Four unions of officers of public sector banks have threatened to go on a two-day strike from September 26 to protest against anunced consolidation of 10 state-run lenders into four. In a tice serviced to Indian Banks' Association, officers' unions said that y propose to go on strike to protest against mergers and amalgamations in banking sector. government on August 30 anunced consolidation of 10 large public sector banks into four. A union leer also said that nationalised banks will furr observe indefinite strike from second week of vember to press for ir demands.

All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC),  All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), Indian National Bank Officers' Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Officers (BO) have jointly served strike tice.

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What is Demand?

Among or demands, unions are also seeking immediate introduction of five-day week in full and reduction of cash transaction hours and regulated working hours.y have also demanded halting of undue interference in existing procedure of vigilance cases by outside ncies, settlement of issues pertaining to retirees, equate recruitment, scrapping of NPS, reduction of service charges for consumers and harassing of officers under specious plea of n-performance. Nationalised banks across country will observe strike from midnight of September 25 to midnight of September 27, to protest merger and amalgamation in banking sector by central government and or demands of employees, general secretary of AIBOC (Chandigarh), Deepal Kumar Sharma, said in Chandigarh. unions will furr observe indefinite strike from second week of vember, he ded.

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Major PSB Mergers

In biggest consolidation exercise in banking , Government on August 30 anunced four major mergers of PSBs, bringing down ir total number to 12 from 19 in 2017, a move aimed at making state-owned lenders global-sized banks. According to consolidation exercise, United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce are to be merged with Punjab National Bank, making proposed entity second largest public sector bank (PSB). Syndicate Bank is to be merged with Canara Bank. Allahab Bank will be merged with Indian Bank. Andhra Bank will be amalgamated with Corporation Bank and Union Bank of India.

India has seen a merger of six associate banks along with SBI and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with country's largest lender in financial year beginning April 2017.Following next year, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank were merged with Bank of Baroda.

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