Indian bank strike

Indian bank workers have begun a one-day strike -- the second in two months -- to protest against the government's partial privatisation plans for the sector.

The organisers expect more than a-million workers to take part in the strike, which they say will affect most state-run and some private banks.

The unions fear the planned sell-off, which would cut the government's stake in the banks from fifty-one to thirty percent, will lead to job losses.

But the government has defended the plan, saying it will help the banks gain greater access to capital markets.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service