Bank employees in India plan nationwide strike on 6th & 7th August 2009

[gopu]

Bank employees in India plan nationwide strike on 6th & 7th August 2009


About 900,000 employees of state-run banks plan to strike work on August 6 & 7,2009 following failure of talks with the government over hike in wages and other demands.

The strike is being organized by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) -- an umbrella organisation representing five workmen unions (viz, AIBEA, NCBE, BEFI, INBEF and NOBW) and four officers' associations (viz, AIBOC, AIBOA, INBOC and NOBW) in the banking industry.

The government had asked the unions to hold talks with the Indian Bank Association (IBA), which is a representative body of bank management, as also with the chief labour commissioner.

The main demands of bank unions include wage increase, a better social security net and a proper policy for giving jobs to the family members of deceased or disabled employees on compassionate grounds.

Earlier, the unions had called a strike on June 12, 2009 but withdrew it in the last hour after banks agreed to meet some of their demands on a pension scheme and higher wages.