Bank Employees' Strike Today: Services May Be Disrupted

Banking operations are likely to be impacted by the one-day nationwide strike called by the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) and other central trade unions on 26 November 2020.

Ten central trade unions, except Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, will observe the nationwide general strike to protest against various policies of the central government.

Many lenders, including IDBI Bank and Bank of Maharashtra, in regulatory filings on Wednesday, said their normal working could be affected at the branches and offices.

As per AIBEA's press release, nearly 30,000 bank employees from 10,000 bank branches of public sector banks, old generation private sector banks, regional rural banks, and foreign banks in Maharashtra will take part in the strike.

"Lok Sabha in its recently held session has passed three new labour enactments by dismantling existing 27 enactments in the name of 'Ease of Business', which are purely in the interest of corporates" the AIBEA explained the cause of the strike.

"In the process, 75 percent of workers are being pushed out of the orbits of labour laws since they will have no legal protection under the new enactment," the AIBEA added in its release.

The association represents the majority of the banks, except State Bank of India (SBI) and Indian Overseas Bank.

Meanwhile, Bank of Maharashtra said in a filing, "If strike materialises, the normal functioning of the bank branches and offices is likely to be affected. The bank is taking all necessary steps to minimise the impact of strike so as to provide the normal banking services to its customers."