Jamshedpur, Dec 3: Demanding immediate settlement of wage revision with immediate application of 10th wage agreement, 5-day banking, talks with United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) for respectful increase in wage and to finalize the working schedule and several other claims Jharkhand State Bank Employees Association have decided to go on Zonal strike on December 4.
Banking operations in Jamshedpur and other parts of Jharkhand is expected to come to a standstill on Thursday. On the eve of the strike, bank employees of several nationalized banks of Jamshedpur protested near SBI Bistupur.
The employees also took out a rally and shouted slogans in their favour. The staffs also called for indefinite strike if their demands are not met. On the occasion Deputy General Secretary of the Association, Heera Arkane said that the wage revision of bank employees is pending since November 2012.
�In favour of our demands we had resorted to strike on 11 and 12 Feburary, 2014 and also on November 12, 2014 but seeing there has been no change in the attitude of IBA. The association is not bothered against the problems that the bank customers and employees will face through this strike.
We have informed the government about our issues and the same protest was started on December 2 from the Southern states, Dec 3 Northern states, Dec 4 Eastern states and on Dec 5 the western zone states will protest and if the government doesn�t take action we will go on indefinite strike�.
� During our last salary increase on Nov 1, 2007, 17.5 % was hiked and this time we have submitted our demand of 25 % with the ever increasing inflation.
We demand 5 day banking and regular working hours with no work on holidays, withdraw extra co-operation by strictly observing office hours,� he added. This is the second strike by bank employees in less than 30 days. The last strike was on November 12.