The State Bank of India has appealed to its staff to refrain from taking part in the two-day strike organised by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on 16 and 17 December 2021.
The Union had called for strike on December 6, 2021 against the Banking Laws Bill 2021, which aims to privatise public-sector banks. It is scheduled to be presented at the Parliament during the winter session.
In a statement posted on its Twitter account, SBI asked the staff to reconsider their decision, and withdraw from the strike. It reminded them to keep in mind the interests of the Company and its investors.
Furthermore, “considering the ongoing pandemic situation, resorting to a strike will cause great inconvenience to the stakeholders”, it said.
On Friday, SBI had stated that even though it had made arrangements to ensure smooth functioning of its branches during the strike, it expects the work to be impacted because of the staff’s absence.
Bank of Baroda also posted a statement on its Twitter account stating it has asked the staff to call off the strike to avoid large-scale disruption in banking operations. However, it did assure that its digital channels are always open for its customers, whether there is a strike or not.
C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), explained that the UFBU has been trying to oppose any policies that may weaken the public-sector banks.
All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Confederation of India (BEFI) are among the members of UFBC.
