Employees of public sector banks across Prakasam district struck work on Wednesday in protest against the proposed merger of the Vijaya Bank and the Dena Bank with the Bank of Baroda (BoB).
People hopped from one automated teller machine (ATM), as many machines ran out of cash owing to the strike, second in less than a week.
Leading the protest in front of the Andhra Bank main branch here, Bank Employees Federation of India State president Ch. Sobhan Babu demanded early completion of wage revision talks.
Many private bank employees here too stopped work for some time in solidarity with the striking employees, who were supported by activists of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the CPI(M). The All India Trade Union Congress(AITUC) and the Centre for Indian Trade Unions(CITU) backed the stir called by the United Forum of Bank Unions(UFBU).
CPI(M) district assistant secretary G.V. Konda Reddy said though the merger of sister banks of the State Bank of India had led to the closure of several branches and downsizing of staff, non-performing assets(NPA) had not reduced and banking services had not improved especially in rural areas.