Bank Assoc. AIBEA joins Nov26 strike. Banking services to be affected

The All India Bank Employees' Association has announced that it will join the one-day nationwide strike - November 26 strike called by central trade unions to protest against the government's anti-labour policies. 

The association with a membership of four lakh bank employees covers the majority of the banks except for State Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank.

“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 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 ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’, and is resorting to large scale privatisation in the core sector of the economy which includes banking,” the release said.

A joint forum comprising ten central trade unions have called for the Nationwide strike on November 26  These include 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) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC). The platform also consists of independent federations and associations. 

The BJP affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has clarified that it will not participate in this strike.