Bank strike on February 25-26

CHANDIGARH, Feb 16: Bank employees all over India will strike work on February 25 and 26 and launch an indefinite strike from March 17 if the Indian Banks Association IBA failed to accede to the unions8217; demand for 8220;immediate settlement of overdue wage revision and need-based recruitment8221;.

More that 150 office-bearers from all the nine trade unions of bank employees sat in dharna at the Sector 17 Bank Square here today. Assembled under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions UFBU, the protestors condemned the IBA8217;s 8220;indifferent attitude8221; toward the 7th bipartite wage settlement, due since November 1997.

Those who addressed the gathering included UFBU activists K. K. Bandlish, Amar Pal, Krishan Lal, D. K. Chowdhary, Vinod Sharma and B. S. Gill.

The speakers ridiculed the IBA plea that in the light of exorbitant increase in NPAs, banks8217; profitability prevented wage revision. They added, 8220;The Government, under the directive of the World Bank and the IMF, is bent upon creating losses in the banks 8230; directing them to make provisions for loans even against government securities on which they have recovered interest. If loans guaranteed by the Government of India are not safe, then no loan can be safe 8230;.8221;.