6 Days Nationwide Bank Strike In December in Banks

Bank branches will remain closed for upto 6 days in December owing to bank strikes being called by banking union. The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) has announced that it will go on strike on various days in the month of December 2023, demanding adequate recruitment and opposing outsourcing of permanent jobs.

AIBEA general secretary C H Venkatachalam had pointed out via his tweet that unemployement has risen significantly since 2019 to 2023, demanding adequate reqruitment in all banks and opposed outsourcing of regular jobs.

AIBEA said that in the month of December 2023, the banking association will go on for 6 days strike. Check out the following dates:

December 4: There will be an all India bank strike in Punjab National Bank (PNB), Punjab and Sindh Bank and State Bank of India (SBI)

December 5: There will be an all India bank strike in Bank of Baroda and Bank of India

December 6: There will be an all India bank strike in Canara Bank and Central Bank of India

December 7: There will be an all India bank strike in Indian Bank and UCO Bank.

December 8: There will be an all India bank strike in Union Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra

December 11: There will be an all India bank strike in all Private Banks.

Read More

Why PSU bank employees strike on 27th June defer

In a significant move, bank unions on Thursday agreed to drop their earlier announced all-India strike call for June 27. The decision came during a conciliatory meeting held in the Capital under the chairmanship of the Chief Labour Commissioner S C Joshi, on Thursday.

The conciliatory meeting held on June 21 had remained inconclusive and the unions stood by their strike call. The CLC had called for another conciliatory meeting on June 23 to prevent the strike.

There was a change of stance by the bank unions at Thursday’s conciliatory meeting after the IBA agreed to commence negotiations on their demands from July 1.

“Another round of conciliation meetings was held today in Delhi by CLC. We reiterated our demands. IBA agreed to commence negotiations on our demands on July 1. Hence, it is decided to defer our agitation and strike on June 27,” C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), told BusinessLine after the meeting.  

The breakthrough is significant as the IBA has not been communicating with the bank unions for the last one-and-a-half years, sources said. 

The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) was represented by Brajeshwar Sharma, Senior Advisor (HR & IR), at today’s meeting, while the Department of Financial Services (DFS) was represented by Deputy Secretary Kul Bhushan Nayyar. Representatives of both Catholic Syrian Bank and Singapore-headquartered DBS Bank were also present at the meeting. 

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), a representative body of nine bank unions, had given the strike call for June 27. The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) is one of the nine unions which form part of the UFBU.

The main demands of the unions include introduction of five-day banking (all Saturday and Sundays  to be holidays) and scrapping of NPS for post April 2010 employees/officers and implementation of the old pension scheme for them. 

One other demand is to extend wage revision in CSB Bank (Catholic Syrian Bank ) and DBS Bank (formerly Lakshmi Vilas Bank), sources said. 

Read More

RBL Bank says banking operation may be hit due to 2-day strike

RBL Bank today said some of its branches would also be impacted by the strike call given by bank unions on March 28, 2022, and March 29, 2022. “The workmen unions represented by the All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) and All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) had served the notice of strike declaring that their members propose to go on strike on March 28, 2022, and March 29, 2022, for the demands stated therein," the bank said in a statement.

The Ratnakar Bank Officers’ Organisation and Ratnakar Bank Employee Union of our Bank are affiliated with the AIBOA and AIBEA, respectively. RBL Bank has said the employees of the bank associated with the aforesaid unions may participate in the strike.

Private sector RBL Bank this week said the Reserve Bank has granted an extension of three months to its interim MD and CEO Rajeev Ahuja. "We wish to further inform that on request of the Bank, RBI vide its letter dated March 17, 2022, has approved the extension of the term of Rajeev Ahuja, interim Managing Director & CEO of the Bank for a further period of three months with effect from March 25, 2022, or till the appointment of a regular MD & CEO, whichever is earlier," RBL Bank said in a regulatory filing.

On December 30, 2021, the private sector lender had said the Reserve Bank had approved the appointment of Ahuja as interim managing director (MD) and CEO for a period of three months with effect from December 25, 2021, or till the appointment of a regular MD and CEO. The RBL Bank stock closed at ₹136.45, up ₹3.1 or 2.32 per cent, on the National Stock Exchange on Friday.

Read More

Bank unions given call for two-day nationwide strike against proposed privatisation of PSBs

 

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, has given a call for a two-day strike from December 16 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders. In the Union Budget presented in February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the privatisation of two public sector banks (PSBs) as part of its disinvestment plan.

The government has already privatised IDBI Bank by selling its majority stake in the lender to LIC in 2019 and merged 14 public sector banks in the past four years.

The government has listed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, for introduction and passage during the current session of Parliament.

In view of this, UFBU has decided to oppose the move for privatisation, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said in a statement.

Strike notice for December 16 and December 17, 2021, has been served by UFBU on the IBA, he said.

Hence, he said, for the past 25 years, under the banner of UFBU "we have been opposing the policies of banking reforms which are aimed at weakening public sector banks".

Members of UFBU include All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Confederation of India (BEFI).

Others are Indian National Bank Employees Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO).

In a developing country like India, where banks deal with huge public savings and they have to play a leading role to ensure broad-based economic development, public sector banking with social orientation is the most appropriate and imperative need, he said.

