by further strikes in February and March. They had urged the Indian Banks’ Association and the government to resume wage-increase talks with a better offer and expedite the settlement at the earliest.

The two-day strike scheduled for January 20-21 was deferred, as the Indian Banks Association had raised its wage increase offer from the initial five per cent to 9.5 per cent.

On December 18, 2013, about a million bank employees went on strike, demanding early wage revision and opposing banking reforms.

The Indian Banks’ Association argued banks couldn’t revise wages, as the economy was in bad shape.