Around 10 lakh bank employees will go on a day-long strike on February 28. The strike call is to demand criminal action against wilful defaulters and reimbursement of cost of demonetisation to the banks.
“The government should reimburse the cost of demonetisation to banks. This cost and the business loss during the period of nearly two months will have a cascading effect on the balance sheets of the banks, and the brunt will be borne by the bank employees and officers alone,” All India Bank Employees’ Association General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said on Sunday.
Venkatachalam demanded criminal action against wilful defaulters of bank loans as, according to him, only that can reduce such irregularities in the banking industry.
All 9 agree
He said all the nine bank unions have agreed to go on strike.
He said issues pertaining to bank employees and officers, such as the appointment of workmen/officers, employees and directors in the boards of many banks, adequate recruitment in all cadres, removal of ceiling on gratuity, exemption of income tax on superannuation benefits, improvements in pension schemes and issues relating to retirees were yet to be resolved.
A five-day working week is another long pending demand of bank employees and officers, he said.
“Further, every effort is being made to outsource permanent jobs in the banking industry, too, which is fraught with risks,” Venkatachalam said.