All India bank strike halts services
Salaries okayed but unlikely for many before X'mas
Source: The Sangai Express

Guwahati, December 21 2018: Responding to the call of the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), all banking services were suspended today across the country.

All the banks and their different branches opened in the State too supported the one-day strike by suspending the day's business.

AIBOC called the one-day strike protesting the Government's plan to privatise several banks.

AIBOC is also demanding the Government to initiate necessary steps for recovering huge amount of loans taken from different banks by super-rich people.

AIBOC and their agitation are being supported by the United Forum of Bank Union.

The bankers' bodies are also demanding cancellation of the Government's plan to merge Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and Regional Rural Bank together, and finalisation of the 11th bipartite wage settlement which is due since last year.

The one-day strike was fully supported by AIBOC Manipur State unit and all banks in the State suspended their business for the day.

On account of the strike, all transactions were suspended thereby causing severe inconveniences to the public.

Even as the Secretariat, Finance Department issued an order yesterday which granted permission for drawing salaries and allowances for the month of December in view of the Christmas festival, employees could not draw their salaries today because of the bank strike.

An order issued by Principal Secretary (Finance) Rakesh Ranjan issued an order yesterday whereby employees were allowed to draw salaries for the month of December from today but the order excluded pensioners, ad-hoc/substitute, officiating, contract, casual and muster roll employees who were appointed against the guidelines of Finance Department.

Even though employees have been allowed to draw their salaries from today, there is no guarantee that all employees would get their salaries before Christmas.

As the Finance Department's order was issued only yesterday, most Treasury and Sub-Treasury offices had not collected pay bills till yesterday even though a few had been collected.

As a convention, Treasury and Sub-Treasury offices start collecting pay bills soon after the Finance Department issues order for releasing salaries.

Treasury and Sub-Treasury offices would send advice to banks after clearing the pay bills following which banks would deposit salaries of employees in their respective accounts through RTGS.

For departments/offices whose pay bills are passed by Treasury or Sub-Treasury offices today, banks may deposit salaries of employees after receiving advice from Treasury and Sub-Treasury offices on Monday.

As this process takes time, there is no guarantee that employees would get salaries before Christmas, said a source.

While all banking services were suspended today on account of the strike, tomorrow, being the 4th Saturday of the month, is a holiday for banks and the next day is Sunday.

The only working day available before Christmas is Monday (December 24) .

As such, Treasury/Sub-Treasury offices as well as banks are most likely to be uncannily busy on Monday, added the source.

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