Banking services across the country including Nagaland were affected for the second straight day on Tuesday as public sector bank (PSB) employees continued with their two-day nationwide bank strike under the banner of United Forum of Banks Unions (UFBU) to oppose the Central government’s proposed move to privatise PSBs.
Though the two-day strike ended on Tuesday, the unions warned that the agitation may take a form similar to the farmers’ protests if their plea was not heard by the Centre.
In Dimapur, PSB employees staged dharnas near SBI regional business office at Supermarket complex, as the banks remained closed for the second consecutive day affecting services like deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearance and loan approvals.
Altogether, 104 employees from various Public Sector Banks attended the protest.
NCBE president Ramesh Hasnu chaired the protest. Main speakers included AIBOC state secretary and president of SBIOA(NEC) TAP Paul; Joshua of NSCB Ltd; 3. NCBE vice president Sufip Sen and SBIOA & SEWA, Dimapur Region regional secretary TL Lango Neikha.
Ramesh Hasu said the next phase of agitation would depend on the government’s decision. He explained that if the government decided not to privatise PSBs, then there would be no more agitation.
“But if they decide to privatise banks, then there will be bigger strike,” he warned.
He claimed that the two-day bank strike was successful and said this showed active participation of all PSB employees.
Extending support to the striking bank employees, Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI) chairman Dr Khekhugha Muru said PSBs have become pivotal to progress of the country and have “humungous value”.
He remarked that it would be “irrational” to leave the huge network of PSBs in the hands of private enterprises as this would result in common man being deprived of banking services. Muru said PSBs in Nagaland operated in rural and remote areas where private banks have failed to reach. So, if privatisation was allowed, it would be really difficult for the people, especially in remote areas, he feared.
Kohima: State Bank of India (SBI) employees staged a protest in front of SBI main branch at Kohima on Tuesday for the second day.
Leading the protest, SBI Officers’ Association (SBIOA) Kohima district unit representative Yansaromo T Lotha said they were staging dharna against the “repressive and regressive” actions of the Central government.
Regretting that PSBs had often been used as a punching bag by the government, Lotha asserted that the bank staff would fight for their rights and that this agitation was just the beginning.
As all developmental activities were carried up through PSBs, he cautioned that the Central government’s move to privatise them would severely affect such activities.
Highlighting some achievements of SBI, Lotha said the bank had boldly initiated the zero account opening after observing that it would help the general population, especially the poor.
SBIOA Kohima district unit representative warned that in the absence of PSBs, private banks would take advantage and inflate service charges on their customers and therefore, he stressed, this fight was for the common man.
Answering a query on why only a few employees had turned up for the protest when there were more than a hundred in all the 10 SBI branches in Kohima, Lotha explained that while a clarion call was given out to all association members to join the dharna, only a handful had turned up, which he termed as “discouraging”.
On whether the association would take any action against its members who failed to turn up for the dharna, Lotha clarified although the agitation was for a greater cause, it was voluntary in nature and therefore no action would be taken. He added that those members who did not turn up showed that they have no concern for the future.
With the two-day bank stir coming to an end now, Lotha said it would be business as usual for the PSBs from Wednesday.