Public sector bank employees to go on a 4-day strike from January 21

Mumbai: Public sector bank employees have decided to go on a 4-day strike from January 21, demanding the long pending wage revision issue, a senior union leader said. Earlier, it was decided to hold 1-day strike on January 7, which was deferred on the request of IBA to find out an amicable solution, All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) State Secretary Deepak Kumar Sharma said.

The decision is in response to the strike call given by United Forum of Bank Unions, which has more than ten lakh employees and officers of banking industry under its umbrella. "As there was no fresh proposal of hike from the side of IBA during this period, UFBU has decided to go ahead with the 4-day strike which will have the impact of 6 days as 25th is Sunday and 26th January is national holiday," Mr Sharma added.

The wage revision for bank employees is due from November 1, 2012, he said. United Forum of Bank Unions has been requesting, since the start of negotiations, a time-bound approach to hold the negotiations on its demands and for conclusion of wage settlement within a reasonable time but there is no significant progress in the wage negotiations despite a lapse of two years' time, he said.