Banking services may be disrupted on Monday and Tuesday since a section of bank employee unions has backed a two-day countrywide general strike called by trade unions.

The United Forum of Central Trade Unions and several sectoral autonomous trade unions have called for a strike on Monday and Tuesday to protest against the government’s “anti-people” economic and labour policies.

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Among their demands is the abolition of labour codes, the abolition of all forms of privatisation, the abolition of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased wage allocation under MNREGA, and the regularisation of contract workers.

”AIBEA has decided to support this call and join this strike to focus on demands in the banking sectors,” All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said.

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The bank union’s general secretary, CH Venkatachalam, stated that the union wants that the government cease privatising public sector banks and instead strengthen them, as well as quick recovery of bad loans, greater deposit rates by banks, cheaper service charges for consumers, and the reinstatement of the old pension scheme. The AIBEA will join the strike at public sector banks, private banks, foreign banks, cooperative banks, and regional rural banks, according to a statement from the bank union.

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Several public sector banks, including the country’s largest lender, SBI, have indicated that the strike may have a minor impact on their services. SBI stated that it has taken the required steps to guarantee that its branches and offices operate normally during strike days.

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”It is likely that work at our bank may be impacted to a limited extent, by the strike,” SBI said. Punjab National Bank (PNB) said AIBEA, Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) and All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) have served notices proposing to go on strike on March 28-29, 2022.

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”While the bank has made all arrangements to ensure normal functioning in its branches and offices, it is likely that work in our bank may be impacted to a limited extent by the strike,” PNB said.

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Bengaluru-headquartered Canara Bank said it is taking necessary steps for the smooth functioning of bank branches and offices. However, if the strike materialises, the functioning of the bank may be impacted, Canara Bank added. Private sector RBL Bank said its bank unions are affiliated with AIBOA and AIBEA, and the employees associated with these unions may participate in the strike.

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”The subject strike is for the issues at the industry level and is nowhere related at bank-level issues. The bank will take all necessary steps for the smooth functioning of the bank’s branches/offices on the days of the strike. However, it is likely that some of our branches would also be impacted by the strike,” RBL said.

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Aside from the two-day strike, client banking services may be interrupted on March 31st, as the RBI has urged banks to participate in the annual closure of government accounts for the current fiscal year 2021-22. All government transactions carried out by agency banks in the fiscal year 2021-22 must be reported for within the same fiscal year.

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The RBI said in a notification to banks that all agency banks should maintain their designated branches open for over-the-counter transactions pertaining to government transactions till the end of normal working hours on March 31, 2022.