55,000 bank employees to go on strike on May 30-31 in Gujarat

Nearly 55,000 bank employees and officers in Gujarat will join the nation-wide strike of banks on May 30 and 31 to protest against the merger rise in wages and to press for some other demands.

Under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU), all nine bank employees and officers' unions would observe the nation-wide strike on the two days.

The Mahagujarat Bank Employees Association's general secretary Janak Rawal, said in a statement on Friday that all bank employees and officers of nationalised banks in the state will participate in the two-day strike.

The statement said that wage revision of bank employees and officers was due from November 2017, and in the May 5 meeting, the Indian Banks' Association had offered a meagre rise of 2% in the wage bill.

"We had sought the government's intervention, but the government has not responded so far, and hence we have decided to go ahead with several agitational programmes followed by the strike," Rawal said.

As a part of their agitation, starting May 16, the bank employees and officers will hold demonstrations, display posters at branches, wear black badges to work, and resort to other forms of protest.

The statement said that bank employees and officers were opposed to IBA's delay in resolving their charter of demands, the government's casual approach to wage revision, and the offer of just 2% hike in wages.

In addition to expeditious and early settlement of the wage revision issue by offering adequate increase in salaries, the bank unions are pressing for improvement in other service conditions. They are also demanding that the wage revision settlement should include all officers up to Scale VII.