Mumbai: Over nine lakh employees of public sector banks would go on a two-day nationwide strike on 24 and 25 September to protest bank mergers and consolidation and wage related issues.

Meanwhile, conciliatory talks initiated by the chief labour commissioner SK Mukhopadhyay with bank unions have ended in a stalemate.

''Talks with the chief labour commissioner have failed and we are proceeding with the strike," said United Forum of Bank Unions Convener C H Venkatachalam.

''Around one million employees of nationalised banks, old generation private banks and foreign banks will participate in the strike. We are against the government merging the banks and allowing foreign direct investment in the banking sector. We also want early settlement of employee benefit issues,'' Venkatachalam said

Strike is because of delay in settlement of issues like wage revision, second pension option, he said.

UFBU, comprises nine all-India unions and a strike will disrupt banking transactions across 50,000 branches, including about 15,000 branches of the SBI and its six associate banks.

Clearing operation, cash handling, forex and money market operations are likely to be affected due to the strike.