Indian bank unions strike to protest merger bid

Operations in India's state-owned banks were hit across the country yesterday by a strike called by unions against the government's proposed move to merge three banks.

The strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine unions against the merger of three public sector banks, is the second industrial action in the Indian banking sector in less than a week.

All India Bank Employees' Association General Secretary CH Vekatachalam said the strike was effective across the country and employees were fighting for a right cause. The UFBU claims to have membership of nearly one million bank employees and officers across 21 public sector banks.  

On December 21, an officers' union of state-run banks had enforced a daylong strike to protest against the merger of the three banks and demanded immediate settlement of wage negotiations.