Ludhiana, January 8, 2019: On the call given by All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) , 5 lacs of employees are observing two days strike on 8th & 9th Jan. 2019. As per programme, Punjab Bank Employees Federation today held a massive demonstration in front of Canara Bank, Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ludhiana. Com.Naresh Gaur, Secretary, Com.Pawan Thakur, President, Com.Harvinder Singh, Com.Rajesh Verma, Top leaders of Punjab Bank Employees Federation addressed the bank employees.
While addressing the bank employees, leaders of the Federation said that all our Unions and members are aware that in the wake of increasing and aggressive attempts of the Central Government to pursue anti-people and anti-worker policies, the lives and living conditions of the masses and workers are getting degraded on the one hand and at the same time, the Government is busy in pursuing pro-corporate policies to benefit the rich. Unabated price rise, aggravated unemployment, crisis in agriculture sector leading to farmers’ suicide, sluggish industrial production, deteriorating wage level, enlarged poverty but 1% of the super rich cornering 73% of the total wealth of the country is the economic reality today. Economic reforms, banking reforms, land reforms and banking reforms are their solution to the problem knowing too well that it will only worsen the plight of the poor and the working masses. All their election promises are gone with the wind. There are only repeated empty slogans.
The working people who spearhead the fight against these wrong policies have become the target now. Labour reforms is the Government’s priority. Labour laws and our hard-won labour rights are sought to be trampled under to favour the greedy profiteers and employers. Permanent jobs are evaporating and casual, temporary, outsourced, contractual and fixed terms jobs are in the offing as a policy of the Government.
Banking sector has become their special target. Public Sector Banks which deal with huge public savings are sought to be privatized. Adequate capital is being denied forcing the Banks to beg for private capital. Instead of recovering the huge bad loans due from the corporates, our Banks are sought to be merged to create big banks which would become a fertile hunting ground for these corporates to further loot the people’s savings. On the one hand concessions are rolled out to the corporate delinquents in the name of insolvency proceedings forcing banks to suffer huge haircuts and on the other hand, this burden of bad loans is put on the shoulders of the common banking public through penalty charges and indiscriminate service charges.
In this disturbing scenario, it is imperative and important that these attacks and attempts are fought back. That is why AIBEA and BEFI wholeheartedly welcomed the declaration and decision of the National Trade Union Convention to organize mass protest actions against these offensives and to undertake a massive national General Strike on 8th and 9th January, 2019. Accordingly AIBEA and BEFI joined and participated in this important united strike action of the working class and trade union movement of the country.
Com. Rajwinder Singh, Com. Jarnail Singh, Com. Balwant Rai and Com. Som Nath, Com. Narkesar Rai and Com. Parveen Moudgil, leaders of PBEF also addressed the bank employees.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019