10 lakh bank employees may delay others salaries to increase their salaries

New Delhi : Over 10 lakh bank employees have started a two-day nationwide strike with demands of increasing their monthly wages, a move that may delay salaries of other people working in private and public companies.

The strike comes after bank employees were found upset with a maximum hike of 2 per cent in their salaries this year.

Last ditch efforts to defer the strike failed as the meeting between United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) representatives and the Labour Department, Finance Ministry and Indian Banks Association officials could not break the deadlock.

"The UFBU leaders conveyed their grievance that there is an inordinate delay, an offer of 2 per cent was not in good taste and the practice of wage negotiation for officers up to Scale VII which has been the practice has to continue," said All India Bank Officers Confederation General Secretary D Franco.

The banks will remain close on May 30 and May 31, which could also affect ATM withdrawals and other banking operations.