Argentina-Bank strike.

ARGENTINA-BANK STRIKE.

Bank clerks went on strike nationwide yesterday demanding wage increases. Only pensioners were able to get their payments at financial institutions. Meanwhile, about a hundred bank employees staged a demonstration in downtown Buenos Aires. Bank employees are requesting a 25 percent salary increase, and they have turned down a wage hike offer of 14 percent made by the management. The strike took place despite of a mandatory conciliation ordered by the Labour Ministry the previous night, which barred the parts from adopting any measures. The leader of the La Bancaria union, Juan José Zanola, yesterday claimed the union had not been told on time about the conciliation. But Zanola said the union was willing to reopen negotiations now that it has staged the strike. The Labour Ministry meanwhile warned it might punish the union for not obeying the order. Zanola complained that an agreement between the union and the banks should have been reached by March, and said talks between the union and the companies will be resumed on Monday.