Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 17
Banks across Nagaland will shut down for two days on March 24 and 25 in line with the 2-day country-wide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). State secretary of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), Imtisanen Ao, told a press conference in Dimapur on March 17 that all banks in Nagaland, including private sector banks, will cease work on the said dates.
UFBU is a collective nine bank unions representing some 8 lakh employees of public, private, foreign, cooperative and rural banks. Its affiliates include the All India Bank Employees Association, All India Bank Officers Confederation, National Confederation of Bank Unions, All India Bank officers Association, Bank Employees Federation of India, Indian National Bank Employees Federation, Indian National Bank Officers Congress, National Organisation of Bank Workers, and National organisation of Bank Officers.
According to Ao, the strike has been called to press for long-standing demands. The key demands include adequate recruitment and filling of vacancies, 5-day work week, withdrawal of unilateral directives from the Department of Financial Services (DFS) regarding performance reviews and performance-linked incentives.
“Banks serve large number of people on a daily basis. But in the last one decade, the banks have not been recruiting adequate staff,” he said, adding that it has resulted in acute shortage affected customer services. Tasked with implementing government schemes, he said that it has become very difficult with insufficient staff.
Additional demands included withdrawal of unilateral government instructions affecting staffing policies, protection of bank employees against assault and abuse by unruly customers, immediate filling of vacant positions in public sector banks, amending the Gratuity Act, tax exemption on pension benefits, stopping alleged micromanagement of banks by the DFS and outsourcing of permanent jobs.
While acknowledging the inconvenience the strike would cause to the public, he said that it is being necessitated for better working conditions and improved banking services. “We seek the support of the people for our strike and request them to bear with us,” he said.
