A meeting between bank employee unions and senior finance ministry officials to discuss the government's plan to privatise public sector banks ended in an impasse, as both sides failed to find a common ground, a bank union leader has told Moneycontrol.
Unhappy over the privatisation move, the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) has warned that 10 lakh bank employees and officers would go on strike on March 15 and 16, 2021. It would be followed up by an indefinite strike. The government wants employee unions to withdraw the strike call.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of bank employees in India, met the finance ministry official in the presence of the additional chief labour commissioner on March 4 via an online meeting, UFBU convenor CH Venkatachalam said.
The finance ministry officials said no concrete details on privatisation had been worked out and asked the unions to withdraw their strike call but the unions insisted on an assurance that the government won’t go ahead with the privatisation plan, Venkatachalam. The two sides will meet again on March 9.
Additional CLC SC Joshi presided over the meeting, while the finance ministry was represented by Director SR Mehr.
