Strike hurts state-owned banks, cheques for clearance held up: Unions

In the afternoon, over 5,000 bank staffers staged a rally at Mumbai's Azad Maidan and raised slogans opposing the proposed merger

Work at state-owned banks across India was affected on Wednesday after unions struck work to protest against the proposed merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda (BoB).  

Work in state-owned banks was paralysed in Mumbai, said union officials. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU), an umbrella organisation of nine unions, claimed "100 per cent participation" by employees and officers of public sector, old generation private sector and some foreign banks in the strike.

In the afternoon,