In move against proposal to privatise PSBs
Bank employees to go on 2-day strike
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 10 2021:
Bank employees and officers are going on a 2-day Nationwide strike on March 15 and 16 opposing the proposal to privatise Public Sector Banks (PSBs) as a disinvestment plan of the Central Government.
Addressing a press meet at State Bank of India, Imphal Branch today, convenor of United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU), Manipur State Committee, L Maipak Meetei said that the proposal was announced by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget at the Parliament recently.
Though the name of the PSBs were not mentioned, it is likely that the two banks would be Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank, he said.
Above this, the Finance Minister also announced a plan to disinvest one general insurance company, likely Life Insurance Company (LIC), increase the rate of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI ) for different sectors including insurance from 49 % to 74 % and selling of various Public Sector Undertakings.
Maipak said that these reform measures need opposition as it would cause untold inconvenience to customers if implemented.
As PSBs are considered Nation builders, privatising them would be akin to handing over hard earned money of the people to big corporates, he rued.
Apart from posing threat to job security, privatising the PSBs would also lead to closure of loan facilities given to MSME, priority, agriculture and allied sectors and reservation on recruitment and promotion would become invalid, he added.
Maipak also said that making such retrograde moves by the Government is truly unfortunate.
Constituent member of UFBU, Mayanglambam Nimai said that banks in the country would not be able to serve the people for 4 days as March 13 and 14 are second Saturday and Sunday respectively.
He appealed to all customers to visit banks before the mentioned dates if there is/are any possibilities of emergency.