30K Bank Employees In Odisha To Join 2-Day Strike Against PSBs Privatisation This Month

Bhubaneswar: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a two-day strike on March 15 and 16 to protest against the proposed privatisation of two state-owned lenders.

“About 30,000 employees from 5500 banks in Odisha will take part in the strike opposing the decision,” All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) State unit president Damodar Nanda informed on Tuesday.

While presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 on February 1, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced privatisation of two public sector banks (PSBs) as part of its disinvestment plan.

“There are some public sector banks which are not picking up no matter how much fund we infuse. We are not against keeping public sector banks. But there are some whose health is worrisome,” she had said.

The Centre has already privatised IDBI Bank and merged 14 public sector banks in the last four years.

Besides AIBOC, the unions that will join the strike include All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees’ Federation Federation of Canara Bank Employees’ Congress (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers’ Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW), National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO), All India Nationalised Bank Officers’ Federation Canara Bank Officers’ Association Regd (AINBOF).