The Hindu : Front Page : Banking operations hit nationwide

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Saturday, Oct 28, 2006
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Banking operations hit nationwide

Special Correspondent

Over 10 lakh employees of public sector banks go on strike; ATMs come in handy

Photo: V.V. Krishnan

AT A STANDSTILL: The overseas banking section at the State Bank of India wears a deserted look as the employees staged a dharna on Parliament Street in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Banking operations nationwide came to a standstill on Friday when over 10 lakh officers and employees of public sector banks went on a day's strike to protest against the proposed outsourcing and the freeze on recruitments.

"We are also protesting against the anti-labour attitude of the Manmohan Singh Government and seeking restoration of appointments on compassionate grounds," Ramanand, joint secretary of the All-India Bank Employees Association, said in a statement here.

The strike was organised under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which represents all the nine unions and covers all employees and officers working in public sector banks. While routine transactions were hit, automated teller machines functioned at most places.

The banks had banned recruitment since 1990, though over one lakh employees opted for voluntary retirement in the past five years.

"Eighteenth century labour practices are in vogue in the nationalised banks, where the officers are forced to work 12-14 hours a day without the statutory weekly off, and the working conditions of the employees have also deteriorated due to the shortage of workforce and haphazard introduction of computer operations," he said.

Instead of filling the vacancies, the Reserve Bank of India instructed the banks to "outsource all routine banking services and jobs to private agencies on a commission basis."

This would affect the interests of the existing employees, unemployed youth, the confidentiality of the accounts of customers and the credibility of the banking system.

Outsourcing was dangerous since it gave rise to possibilities of frauds and manipulation of accounts, he added.

C.H. Venkatachalam, UFBU general secretary, said that when a bank employee died in service, his wife or children used to be given jobs on compassionate grounds.

This practice was now stopped, while it still continued in other sectors.

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