Today on 26^rd December 2018, United Forum of Bank Union’s, an umbrella of bankers representing more than 10 lakh Employees/Officers across the country held a massive demonstration in front of Regional Office of Bank of India, at Bank Square, Sector 17-B, Chandigarh against the against the Govt. policies of diverting people’s attention from rising NPAs by taking retrograde banking reforms and by mergers/amalgamations. Rather govt. should focus on helping the banks in recovering bad loans. More than 1000 employees/officers from different banks participated in this massive demonstration.

Speaking on the occasion Com. Sanjay Sharma, convener UFBU, Chandigarh unit strongly criticized the government that unmindful of the massive protests on 18^th September 2018 and 9^th October 2018, 29^th Sept. 2018 as well as protests on 23^rd October 2018 during the Board meetings of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank the govt. is moving ahead with the merger. Such amalgamations, consolidations and mergers are unwarranted at this time when there is a need to provide banking facility to the entire people of this great country. The only major problem confronting the banks as of now is the rising bad loans and its adverse effect on the health of public sector banks. The profits of the banks are getting evaporated due to enormous provisions towards bad loans. The present govt. is taking retrograde measures like merger and amalgamation which will adversely impact the economy and affect the banking clientele and banking services besides harming the interest of the workforce. Banks merger in India will systematically lead to cut in job opportunities as it will lead to closure of many bank branches. Hence UFBU decided that attacks in the shape of merger of banks should be resisted and vehemently fought back.

Com Sanjeev Bandlish, Convener of All India United Form of Bank Unions, told the gathering that the Government/IBA is going very slow with regard to the wage revision of the Bank employees and Officers due from 1^st of November 2017. He criticized the attitude of the Government/IBA for their lackluster attitude towards the genuine demands of the Bankers and also rejected the meager offer of 8% by the IBA in their meeting held on 30/11/2018. UFBU as well as the IBA was called by the chief Labour commissioner for a reconciliatory meeting on 20/12/2018 but the meeting failed due to the adamant attitude of IBA. He further briefed the gathering that the only agenda of the Government is to privatize the public sector banks. The net profits are getting reduced only due to huge provisions for bad loans and not due to any reasons attributable to the employees and officers of the Banks. The government is doing little for recovery of huge NPA’s of the Public sector Banks. Com. Deepak Sharma, Com T.S. Saggu, Com Jagdish Rai, Com B. S.Gill, Com. Vipan Berri, Com. Ashok Goyal, Com. Aashish, Com. Harvinder Singh, Com. Gurbax Singh, Com Pankaj Sharma, Com. Kranti Rai and others were also present.