Bank Employees Association and bank unions to go on strike on July 29 against SBI associate banks merger

A bank employees' union urged the Centre to reconsider its decision on merging SBI associate banks with the parent State Bank of India on Saturday.

Observing the proposed move would severely affect banking services and employees in SBI would become surplus, the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) in a statement said it would join the strike announced by All India Bank Employees Association and bank unions on July 29. BEFI represents a body of employees of private and public sector banks.

"Around 10 lakh bank employees across the country would participate in the strike", the statement said, adding the move to merge SBI with its associate banks was "anti-people." "We request the Centre to reconsider its decision on merger of the public sector banks," it said.

The Centre last week gave its go-ahead to the merger of State Bank of India (SBI) and its associate banks that would make the state-owned lender a global-sized bank.