Bank Unions threaten nationwide strike on August 5

KOLKATA | MUMBAI: The United Forum of Bank Unions, the umbrella organisation of bank unions, has threatened to go on an all-India bank strike on August 5, protesting divestment of government shares in state-run banks, outsourcing of routine banking jobs and use of World Bank loans for bank recapitalisation.

UFBU said around 10 lakh bank employees will join the strike. Their demand includes scraping of Khandelwal Committee recommendations of introduction of variable pay and regular HR audit. The organisation's Bengal convenor Shyamal Karmakar said private and foreign bank employees will join their public sector counterparts in this protest.

Union leaders said the strike is least likely to be deferred even as another round of conciliation talks will be held on Wednesday. "We do not expect the talks to be conclusive. Government representatives didn't even turn up for the previous round of talks on Monday," said Rajen Nagar, president of All India Bank Employees Association, the largest bank union in the country.