The All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) has called for a nationwide strike on this coming Saturday, November 19, which is likely to have an impact on banking services at some public sector banks (PSBs).
The union has called for a strike to protest the ongoing outsourcing of jobs. Although the officers are not on strike, media reports indicate that there may be some impact on cash deposit and withdrawal, cheque clearing, and so on.
The third Saturday of the month is November 19, and banks are open on the first and third Saturdays of each month. On the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, all banks in India remain closed.
Several banks, including Bank of Baroda and Punjab & Sind Bank, have already informed their customers about the potential impact on services if the strike on November 19 occurs.
If the strike occurs, a portion of the bank’s employees may strike on the specified date, in which case the normal operation of the bank’s branches/offices is likely to be disrupted, Punjab & Sind Bank said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.
Outsourcing of jobs by some banks jeopardises customer privacy and money, in addition to reducing recruitment at the lower levels, according to All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) general secretary C H Venkatachalam said.
Some banks are also violating the Industrial Disputes (Amendment) Act, he said.
Even where the labour authorities have intervened, the management has ignored their advice, violated the provisions of Industrial Disputes Act and forcibly transferred the employees, he added.
“From AIBEA, we reiterated our issues and demands arising out of the various unilateral decisions in violation of the existing provisions of Bipartite Settlement in some of the banks and the attacks on jobs and job security and vindictive actions in some other banks,” he said.