Strike affects banking, insurance services in Lucknow

LUCKNOW - Banking and insurance services were hit in the Uttar Pradesh capital by the nationwide strike called by trade unions Tuesday against price rise and privatisation.

Long queues were seen at automated teller machines (ATMs) to withdraw money. Also, there was a rush at branches of the State Bank of India (SBI), which has not joined the strike.

Employees of several other public sector banks and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) staged sit-ins at various places, extending support to the trade unions.

“All our 11,000 agents of Lucknow are observing the strike. Though we admit the strike will cause problems for the public, it was necessary to project the resentment against the government for its wrong economic policies,” Pranab Sharman, general secretary of LIC agents’ organisation of India (Lucknow Zone), told reporters here.

Employees of several state-government offices also boycotted their work and held demonstrations against price hike.

“We have totally boycotted the work. We fully justify the strike…The central government must now amend its wrong economic policies that is adversely affecting the common man of the country,” Satish Pandey, general secretary of the state employees’ union, told reporters here.

Transport services were not much affected by the strike. Buses, tempos and auto-rickshaws were plying on the roads as usual.