16 December,2009 10:55 AM IST | | IANS
Around 450,000 bank employees of both public sector and private sector banks across the country went on a strike Wednesday, paralysing banking services. They were opposing the merger and consolidation of public sector banks.
"We are striking keeping the merger issue of the State Bank of Indore with the State Bank of India in the front. But in general it is our policy to oppose merger and consolidation of public sector banks," Rajen Nagar, national president of one of the unions - All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) - said.
AIBEA and All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) had said that their members propose to go on strike December 16 against the merger and consolidation.
Twenty-seven state-run banks and around a similar number of private sector banks are keeping their shutters down, he said.
ALSO READ
Mumbai: Cyber fraudsters pose as bank employees, dupe Malad singer of Rs 80,000
Maharashtra bank employee union to launch voter awareness campaign across state
HC scraps probe, recovery proceedings against 19 bank employees, officials
Banking services in Maharashtra hit as 60,000 bank employees go on 2-day strike
Bank employees' family pension to rise to 30 per cent of last pay drawn: MoF
Nagar added: "These mergers are not in national interest. It does not only amount to job loss, it also hampers banking services for small customers like agri business and SMEs (small and medium enterprises)."
"We want extension of public sector banks, not merger," he said.
