Two-day bank strike ends; unions warn of intensifying stir if govt goes ahead with privatisation of PSBs

Employees of Public Sector Banks (PSUs) protesting at Bank Square in Sector 17 Chandigarh on Tuesday against privatisation. The two-day nationwide strike by the public sector bank (PSB) unions ended today with disruption in services like cash withdrawals, deposits, cheque clearances, remittances and loan approvals hitting customers. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

One of the employees of Public Sector Banks wore a mask with a message against privatization at Bank Square in Sector 17 Chandigarh on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

In a statement, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) congratulated the participating employees and officers across the country for protesting "against the BJP government's moves to privatise public sector banks". (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

Bank employees raise slogans during a protest in support of the two-day nationwide strike, called by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

"The joint platform of central trade unions and almost all independent industrial federations in the country extended full support to the strike. Tens of thousands of workers participated in the demonstrations across the country, in support of the strike," CITU said. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

Bank unions claimed as many as 10 lakh staffers took part in the two-day pan-India strike. Normal banking services were greatly affected because of the strike, the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget speech for 2021-22 said the government will privatise two more public sector banks going forward. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)