Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, January 27
Bank employees across India staged a one-day nationwide strike on Tuesday, disrupting services in several cities, including Shimla, as they pressed for long-pending demands related to working conditions and government policy. The strike was called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), a joint platform representing bank officers and employees. In Shimla, protesters gathered outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, raising slogans against the central government and voicing opposition to its banking policies.
Narender Sharma, convenor of the UFBU’s Himachal Pradesh unit, said the government had repeatedly ignored the concerns of bank staff. He cited delays in wage settlements, the demand for a five-day working week across all banks, an end to the privatisation of public sector banks, a halt to outsourcing and the need for adequate recruitment.
Union leaders warned that the agitation could be intensified if the government failed to take an early and positive decision on their demands. The protest led to disruption of banking operations in Shimla, with customers facing inconvenience during the day.
