Mumbai, April 8
Many state governments started to shift Treasury accounts to other public sector banks as the countrywide indefinite strike by workers of the country’s largest bank continued for the sixth day today.
Over 2,00,000 officers and workers of the State Bank of India (SBI) from over 9,000 branches, located in different parts of the country, are on an indefinite strike since Monday demanding revision in the pension scheme.
While union officials vowed to press ahead with their agitation till their demands were met, personal and business financial transactions continued to be badly affected across the country.
“The strike is complete in all parts of the country. No business is being transacted in any of the SBI branches,” said V.K. Gupta, vice-president of the All-India State Bank of India Staff Federation.
The All-India State Bank of India Staff Federation and the All-India State Bank Officers Federation are spearheading the nationwide agitation.
“We are firm on our stance and the strike will not be called off till our demands are met by the authorities. The government is not showing any interest in ending the deadlock,” Gupta said.
The striking workers said the pension ceiling had been kept unchanged at Rs.4,250 per month based on the salary structure of 1992. Although the salary was revised in 1997 and 2002, the pension ceiling had not been hiked.
The SBI workers are demanding 50 per cent of last drawn salary as pension.
The strike has badly affected hundreds of thousands of middle-class salaried employees as a score of state and government enterprises disburse the monthly salaries through the branches of the SBI.
Trading in the Indian money market has also been adversely affected because of the strike. Industry sources said they would have to face major setbacks in the days ahead if the strike was not called off at the earliest.
Public sector SBI accounts for 18 per cent of the total deposits
and advances in the Indian banking sector.Many state governments, including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bihar, have started the process of shifting the Treasury to other public sector banks.
The move is likely to adversely impact the earnings of the SBI, which handles 60 per cent of the total receipts and payments on behalf of the Central and state governments.
Meanwhile, the agitating SBI workers held protest rallies in many parts of the country denouncing the government. In the country’s financial capital, the SBI branches wore a deserted look and all transactions were badly crippled.
New Delhi: The week-long strike is likely to end as the government today assured SBI employees of considering a revised proposal on their pension demand while again appealing to them to resume work in the interests of customers.
In a letter to All-India SBI Staff Federation secretary P. K. Patnaik, Special Secretary, Financial Sector, Vinod Rai, said, “Since talks have been resumed and are at an advanced stage, the government will appreciate if the unions decide to resume work in the interests of the general public and customers of the SBI.”
SBI employees have begun a fresh round of talks with bank Chairman A. K. Purwar in Mumbai.
Mr Rai said the government would “sympathetically” consider a revised proposal on their demand for higher pension. “I have been directed to convey that it is the desire of the government that the management and the unions should negotiate in good faith and arrive at a conclusion, which may then be submitted to the government for consideration. The joining of duty will create a favourable environment to reach an amicable settlement.”
Meanwhile, in a press note issued here on Saturday, the CPM said, “There has been no revision of pension for the past 12 years in the SBI and for a variety of reasons employees are getting only a depressed pension amount on retirement.”
It is incumbent upon the Government of India to “ immediately intervene and see that there is a settlement on the legitimate demands of the employees. Continuance of the strike will further aggravate the problems faced by the customers and business,” it added.
Mr T.N. Goel, vice-president, All- India SBI Officials Federation, told The Tribune: “ The scene has shifted to Mumbai where talks are going on between bank CMD and union leaders. A solution is likely to be achieved soon to pave the way for ending the strike.”
Meanwhile, Rai said: “I have been further directed to say that any proposal submitted to the government will receive the most sympathetic consideration.” He said Purwar had informed the government that he had received a revised proposal from Patnaik, which contained a proposal relating to cut-off point.
The letter said SBI CMD Purwar had also informed the government that talks between the management and the unions were continuing, and that he would keep the government informed of the progress.
