THE two-day all-India strike on March 15-16 was a huge success across the country. The call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), against the move to privatise two public sector banks. Large number of bank employees, a major section of whom joined banking service within the last ten years, participated with great enthusiasm in the picketing, demonstrations and rallies on both days of strike which created an environment of carrying the struggle forward with zeal and determination.

Congratulating the employees for their support, BEFI, in a statement issued on March 17, said that solidarity from various Central Trade Unions and other central government employees unions showed the strength of working class unity in the country. The banking employees received solidarity from 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).  They have organised strikes in different places and it was decided to observe March 15 as the anti-privatisation and anti-corporatisation Day.

The employees and officers of RRB have also joined the strike as per the call given by the United Forum of RRB Unions. Several members of parliament have also expressed displeasure at the government over its decision to privatise national banks and the Polit Bureau of CPI(M) and the CPI extended their support to the strike.

On behalf of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), demonstrations were organised in front of hundreds of bank branches across the country. Independent federations of the insurance employees, RBI employees, BSNL employees and NABARD employees have also organised demonstrations at their respective workplaces as well as in front of banking outlets. Such type of solidarity programmes by the fraternal organisations created an atmosphere of broad-based working class unity which is an absolute necessity to thwart the evil designs of the Narendra Modi government.

BEFI said that with this phase of strike, the employees of the banking sector have observed a total of 58 days of strike over the past three decades wherein the successive governments have been attempting to impose neoliberal economic policies with the aim of privatising the public sector enterprises including the financial institutions.

The strike was preceded by day-long sit-in dharna at hundreds of centres throughout the country, including state capitals and district headquarters, participated by bank employees and officers, both working and retired, which created awareness about the impending danger among the large section of common customers and general public, BEFI said.

Besides the two-day bank strike, the joint forum of unions and associations of the General Insurance Corporation (GIC) employees and the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) employees have declared nation-wide strike on March 17 and 18 respectively, against the proposed privatisation of one General Insurance Company and other reform measures in LIC.

Despite such opposition from the employees, the union finance minister, on March 15, introduced Insurance Amendment Bill 2021 in Rajya Sabha that seeks to amend the Insurance Act allowing 74 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector. This exposed the desperation of the government to push through its neoliberal agenda.

The BEFI said that the proposed measures concerning the financial sector will prove disastrous for the economic sovereignty of the country and safety of people’s hard earned money. It has given a call to all the banking employees to gear up for more intensified action programmes against the ill attempts of the government to hand over the national assets to crony capitalists going against the interests of the nation.

CITU Congratulates Bank Employees

CENTRE of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) heartily congratulates the bank employees and officers of the country who went on a total two days’ strike on March 15-16, 2021, against the BJP government’s moves to privatise public sector banks. Around 10 lakh bank employees and officers participated in the strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), paralysing the entire banking sector.

The joint platform of central trade unions and almost all independent industrial federations in the country extended full support to the strike. Tens of thousands of workers participated in the demonstrations across the country, in support of the strike.

CITU welcomes the decision of bank employees to intensify the struggle to save public sector banks from being sold off to corporates, both Indian and foreign.

CITU and the joint trade union platform have already extended their support to the country wide strike of the General Insurance employees on March 17, and that of the LIC of India employees on March 18, against privatisation. CITU members will actively participate in solidarity actions on these days

CITU also congratulates the working class of the country as well as the thousands of farmers who have participated in the demonstrations held all over the country, mainly at the railway stations, to observe ‘anti-privatisation, anti-corporatisation day’ on March 15, 2021. The joint platform of central trade unions and independent industrial federations and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha spearheading the ongoing farmers’ struggle have jointly given the call for observing the ‘anti-privatisation, ‘anti-corporatisation day’.

Demonstrations were held at over one lakh places including thousands of railway stations, in front of public sector units, banks etc. People, including those in rural areas spontaneously supported the call. In New Delhi, national leaders of trade unions and SKM joined the protests at New Delhi railway station and Central Electronics Limited.

CITU calls upon the entire working class, the toiling people and all sections of patriotic people of the country to actively support and join the struggle against the disastrous decision of the BJP government to hand over public assets, the people’s wealth to a handful of their corporate cronies. The fight to save the country from corporate greed shall intensify in the coming days.

Bank Strike Complete in Andhra Pradesh

THE two-day bank strike was complete and peaceful in Andhra Pradesh. All the public sector banks had come to a stand-still throughout the state. The striking employees and officers gathered at the respective regional/ zonal offices or branches and shouted slogans against privatisation policies of the central government. Central trade union leaders attended the meetings and extended solidarity. They took out rallies in all the towns and cities. In this connection, Prajasakti published an eight page tabloid special supplement on banking sector. 18,000 copies of the special supplement were printed. It was received well by the bank employees and officers.