Agartala, Feb 28 (IANS): Banking services were badly affected in the Left-ruled Tripura on Tuesday as most of the major banks remained closed due to a nation-wide employees' strike.

The striking employees were protesting the "anti-people banking reforms' and demanding for compensation to employees for extra work done on account of demonetisation of high value currencies since November 8, 2016, and booking loan defaulters.

"Around 4,000 bank employees belonging to about 500 nationalised, regional, rural and cooperative bank branches in Tripura took part in the strike,...," said United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) spokesman Sushobhan Datta Majumder.

"The proposed restructuring in the banking sector was expected to be undertaken aiming at mergers, acquisitions and outsourcing of routine activities of Indian banks and to allow foreign banks and investors in these activities and banking managements," Majumder told reporters in Agartala.

A large number of the ATMs were also closed, creating problems for the people.

The UFBU -- the umbrella organisation of nine employees' unions and four officers' associations of state-owned banks -- had called the strike after its talks with the Indian Banks Association in New Delhi failed.

"The bank strike is not for the interest of the employees alone... the agitation is to protest policies of the central government and to protect the Indian banks from foreign controls," Majumder said.

The banking employees have also been protesting the outsourcing of non-core activities by the authorities.

Government and foreign exchange transactions were also affected due to the shutdown.

Protest rallies were also held in many cities in the state by the striking employees.