Bank unions to observe nationwide strike tomorrow to protest ‘anti-labour policies’

Bank employee unions across the country have called for a one-day nationwide strike on Thursday to protest the government’s “anti-labour policies”. The agitation would also be joined by the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA). Except for Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, 10 central trade unions will be part of the general strike across states.

“Lok Sabha in its recently held session has passed three new labour enactments by dismantling existing 27 enactments in the name of ‘Ease of Business’, which are purely in the interest of corporates. In the process, 75 per cent of workers are being pushed out of the orbits of labour laws since they will have no legal protection under the new enactment,” AIBEA said in a statement on Tuesday.

AIBEA, which comprises four lakh bank employees from various public and old private sector and a few foreign banks as its members, represents the majority of the banks except State Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank. Nearly 30,000 bank employees from 10,000 bank branches of public sector banks, old generation private sector banks, regional rural banks and foreign banks in Maharashtra will join the strike, the AIBEA statement said.

The trade unions will also emphasise on some of their other demands including opposition to bank privatisation, opposition to outsourcing and contract system, adequate recruitment, stern action against big corporate defaulters, increase in the rate of interest on bank deposits and reduction in service charges.

“The present government is pushing its agenda of privatisation in the name of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and is resorting to large scale privatisation in the core sector of the economy which includes banking,” the release said.