The United Forum of Bank Unions, a body of nine bank unions, has announced a nationwide strike on September 12, after recent talks with the chief labour commissioner over the implementation of a memorandum of understanding failed.

According to a release from C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees' Association, the unions will hold centralised demonstrations before the banks in all centres later in the day today and also on September 11, preceding the strike.

The unions have been demanding for the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed by the Indian Banks Association in March this year, agreeing to resolve demands pertaining to issues like pension option and stopping outsourcing in banks, among others.

However,the IBA has been delaying the matter for the six months, the release said adding the Chief Labour Commissioner Mukhopadyay did not give any assurance for holding discussions with the unions and settling the demands, at a meeting in New Delhi on September 3.

"If the IBA continues to be adamant (even after the September 12 strike), the unions will chalk out further intensified programmes," the release quoted Venkatachalam as saying.

The release also recollected the AIBEA's meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on September 1, calling for his "immediate intervention into the wrong policies pursued by the banks."

Further, a mass petition, carrying 1.4 crore signatures was also handed over to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, "who had assured that the petition wil be taken up for discussions in the Parliament."