The All India Bank Employees' Association, along with five other unions, would observe a countrywide strike in the subsidiary banks of State Bank of India on July 6.

The association had earlier called for a strike on July 3 to oppose the merger plans of the subsidiary banks with the parent SBI.

AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said though the government authorities and the bank managements deny any policy decisions or guidelines in this regard, there had been overt and covert attempts to merge the banks.

The other five unions include the National Confederation of Bank Employees, All India Bank Officers' Association, Bank Employees Federation of India, Indian National Bank Employees Federation and Indian National Bank Officers Congress.