Bank Strike today (Sep 2, 2015) – a Massive Success
All India Bank Strike called today by
All India Bank Employees Association has been a massive success all over
the country. In addition to AIBEA, the strike call has been given
jointly by AIBOA, BEFI, INEF and INBOC. Unions in LIC, RBI, NABARD, IDBI
also joined the strike. All India Co-operative Bank Employees
Federation and all the unions in Regional Rural Banks had also given the
strike call. All India Bank Deposit Collectors Federation had also
given the call to its members to join the strike. Hence the strike was
implemented across in all the Banks in Public Sector, Old generation
Private Banks, foreign Banks, RRBs, and Co-op. Banks.
Banking operations were fully affected
and paralysed in many States and normal banking services could not be
fully functional due to the strike. Payments and receipts of cash in the
counters was affected and even clearing of cheques could not be
conducted in many centres. Inter-branch cash remittances, remittances of
cash to and from currency chest were totally affected. More than five
lacs of bank employees and officers joined the strike today all over the
country. In metro centres, treasury operations, bills negotiations and
inter-bank transactions were also affected. Reports reaching us from
States and major centres indicate that strike has been total.
12 point Charter of Demands: The strike
was called in support of the 12 point charter of demands of the Central
Trade Unions including more jobs for the unemployed youth, control of
prices of essential commodities, guaranteed minimum wage of Rs. 15,000,
removal of ceiling on Bonus and Gratuity, extending maternity leave
benefits to all women workers, strengthening social security funds, etc.
and against proposed adverse changes in labour laws, easy rules for
retrenchment of workers, investment of PF in stock market, making PF and
ESI as optional, curbing trade union justifys and collective
bargaining, contracting out and outsourcing permanent jobs, replacing
regular jobs with Apprentices, etc.
Anti-people economic policies: The
strike is to protest against the anti-people economic policies of the
BJP/NDA Government. Black money is increasing but no steps are being
taken against it. Inflation goes unabated and Government in casual about
it. Investment in agriculture and rural sector is declining but
Government does not bother about it. All types of concessions are being
showered on the corporate and industrial houses. Foreign Direct
Investment is being encouraged even core sectors like Defence, Railways
and banking and insurance sector. Public Sector is being weakened
through more and more disinvestments.
Banking sector: The strike in Banks is
also against the proposed banking reform measures like privatisation and
globalisation of our Indian banks, merger and consolidation of public
sector banks, allowing private companies to start private banks risking
the savings of the poor people, foisting private sector Executives to
head the public sector banks, privatisation of Regional Rural Banks,
threat of closure of urban co-operative banks and Primary Agricultural
Co-operative Societies (PACs), dumping all Government schemes on banks
without providing adequate number of employees and officers thus forcing
heavy work load on the staff. The real problem of increasing bad loans
is not being effectively handled by the Government but on the other
hand, cores of rupees are being written off from profits of banks.
Deliberate and willful default of bank loans should be termed as
criminal offence and money recovered but no action is being taken on
them.
As on 31-3-2015 there are 7035 cases of
willful defaulters involving bad loans of Rs. 58,792 crores. The bad
loans in the Banks as on 31-3-2015 has risen to 2,97,000 crores in
addition to another Rs.4,03,004 crores of bad loans of 530 corporate
companies shown as rescheduled and restructured loans under CDR scheme.
Bad loans struck up in top 30 borrowal accounts of PSBS as on 31-3-2015
is Rs. 1,21,162 crores.
Hence to oppose the anti-people economic
policies, anti-worker labour reforms and anti-public sector banking
reforms, bank unions have gone on strike. We hope that Government will
see reason and change their policies. We thank the bank employees all
over the country for their massive and enthusiastic support to the
strike call.
Source: www.aibea.in
