Bank Strike News: The bank unions, along with AIBEA, want to scrap the labour codes and essential defence services act. Additionally, the unions have been against the privatisation of the two public sector banks.
New Delhi: A number of Central Trade Unions have called for a two-day bank general strike on February 23 and February 24, 2022, to protest against the central government’s ‘anti-worker’ policies. On January 3, 2022, the Central Committee of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) had also decided to participate in the strike, according to PTI. Earlier, in March 2021, the bank unions had called gone for a two-day strike against the privatisation of two public sector banks.
2021 also ended with a massive all-India strike by the bank unions on December 16 and 17. According to a report by The Financial Express, the main slogan of the strike will be ‘Save the people and Save the nation’. The unions have put 12 demands in front of the central government.
What Are The Demands Of Bank Unions For February 23-24 Strike?
The bank unions along with AIBEA, want to scrap the labour codes and essential defence services act. Additionally, the unions have been against the privatisation of the two public sector banks, which was introduced by the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in Budget 2021.
Also, the unions want the central government to accept the six demands of the farmer unions, after the centre’s decision to repeal the three farm laws. The unions also want scrapping of the national monetisation pipeline.
Other demands of the unions include a minimum income guarantee of Rs 7,500 per household, per month, for non-taxpaying households, FE report added. This also includes the allocation of more funds towards MGNREGA.
Unions Against Privatisation
According to media reports, AIBEA General Secretary Ch Venkatachalam said that the unions are against the steps taken by the government to privatise PSUs, including banks and other financial institutions like Railways, Airlines, Steel, Telecom and Postal Services.
He also said that the government had decided to introduce the Banking Laws Bill, 2021 in the winter session of the parliament but could not do so owing to the two-day all-India strike on December 16 and December 17, 2021.
