Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In response to the nationwide bandh call by the INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU and AIUTUC, service and trade unions of banks, employees of insurance, central sector and BSNL observed a strike here on Thursday in support of their demands.
Around 30,000 bank employees of 5000 branches were on strike in Madhya Pradesh, affecting business worth Rs 10 lakh crore in the state. The State Bank of India (SBI) did not join the strike and around 1500 branches remained open in the state, according to bank officials. Employees of all the PSUs assembled at the Press Complex and protested in support of their demands.
VK Sharma, spokesman of all trade unions, said, “Employees of banks, BSNL, post offices, insurance and other sectors were on strike today in support of their 17-point charter of demands, mainly removal of four labour codes. If these labour codes are implemented, employees will be deprived of the right of strike.”
SBI ASEU general secretary Arun Bhagoliwal said, “As many as 1500 branches of the SBI remained open in the state. We did not join the strike”.
The main demands include abolishing all four labour codes, national minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month, equal pay for equal work for contract workers, a minimum pension of Rs 9,000 per month, restoring the old pension scheme, abolishing NPS and UPS, removing all ceilings on bonus and provident fund payments, mandatory registration of trade unions within 45 days from the date of submission of application, controlling price rise, removing GST on essential commodities and substantially reducing central excise duty on petroleum products and cooking gas.
