Kolkata, Jan 18 (IANS) A bank employees union threatened to stage a one-day strike in public sector banks in March across the country if the central government does not accept its demands, including “adequate manpower” and “defined working hours”.

“We will have to go for a one-day strike in the third or fourth week of March if the centre does not accept our demands. The demands are adequate manpower and defined working hours in public sector banks, five-day a week in banking industry and updating of pensions,” All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC)general secretary G.D. Nadaf told a press conference here.

Nadaf said about 2.5 lakh bank employees will join the strike if the government did not accept the confederation’s demands.

“We have already sent a letter to the union finance ministry, stating our demands. The ministry has also acknowledged the receipt of the letter. But till now it has not been able to address the issue,” he claimed.

Conceding that a lot of bank customers would have to suffer due to the strike, Nadaf said the organisation would have no option but to go for it if the government did not listen to it.