The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) on Tuesday said it would be joining the one-day nationwide strike on November 26 called by central trade unions to protest against the government's anti-labour policies.
Ten central trade unions, except Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, will observe a nationwide general strike on November 26.
"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," the AIBEA said in a release.
The union said bank employees on November 26 will also focus on their demands such as opposition to bank privatisation, opposition to outsourcing and contract system, adequate recruitment, stern action against big corporate defaulters, increase in rate of interest on bank deposits and reduction in service charges. "The present government is pushing its agenda of privatisation in the name of 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat', and is resorting to large scale privatisation in core sector of the economy which includes banking," the release said.
Which banks will remain closed?
The association represents the majority of the banks except State Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank. In Maharashtra, around 30,000 bank employees from 10,000 bank branches of public sector banks, old generation private sector banks, regional rural banks and foreign banks are observing the strike, AIBEA release said.
The demands:
Withdrawal of all anti-farmer laws and anti-worker labour codes
Payment of Rs 7,500 in the accounts of each non-tax paying family
Stop privatisation of the public sector, including the financial sector, and stop corporatisation of government-run manufacturing and service entities like railways, ordinance factories, ports, etc.
Withdrawal of the draconian circular on forced premature retirement of government and PSU employees
Provide Pension to all, scrap NPS and restore earlier Pension, improve EPS-95
Withdraw the draconian circular on forced premature retirement of Government and PSU Employees
Which unions are participating?
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)
Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)
Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)
All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC)
Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC)
Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)
All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU)
Labour Progressive Federation (LPF)
United Trade Union Congress (UTUC)
(Inputs from Agencies)
