Kolkata: Foreign department employees of the State Bank of India have gone on an indefinite hunger strike from today against the management's decision to shift the entire Kolkata back-office operation to Mumbai in phases.

"This is the first time in the history of the banking industry that bank employees have resorted to hunger strike," SBI Staff Association Zonal Secretary Asok Mukherjee said. "We will continue our hunger strike unless we get a firm assurance that the back office will not be shifted. Further, we also demand that the bank management oblige the agreements relating to the foreign department," he added.

The operation of the foreign department, which was known as foreign currency money markets operation, was gradually stopped from the city. Currently, SBI has 300 staff in the department in the city. The hunger strike will not have any major impact, as along with the dealing operation, SBI had also commenced back office operation in a small way in Mumbai.

"There was a tripartite agreement on January 12, 2000 in which the management had agreed that forex business of the bank would be equally distributed between Kolkata and Mumbai. But, despite this, entire dealing operation had been stopped from Kolkata," Mukherjee alleged.

Source : PTI