Striking bank employees’ leaders trying to defend

Ludhiana, August 23, 2012: On the call given by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), nearly 10 lakh bank employees and officers working in the Public Sector Banks, Private Banks, Foreign Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Co-operative Banks observed nationwide strike on consecutive second day today.

Members of Punjab Bank Employees Federation, All India Bank Officers’ Confederation and All India Bank Officers’ Association held a massive rally infront of Canara Bank, Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ludhiana.

Speaking on the occasion, Naresh Gaur, Secretary, PBEF, Ludhiana Unit said the strike was 100 per cent successful in the district.

Adding, Gaur  said bank employees did not go on strike at their own will. These circumstances were only the creation of government and IBA, he added. “Moreover by going on strike the employees too have to face lot of difficulties”, he said, adding the salary for the strike days was automatically deducted from the monthly salary of the employees. He categorically said employees never wish to go on strike and to harass the general public under any circumstances. The bank employees were always supposed to serve the general public.

He said some of the demands and issues raised by the bank employees did not particularly relate to bank employees only but these directly or indirectly were also for the benefit of general public as bank employees were a part and parcel of the general public.

It may be mentioned here that the striking employees had to face criticism by certain sections of the local industry yesterday. FOPSIA president, Badish K. Jindal had even shot off a letter to Governor, RBI against the strike.