Andhra Bank staff hold protest against merger

Ongole: Members of Andhra Bank Officers Federation and Andhra Bank Award Employees Union took part in a protest demonstration against the merger of Andhra Bank with the Union BankUnion Bank of India here on Friday afternoon.

Speaking on the occasion, Ongole zonal secretary B Srinivas Reddy said that the protest was against the Andhra Bank management which was showing favour to merge the Andhra Bank into the Union Bank of India at the Andhra Bank Board meeting.

All India vice-president K Ravi Prakash said that the central government should give up its adamant nature and withdraw the proposal of merging banks. He said that if the proposal of merger is not taken back they would call for a strike on September 26 and 27.

He said that it was unfortunate that Andhra Bank, which setup in the year 1923 by the eminent freedom fighter Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitharamaiah was all set to lose its identity. He wondered as to why the Central government was bent upon winding it up, when it was not running in losses.

AFBC convener V Ramchandra Rao said that all the public sector banks should unite and make the strike a success and save small banks. Leaders of bank unions and others took part in the protest.