Banking activities have been severely hampered as a result of a large two-day strike by public sector bank employees, which began on Thursday. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) announced the nationwide strike to protest the government’s decision to privatise public sector banks (PSBs).
The city’s 350 bank branches all appeared to be vacant. Additionally, business deals worth Rs 2,800 crore were harmed. In the city, about 9,000 bank employees were on strike. A total of 13,000 bank employees went on strike in Vidarbha.
To mark their protest, bank employees have organised demonstrations in front of the State Bank of India, Kingsway on December 16. Suresh Bobhate, Joint Convener of UFBU, Nagpur Chapter in his address stated that the bank employees’ movement have been resolutely fighting for more than three decades against the Government’s multi-pronged move towards a dilution of the public sector status of the banking sector and through that process are still defending the public sector banks and also peoples’ vital interests.
 BNJ Sharma, President AITUC Maharashtra, Madhav Pophali of NCBE, Rahul Gajbhiye of AIBOC, Vijay Meshram of AIBOA, Nagesh Dande of INBOC also addressed the gathering and cautioned about the ill effects of privatisation.
The demonstration was led by Jaiwant Gurway, General Secretary of EMBEA, Chendil Iyer, who raised slogans against privatisation of banks and banking reforms policies of the Government. Nearly 600 bank employees participated in the demonstration.
