The two-day bank strike that began on Monday has completely halted normal banking transactions in Dindigul district.
The strike was called by an umbrella of bank employees unions to protest against the proposals for privatization of two public sector banks. The Union Finance Minister had announced the plans in the recently presented budget.
Opposing this, the employees unions united and appealed to the central government to abandon the scheme. At a time when the merger of banks created trouble and deepened the deficit, privatization could seal the existence of public sector undertakings, they were apprehensive.
Employees unions led by regional secretary Velmurugan staged a demonstration in front of SBI here.
Other office bearers including Joan Kingston and others also attended.
The agitators said that there were about 200 banks / branches in and around the district in which around 4000 employees were laid off. Banking transactions worth at least Rs 500 crore were affected by the total strike, he claimed.
Several ATMs in and around the bus stand and the railway station had dried up due to the strike, which could not be replenished.
Members said that the strike would continue on Tuesday as well.
The strike also took place in neighboring Theni district, in which employee unions agitated and demanded the Center to withdraw its proposal on privatization of both PSUs.
All branches of nationalized banks and branches of private banks such as Lakshmi Vilas Bank and Karur Vysya Bank remained closed in Virudhunagar district as part of a nationwide strike against the move to privatize.
All India Bank Employees Union a.
The strike was called by nine unions under the umbrella of the United Forum of Bank Unions, opposing the Centre’s move to privatize two nationalized banks every year.
“The Finance Minister has said that two nationalized banks will be privatized this year, without naming the banks. Private banks were nationalized in 1969 by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, so that banking services were accessible to the poor, farmers and the middle class.
However, if the banks were privatized, the poor would not have access to the services of the banks.
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