New Delhi: Bank officers will join the mass movement to be launched by the central trade unions on March 13 against the government's ''oppressive'' economic reforms including privatisation of banks, Union Leaders announced on February 15.

''We have decided to oppose any oppressive move towards privatisation of banks or forcible transfers of union leaders and would be joining the mass movement called for March 13 and a possible bank strike in April,'' General Secretary of All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) Shantha Raju said.

Raju told reporters after a marathon meeting of AIBOC, which comprises two-third's of the officers in public sector, private and cooperative banks, said the bank union will not tolerate the "dictates of the World Bank and IMF under whose instructions the bank management is acting''.

Raju said the bank officers were also concerned about the implementation of their new round of wage proposals which, he said, could be held back or cut ''on the pretext of the banks not making profits''.

The newly elected president of AIBOC, K D Khera, said the unions also opposed the tax on perks for the bank officers proposed by the government which for the time being had been stayed by a high court ruling.

PTI