Strike brings banking services to a halt

ATMs the saving grace; business as usual in private banks

Hundreds of employees of nationalised banks in the city struck work on Wednesday and staged a demonstration as part of a nationwide strike, seeking immediate wage revision.

Bank employees under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions, representing all major trade unions in the banking industry, gathered in front of the State Bank of Mysore headquarters and staged a protest. 

“The strike was against inordinate delay in the implementation of the salary revision by the Indian Banks’ Association, even though the workforce was eligible for the revised salary with effect from November 1, 2014,” said Y Sudarshan, president of All India Bank Officers’ Confederation.

While the all-India strike was announced by the bank unions a few days ago, many people who were not aware of the strike had to face disappointment after reaching the respective branches of the banks, only to find them closed.

 As such there was no shortage of cash in most of the ATMs across the City, allowing the account holders to draw money. Many who wanted to deposit cash, cheques or had to get their monthly pensions were inconvenienced.

Speaking with Deccan Herald, Patrick, an autorickshaw driver in the city who took his mother to Vijaya Bank on JC Road and came back disappointed, said, “I did not know about the strike. I took my mother to the bank branch so that she could draw her monthly pension. But it was a futile effort,” he said.

Murali P, another resident of the city who had gone to Indiranagar branch of State Bank of India to deposit a cheque, had to return without doing it. 

“I did not know about the strike. I had to urgently deposit a cheque, but could not do it”.There were many others like them who had to return empty-handed from branches of banks like State Bank of India, State Bank of Mysore and Punjab National Bank, without being able to get their work done. However, all private and cooperative banks functioned normally.