Banking services hit as staff go on strike
Banking operations across the country were hit on Tuesday as over 10 lakh bank employees in more than 1,30,000 branches across India struck work — protesting reforms in the banking sector among other issues.
An official of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) -- the umbrella body of nine unions which has given the strike call -said “over 10 lakh bank employees spread in more than 1,30,000 branches across the country have struck work hitting chequeclearing activity”.
Banking operations in Tamil Nadu were affected with around 55,000 bankers striking work pressing for their demands, said a report from Chennai citing a top All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) leader.
“The strike is a huge success. It is a dawn-to-dusk strike as cheque clearing operations start at 6 a.m. Bankers working in around 10,300 branches struck work protesting the policies towards the sector,” CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA told a news agency.
Venkatachalam said around 12 lakh financial instruments valued at around ₹7,300 crore would not be cleared.
With branches closed, automated teller machines (ATMs) might get empty sooner than normal. Government treasury transactions would also be impacted. Foreign exchange transactions, import and export bill transactions, sanction of loans and others would also be affected.