Employee unions of public sector banks went on a nationwide strike today to press for wage revision, affecting banking services like cheque clearance and withdrawal from branches across the country.
However, branches of private sector banks like ICICI and HDFC remained open.
At the same time, most of the ATMs of all banks were functioning normally, as per initial reports.
"Strike is complete and total. This strike has been forced upon us as bank management did not yield to our scaled down demands," United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) Convener M V Murali told PTI.
Banks, including the country's largest one SBI, have already informed customers about the inconvenience they are likely to face. "UFBU has given a notice to IBA calling for nationwide bank strike on November 12 and All-India State Bank Officers’ Federation and All-India State Bank of India Staff Federation being a part of UFBU will also participate in the said strike," SBI had said in a statement.
"Since the said call is given at all-India level covering all banks, the bank will not be impacted separately," the statement said.
The staff of public sector banks had gone on a nationwide strike for two days beginning February 10 after discussions with the IBA failed.
The wage revision of public sector bank employees has been due since November 2012.
The UFBU is an umbrella organisation of nine bank employees and officer unions.
There are 27 public sector banks in the country with a combined employee strength of about 8 lakh.
There are about 50,000 branches of these banks across the country.
Banking services affected in TN, Puducherry
Banking, ATM services and cheque transactions in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry were affected on Wednesday as employee unions went on a one-day country-wide strike to press for wage revision.
About 10 lakh employees and officers in public sector banks, private banks and regional rural banks are participating in the strike, All India Bank Employees Association General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said.
In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry about 60,000 employees are participating in the strike, he said.
All India Bank Employees Association, Bank Employees Federation of India, All India Bank Officers' Association and National Union of Bank Employees are taking part in the strike.
All India Trade Union Congress has also extended its support for the strike. Referring to the failure of the two-rounds of talks with the Labour Commissioner, he said "the bank unions' demands are quite reasonable and workable.
If the Indian Banks' Association came with an improved offer an amicable settlement can be reached", he said. "The Indian Banks' Association must shed its obstinacy.
The Government must intervene. Otherwise United Forum of Bank Unions will be compelled to further intensify its agitation", he said.
Banking services paralysed in West Bengal
The nation-wide bank strike to press for wage revision brought banking services in West Bengal to a grinding halt on Wednesday inconveniencing customers.
Bengal convener of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), Gautam Banerjee told PTI that the strike was total and all branches of nationalised and private banks in the state were affected.
Clearing operation at Reserve Bank of India was also hit, he said.
The unions had asked the banks to keep off-site ATMs in hospital premises open to help patients' families withdraw cash, he said, adding that some of the ATMs had already run out of money.
Other off-site and on-site ATMs of banks remained closed due to the strike, he claimed.
The strike was called as the unions and Indian Bank Association (IBA) failed to come to a settlement over wage revision.
While the unions demanded a 25 per cent rise in wages and later scaled down to 23 per cent, the IBA stuck to its position an 11 per cent increase.
