Chandigarh, October 23, 2018: Today on 23rd October 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 Baroda 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 18th September 2018 and 9th October 2018 as well as protests on 29th September 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, Com. Deepak Sharma, Com T.S. Saggu, Com Jagdish Rai, Com B. S.Gill, Com. Vipan Berri, Com. Ashok Goyal, Com. H.S.Loona, Com. Harvinder Singh, Com. A.P.Sharma, Com Pankaj Sharma Com. Kranti Rai, Com. Jotinder Singh and others were also present there.