Is it back to the days of strikes and bandhs and the threat to paralyse nation-wide banking services for employee unions?
Banking services were paralysed today as employees of banks, whose employee unions are affiliated to the nine-union umbrella United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), went on strike demanding revision of appointment terms, fresh recruitments, additional pension option benefits.

Simultaneously the demanded a total ban on outsourcing and merger of public sector banks, opening of more branches by nationalised banks, continuance of the ceiling of 10 per cent on voting rights for foreign investors in private banks and no interference on trade unions rights.

Profullo Kumar Patnaik, convener, has UFBU threatened that the agitation would not be called-off unless the government agreed to acquiesce to the demands.

Criticising the Indian Banks Association for its tough stance, Patnaik said he expected that "good sense" would prevail on both the government and IBA after the day's token strike and warned that the unions would go on an indefinite strike if their demands were not met.

UFBU member unions include the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees Congress (INBEC), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO).