SBI's nation-wide strike withdrawn: Union

KOLKATA: SBI employees union on Sunday said the proposed two-day nation-wide from November 25 has been called off after an assurance from the government on pension issue.

Senior vice-president of SBI Staff Association M V Murli said that the government had assured the bank management that pension of employees and officers would be brought at par with that in other nationalised banks.

"The management in turn has communicated to us that the pension would be hiked," Murli told reporters here on Sunday.

The association had earlier threatened that the two-day strike would be followed by an indefinite strike if its demands were not met.

According to Murli, the higher pension for SBI staff would benefit 1.7 lakh employees including 60,000 officers.

The increased pension would be given with effect from November 1, 2007, he said.

The association was also opposed to the merger of SBI's associate banks with itself.

Read more: SBI's nation-wide strike withdrawn: Union - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/SBIs-nation-wide-strike-withdrawn-Union/articleshow/6964343.cms#ixzz15yn1Jmay