Mumbai: Over 2 lakh employees of State Bank of India are on a nationwide indefinite strike. Unions say the pension ceiling has been frozen at Rs 4,250 per month since 1992.
The Delhi High Court has restrained protesting employees from disrupting banking operations and protesting within 500 metres of any branch of the bank. The court has asked the Government to file a reply by 5th April.
On Monday the counters of State Bank of India remained empty throughout the country. The SBI employees are on an indefinite strike demanding increase in pension from the government.
Satish Patwardhan Deputy General Secretary, SBI Officer's Association, Mumbai Circle says, “They have not upgraded our pension for 14 years so we had no option but to go on strike."
SBI employees say that they had sent a notice to the government in February 2005, but no action was taken.
Documents have already been submitted with the Government with suggestions for the revision of the pension scheme. The employees feel that the ball is now in the Government's court.
SBI has close to 10,000 branches throughout the country and if the strike continues for more than two days even the ATM machines in all these centers may run dry.
To avoid such a situation, the Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to present steps taken to address the bank employees' concerns by 5th April. But the court has asked the employees not to disrupt banking operation.
"They have been asked not to protest within 500 meters of the bank premises, " said Tarun Diwan Advocate, High Court.
The Delhi High Court has suggested that its mediation cell talks to both the central government and the striking staffers to try and find a solution to the impasse but till then its the consumer who continues to suffer.
With inputs from George Koshy
Comments
0 comment