Kolkata: Banking operation throughout the country will be paralysed on April 16 as all unions have decided to participate in the strike called by trade unions to protest alleged 'anti-people' policies of the Centre.

"All banks, including RBI, Regional Rural Banks, will observe the strike on April 16 and none of the branches will function," United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU) convenor Ashok Datta said.

He said, even State Bank of India (SBI) employees, who have a separate union, will participate in the strike despite press reports that the management might resort to police help.

Datta said that although the strike will disrupt normal banking business, he believed that people will appreciate that bank employees were going in for the strike in public interest, to protest against Union government's anti-employee, anti- people policies and not for financial or any other gain for themselves alone.

He said that the strike call has been given in the backdrop of Union government's "attack on jobs and job security, the rights of workers and trade unions, imposition of further tax burden, ongoing disinvestment programme of public sector undertakings (PSUs) including nationalised banks for which a Bill has already been tabled in Parliament".

PTI