Read More

Strike stands on 15-16th March,Be ready to make it total success

 

Read More

Banks unions call for two-day strike against proposed privatisation of PSBs

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions, on Tuesday gave a call for a two-day strike from March 15 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders. In the Union Budget presented last week, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the privatisation of two Public Sector Banks (PSBs)as part of its disinvestment plan.

The government has already privatised IDBI Bank by selling its majority stake in the lender to LIC in 2019 and merged 14 public sector banks in the last four years. It has been decided to oppose the government’s decision to privatise banks during the meeting of UFBU held on Tuesday, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) general secretary C H Venkatachalam said.

“The meeting discussed the various announcements made in the budget of the central government regarding reform measures like privatisation of IDBI Bank and two PSBs, setting up of bad bank, disinvestment in LIC, privatisation of one general insurance company, allowing FDI in insurance sector up to 74 per cent, aggressive disinvestment and sale of public sector undertakings, etc,” he said.

The meeting observed that all these measures are retrograde and hence need to be opposed, he added. After deliberations, it was decided to give the call for a two-day — March 15 and March 16 — strike against the government’s moves, AIBOC general secretary Soumya Datta said.

Members of UFBU include All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Confederation of India (BEFI).

Others are Indian National Bank Employees Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO)

Read More

Bank Strike: Many PSU Banks to Remain Closed Across India on November 26

 

If you have any work pending at your bank, make sure to do it today because most public sectors banks across India are planning to go on strike on Thursday i.e. November 26. Many banks have also issued an alert message to their customers through social media. Banks will resume their services on the next day i.e. November 27. After this, banks will be closed again on November 29 due to fourth Saturday and on November 29, Sunday. Also Read - Finance Minister Asks Banks to Ensure All Accounts Are Linked to Aadhaar by March 2021

Issues & Demands 

1. In support of the call of National Convention of Workers organized by by Central Trade Unions on 7 points common demands and

2. Demanding

• Stop moves of privatization of banks
• Strengthen public sector banks 
• Take tough action against loan defaulters
• Recover the huge corporate NPAs
• Increase interest rate on bank deposits
• Stop outsourcing of regular banking jobs
• Make adequate recruitment in banks
• Scrap new pension scheme for bank employees
• DA linked pension for all bank employees including Co-op bank employees 
• Revitalize and Strengthen Co-op banks and RRBs

Will digital transactions work?

The 26 November strike will not affect digital transactions and users can still conduct transactions through NetBanking or Mobile Banking. At the same time, you can withdraw money from ATMs.

Why has the strike being called?

The strike has been called against the anti-labour policies of the central government. The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) on Tuesday said it would be joining the one-day nationwide strike on November 26 called by central trade unions to protest against the government’s anti-labour policies. Ten central trade unions, except Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, will observe a nationwide general strike tomorrow.

“The Lok Sabha in its recently held session has passed three new labour enactments by dismantling existing 27 enactments in the name of ‘Ease of Business’, which are purely in the interest of corporates. In the process, 75 per cent of workers are being pushed out of the orbits of labour laws since they will have no legal protection under the new enactment,” the AIBEA said in a release.

Which banks will remain closed?

Notably, AIBEA represents most banks except State Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank. It has four lakh bank employees from various public and old private sector and a few foreign banks as its members. In Maharashtra, around 30,000 bank employees from 10,000 bank branches of public sector banks, old generation private sector banks, regional rural banks and foreign banks are observing the strike, AIBEA release said.

The union said bank employees on November 26 will also focus on their demands such as opposition to bank privatisation, opposition to outsourcing and contract system, adequate recruitment, stern action against big corporate defaulters, increase in rate of interest on bank deposits and reduction in service charges.

Read More

Strike call by union this month to protest against merger of PSU banks

Days after bank unions called off a three-day bank strike from March 11, two unions called for another bank strike on March 27 to oppose the mega merger of PSU banks. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced yesterday that the Union Cabinet has approved the plan to merge 10 PSU banks into four larger banks. The merger comes into effect from April 1 this year.

The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) have given a joint call for an all-India bank strike on March 27. Their demands include stopping the proposed merger of 10 PSU banks, stopping the privatisation of IDBI Bank and rollback of banking reforms, recovery of bad loans and increase of interest rate on deposits.

C.H. Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA, said, the unions have planned series of protests this month peaking with the strike on March 27. The Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) has also announced a fortnight-long agitation programme to protest against the merger."Banks themselves face problems due to huge pile of bad loans. While the public sector banks made a total gross profit of Rs.150,000 crore for the year ended March 31, 2019, because of total provisions towards bad loans, etc. amounting to Rs.216,000 crore, the banks ended in a net loss of Rs.66,000 crore," Venkatachalam said.

Sitharaman, on the other hand, said the merger plan would enhance customer convenience, better branch service, higher credit flow, and lesser time in loan sanctions. Greater scale and synergy through consolidation would lead to cost benefits which should enable the PSBs enhance their competitiveness and positively impact the Indian banking system, a Finance Ministry statement said.

As per the amalgamation plan, United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce would be merged with Punjab National Bank, making the proposed entity the second largest public sector bank. It was decided to merge Syndicate Bank with Canara Bank, while Allahabad Bank with Indian Bank. Similarly, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank are to be consolidated with Union Bank of India.

Read More