<div>Race for many days of disruptions, says <strong>Raghu Mohan</strong></div><div> </div><div>About a month ago, bank unions decided that bang in the midst of the Winter Session of Parliament , a demonstration is to be held in front of North Block over the proposed privatisation of IDBI Bank -- but there is a slight change in programming. Unions have decided to concentrate their fire power on creating a bigger din.</div><div> </div><div>As per the itinerary, on the 24th of this month -- three days before the winter session kicks in -- the All India Industrial Development Bank Employees’ Association (AIIDBEA) under the banner of United Forum of IDBI Officers and Employees; and the All India IDBI Officers’ Association (AIIDBIOA) will hold a “dharna” at North Block. While this will not affect bank transactions in the way a strike does, it will trip banking transactions as clearing house operations may not be as smooth as it should be if the unions put their heart in to it. If you are an IDBI Bank customer, you will have reason to be peeved.</div><div> </div><div>Next on the menu is a two-day strike call on the 1st and 2nd December which will by far be the most serious one if not handled properly. It’s over State Bank of India’s (SBI) Career Progression Policy in its `Associate banks’ -- State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Hyderabad and State Bank of Patiala.</div><div> </div><div>SBI’s management (of the mother bank, SBI) has asked the associate bank to adopt the policy. But the State Sector Bank Employees Association (SSBEA) is to have none of it as they want to maintain the distinct identities of SBI’s associate banks. SSBEA sees in this a plot to merge to associate banks into SBI. And, therefore, the strike call; other banks unions are to extend support even as there is chatter of an indefinite strike at end-December</div><div> </div><div>If you go by the current itinerary, what you have is almost seven days (not in a row though) of disrupted banking. The 24th of November is a Tuesday; the next day is off for Guru Nanak Jayanti (a bank holiday). You then get to the two-day strike call on the 1st and 2nd of December (Tuesday and Wednesday), but it’s preceded by a weekend (28th November) and the weekly off (29th, Sunday). You also have been promised an indefinite strike towards the end of the calendar year.</div><div> </div><div>The belligerence of the unions will get a fillip with the changed political turf – the Bihar verdict and the rout of the BJP by the Nitish Kumar-Lalu Yadav combine. Now whatever may be your political orientation and the merits or otherwise of the Bihar outcome, what you can’t get away from is bank unions are set to raise the ante against Messrs Jaitely & Co.</div><div> </div><div>Bank unions have been on a warpath ever since the BJP-led government took charge. The first real test came over the Bilateral Wage Settlement. It did not blow up even when the United Forum of Bank Unions’ called for a four-day bank strike (from the 25th to 28th February 2015); or threat of an indefinite strike from 16th March onwards.</div><div> </div><div>But this winter may be rather hot!</div>
