Strike hits banking services in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: Banking services in Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh were today affected as employees of public sector banks today went on a day-long strike in support of their demands including stringent measures to recover bad loans.

Because of the strike, bank customers could not get their cheques cleared while transactions like cash withdrawal, cash and cheque deposits were also affected.

Several harried customers faced inconvenience as they found many branches of public sector banks closed.

It is the industrial sector including MSME and large enterprises of Punjab and Haryana which are likely to face the brunt as their business transactions may get hampered due to the strike.

However, major private sector banks continued to function.

Protesting employees under the aegis United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) held protest rallies and demonstrations at several places including Ludhiana.

"The branches of public sector banks are closed today. We do not intend that customers should face any kind of inconvenience. But we are left with no option except to go on strike," Punjab Bank Employees' Federation Secretary Naresh Gaur said.

Gaur said bank officials' major demands include stringent measures to recover bad loans, accountability of top executives, criminal action against wilful defaulters of banks loans, legitimate compensation to employees and officers for extra hours of work performed during demonetisation, immediate appointment of workmen, officer employee directors in all banks and implementation of compassionate appointment scheme.

Agitating employees were also opposing outsourcing of permanent jobs and demanding that the government should not infringe upon trade union rights.

Meanwhile there was a report from Hisar in Haryana that bank employees gathered outside the main branch of State Bank of India, Syndicate Bank and Union Bank of India here and raised slogans against the government.

State Bank of India