All India Bankers strike postponed from May 25 to July 29

The proposed All India Strike of Bank employees has been postponed from May 25 to July 29 this year. In a meeting of United Forum of Bank Unions held yesterday, it was decided to postpone the proposed strike.

Earlier, the bankers had called the strike to mark their protest against Privatisation of Banks. About five lakh bank employees, including those from public, private, foreign, cooperative and regional rural banks, were supposed to participate in the one-day strike on 25 May.

Other demands of Bankers include declaration of wilful default on loan repayments as a criminal offence. They also seek action against liquor baron Vijay Mallya while urging the government to recover the loan of Rs 9,000 crore from him.

“Public sector banks are helping the common man in a big way and this will stop if banks are privatised. Yet, the government wants to privatise the banks and hand them over to private hands. Hence, we are opposing the move”, a union official was quoted saying.

If it is privatised, ordinary people, including farmers, will be unable to secure loans easily,” he added.