Nationwide strike may hit banking services on July 9

Millions of bank workers across India will join nationwide strike on July 9 as unions protest labour reforms and privatisation of public institutions

New Delhi : Millions of bank workers across India are set to participate in a nationwide strike on Wednesday, according to a forum of trade unions. The strike, initiated by a forum of 10 central trade unions, may disrupt the services of sectors including banking, insurance, coal mining, postal, construction, and the regional transport network across various states.

Bank of Baroda, in a stock exchange filing, said that banking services may be disrupted across India on Wednesday, as major bank unions are preparing to join the nationwide general strike.

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The public sector bank warned its customers that banking services at its branches across the nation may be affected if the strike happens.

The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), the All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), and the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) are among the unions that called the nationwide strike.

Meanwhile, General Secretaries of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), the All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), and the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) informed the Indian Banks Association about the strike on July 9.

As per reports, the unions have called the strike, protesting against the government’s pro-corporate policies, recent labour law reforms, and privatisation of public sector institutions.

The unions demand that the government take immediate steps to address their issues, including filling up the vacant sanctioned posts, creating more employment opportunities, increasing MNREGA workdays and increasing wage increments.

The strike was earlier scheduled for May but was postponed due to national events.

The forum in a statement urged workers to make “the nationwide general strike a grand success”. It had last year submitted a charter of 17-point demands to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandavia, the workers’ union forum said in its latest statement.