Strike hits banking services in northeast

Agartala/Guwahati, Dec 18 (IANS) The nationwide strike by bank employees severely hit banking services in the northeastern region of India Wednesday.

Most public sector banks were closed as employees observed the day-long strike to press for wage revision and other demands.

The wage revision of bank employees was due from November last year.

"All the members affiliated to nine bank employees and officers unions have gone on strike and demonstrations in front of the bank branches," said United Forum of Bank Unions spokesman Nikhil Das.

He said: "Over 10,000 bank employees of over 2,000 branches of nationalised banks in the seven northeastern states took part in the country-wide strike."

Almost all the ATM (Automated Teller Machines) shutters remained down, creating severe problems for bank customers.

Bank employees unions - including All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) and National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) - called the strike after a conciliatory meeting between Indian Banks' Association and the chief labour commissioner in New Delhi failed.

"The strike is not for the interests of bank employees alone. The shutdown is to protest anti-national policies of the central government and protect Indian banks from foreign controls," Das said at a sit-in demonstration here.

The employees have also been protesting outsourcing of non-core activities.