AGARTALA, July 28 (TIWN): Banking Service to halt on Friday, as an umbrella body of bank unions have called for a nationwide strike on July 29 to protest against the government’s banking reforms.

Supporting the strike on July 9 Tripura MP Shankar Prasad Dutta during a mass convention held at Rabindra Bhwan said that the central govt. of India has consistently worked in support of private banks, whereas the Govt. banks are under huge loss.

 ‘We are opposing a host of issues including banks' merger in the name consolidation, employing private sector's people at the top position of the government owned banks, centre's reluctance for infusing capital into state run banks.  We have been actively observing the centre's reform programmes for banking sector and also considering a direct actions against the government's move, he said.

 However, the strike programme  was decided after All the nine unions of the Banking industry held a meeting on in Hyderabad. They had decided to call for a one day strike on July 29 to oppose the government's attempt to promote privatisation in the public sector banks in name of banking sector reforms.

 The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing nine unions who count 10 lakh bank officers and employees as members, will go on strike on August 29, All India Bank Employees Association General Secretary C H Venkatchalam had declared it.

 Thus along with the nation, the UFBU Bank employees in Tripura will go on a one day strike, on July 29. United Forum of Bank Unions, the coordinating body of all unions of the employees and officers, gave the call on Wednesday in the state. The proposed strike is to oppose privatisation of public sector banks and banking sector reforms.