Bank unions to strike work on Friday to protest SBI’s policies

All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) has called for a one-day nation-wide strike on 8 January to protest against the ''unfair'' policies adopted by State Bank of India (SBI) with respect to its five associate banks.
 
The proposed strike would affect normal banking operations across various banks, including private sector ones on 8 January 2016.

SBI, the country's largest lender, is in the process of merging its subsidiaries in order to emerge as a bank of global scale.

It has five subsidiaries - State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Hyderabad and State Bank of Patiala.

A merger of these banks would put SBI in an enviable position as the country's top lender.

''The agitation is because of the continued unfair labour practices of the SBI management who are trying to force SBI service conditions on the associate banks,'' AIBEA said in a statement.

The union is against imposition of SBI's service conditions and career progression rules in associate banks.

It has also demanded delinking the associate banks from SBI.
 
AIBEA had earlier planned a similar strike in associate banks on 1 and 2 December.

However, the strike was deferred subsequent to a conciliation meeting on 23 November 2015, wherein SBI management agreed to defer the implementation of the career progression scheme and hold bilateral discussions with the unions.

''The bilateral meeting that was subsequently held with the union was futile and the management continued with their adamant stand on the issues. Hence, we are going on with the strike,'' it added.