Bank employees across Jharkhand joined the nationwide bank strike for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, primarily inconveniencing customers who needed to withdraw cash as ATMS ran dry.

The strike affected the functioning of over 1000-odd branches of various banks across the state. Work of cheque clearance, issuance of drafts, cash deposits, issuance of letter of credit and bank guarantee were also affected.

Government transactions related to treasury as well as business transactions were also affected.

The call for a two-day strike which began in Monday was given by United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU), an umbrella outfit of nine bank unions, against privatisation of PSU banks and other banking reforms.

Bank employees hold a demonstration on the first day of their strike at SBI main branch in Bistupur, Jamshedpur, on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Branches of private sector banks like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank also remained closed in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and other cities of Jharkhand.

Bank employees under the banner of UFBU staged dharnas and demonstrations opposing the Centre's privatisation bid at several places.

The dharna in Ranchi was organised at SBI's Kutchery Road branch while in Jamshedpur demonstrations continued for the second consecutive day near the SBI branch at Bistupur.

Former Jamshedpur MP and Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar went to the dharna spot at Bistupur on Tuesday and extended his support to the cause of bank employees.

In Dhanbad bank employees holding banners and shouting slogans against the Centre staged demonstration outside SBI's Katras Road branch.

Bank employees participated in similar dharnas and demonstrations in several other places including Bokaro, Hazaribagh and Ramgarh where all banks downed shutters for the second consecutive day.

Reports of ATMs running dry came in from different places in Ranchi and the steel city.

Banks were closed on March 13 (second Saturday) and March 14 (Sunday), which meant that there were no banking services for four days.

Bank employees demonstrate during the second day of their two-day nationwide Bank Strike in Dhanbad on Tuesday. Picture by Gautam Dey

"We oppose the Centre's decision of privatisation of public sector banks. The budget announcement said two banks and one insurance company will be privatised in the name of disinvestment. Therefore, we had appealed to all bank employees to join the two-day strike, " said Rintu Rajak, the local convenor of UFBU.

The senior functionary of UFBO claimed that the two-day strike was a complete success.He, however, said that the online banking facility remained operational during the two-day strike .

He said employees of public sector insurance companies have also decided to observe a similar strike on Wednesday and Thursday.

Customers, hwoever, differed, saying they faced severe problems during the two-day strike.

“I was not aware of the bandh and had gone to withdraw cash from the SBI ATM in Bistupur on Monday. But I found it closed. I needed the money for procuring text books for my daughter for the new session," said Ravinder Kumar, a resident of Bistupur.