NEW DELHI: The government on Monday appealed to employees of public sector banks and regional rural banks to call off their proposed 3-day strike from September 28 to 30 as it has already fulfilled one of their main demands by holding the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in abeyance.
"Given that most concerns of the Unions have been substantially addressed, that the remaining demand continues to be examined, and that the government continues to proactively introduce welfare measures for the banking workforce, bank employees are urged to refrain from resorting to strikes, work towards resolving issues through dialogue, and ensure that banking services remain uninterrupted," a Finance Ministry statement said.
The United Forum of Bank Unions and certain other Unions of Public Sector Banks as well as Regional Rural Banks have called for a series of strikes in support of their demand for implementation of a five-day banking week, and withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Taking due note of the concerns raised, the government, after detailed discussion, decided to keep the PLI scheme in abeyance. This proactive initiative by the government fulfilled one of the two main demands of the Unions, the statement said.
Banking as a service is relied upon by every citizen, and its continuity directly affects the everyday lives of the general public. In the interests of bank employees, the government declared the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month as public holidays for public sector banks in 2015. The remaining Saturdays continue to serve as an important opportunity for many citizens to access banking services easily. (IANS)
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