Hyderabad: Services in public sector banks and a few smaller private banks would be affected for six days starting December 21 due to a combination of strikes, weekend holidays and Christmas.
Leave would be sanctioned only after considering all the circumstances.
Bank officials said ATMs would be replenished with cash to ensure that customers do not have problems. An official said that ATMs are refilled the previous day whenever there is a long stretch of bank closures.
On December 21, the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) has called for a strike demanding that the uniform wage service be continued, and to have a five-day week. The AIBOC is also opposing the merger of rural banks, and proposed consolidation of public sector banks.
On December 26, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called for a strike against the proposed merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, said Mr P. Venkataramaiah, general secretary, Bank Employees Federation of India, Telangana.
“The merger would shrink public sector banks. Only corporates will benefit from the proposed merger. People who approach public sector banks for their loans would be left with few options,” he said.
The old generation private banks where staff may go on strike are those established before the 1990s, such as City Union Bank, Karur Vysya Bank and others.
This is expected to affect banking services like cash transactions, cheque clearances and loan payments. Internet banking and digital cash services will not be affected.
Different bank staff unions have called for strikes on December 21 and 26. Banks will be closed on December 22, the fourth Sunday, and 23, Sunday. Banks will be closed for Christmas on December 25, leaving only one working day on Monday, Dec. 24.
With only one working day left in the midst of holidays, there were apprehensions that staff could take leave on Monday, and enjoy a six-day yearend holiday. Asked about this, a bank official assured that they would make sure that all counters would be running on Monday.
