An anti-privatization protest was held here today by public sector bank employees.
Speaking to reporters, Davies Lyngdoh, the Organising Secretary of the All India Bank Officers Confederation, which is under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), said that trade unions of bank employees and officers are protesting against the proposed privatization of two state-owned lenders.
During the presentation of the central government budget last week, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the privatization of two public sector banks (PSBs), without naming them, as part of its disinvestment plan.
“This desire of the central government to privatize the two banks will gradually increase to the privatization of several other banks later which will adversely affect the general public,” Lyngdoh said.
PSBs serve more rural areas than private banks, which are typically based in urban centres and whose sole motive is profit-making, he added.
“The desire of the central government of privatizing the PSBs will directly affect the public, especially the poor and needy, farmers and others,” he opined.
The UFBU, an umbrella body of nine unions, has called for a two-day strike on March 15-16 to protest against the proposed privatization.
