Mumbai: The two-day nation-wide bank strike ended today with nearly 80 lakh cheques in various public sector, old generation private sector, foreign and regional rural banks remaining uncleared, bank unions claimed.
Around 10 lakh employees of 21 public sector banks, 13 old generation private sector banks 6 foreign banks and 56 regional rural banks were on a two-day strike, since May 30, to protest a meagre two per cent pay hike proposed to them by Indian Banks Association (IBA).
In Maharashtra alone, 60,000 employees and officers from around 12,000 branches were on strike.
“The protest was mainly for adequate wage revision. It was completely successful. Close to 80 lakh cheques were not cleared in these two days,” United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) Convenor (Maharashtra) Devidas Tuljapurkar claimed.
It will take another week to clear these pending cheques, he added. Industry body Assocham pegged that the the two-day strike might impact Rs 20,000 crore worth of customer transactions.
IBA in its recent wage revision meeting held on May 5, offered a nominal salary revision of two per cent to bank employees and officers.