Bank, Insurance unions to join 2 day strike, called by National Trade Union Convention from Jan 8

All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA), General Insurance Employees All India Association (GIEAIA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) and All India LIC Employees Federation (AILICEF) have given a call to take part in the two-day General Strike, called by National Trade Union Convention from January 8.

The general strike was called by the entire working class in the country which is organized by the major Central Trade Unions--- INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC along with all other independent trade union Federations in various sector including banking and insurance sector.

AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam, AIIEA, GIEAIA, BEFI and AILICEF leaders---V Ramesh, K Govindan, Pradip Biswas and Rajesh Kumar--- in a letter to all its units and members on Sunday said the strike will be a major struggle in opposition to the nakedly pro-capitalist and pro-corporate economic policies of the Central Government and against their dangerously adverse anti-worker labour reforms. 

More than 150 million workers all over the country are expected to participate in two-day strike, they added.
As a pre-strike preparatory programme, we call upon all our units and members in all centres to hold joint demonstrations on January 3, or 4 or 5, the leaders said.

'In the name of development, the Union Government is allegedly pursuing policies that will further make the rich more richer at the cost of the common masses. Labour policies are being amended and tailored to suit the requirement of the employer class and to the detriment of the working class. Hard-won trade union rights are being diluted and weakened in the name of labour reforms. On the one hand, profiteering by the greedy employers is being encouraged and on the other hand, even minimum wage for the workers is being denied. Farmers are committing suicide but their problems are being glossed over', they added.