Banking services affected in MP due to strike by employees

Banking operations were affected in Madhya Pradesh Tuesday as a section of employees stayed away from work in response to a nationwide strike called by trade unions to protest against alleged anti-labour policies of the Centre.

The operations were affected in about 5,000 branches of different banks in the state, a union leader said.

The two-day (January 8-9) nation-wide strike call has been given by 10 central trade unions.

Madhya Pradesh Bank Employees' Association chairman M K Shukla told PTI that about 14,000 bank employees took part in the strike on the first day across the state.

These included the employees of 20 public sector lenders and four regional rural banks among others, he said.

The employees of State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest lender, did not participate in the stir, he said.

According to Shukla, there are 7,426 branches of different banks in the state.

Services like deposit, cash withdrawal and cheque clearance, among others, were affected, he said.

On December 26, 2018, nine bank unions observed a one- day strike to protest the proposed amalgamation of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda.

Prior to this, the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) went on a strike on December 21.

The unions are opposing the merger of public sector banks (PSBs) on ground employees will lose their jobs and employment generation will be halted.

The unions are also against privatisation of PSBs.