Banking services across Mysuru came to a halt on Thursday in the wake of the strike by employees in response to a call from the national bank employees’ unions and associations in support of their demands.
The staff associated with the Mysuru District Bank Employees Association, acting on the call from All India Bank Employees’ Association, All India Bank Officers’ Organisation and Bank Employees’ Federation of India, supported the national general strike called by various trade unions, in protest against the privatisation of banks and demanding strengthening of public sector banks.
The other demands include putting an end to outsourcing of regular banking jobs; recovery of huge corporate NPAs; action against loan defaulters; increasing the interest rate on bank deposits; DA for all bank employees and cooperative banks’ employees; revitalising the cooperative banks and RRBs; and scrapping of the new pension scheme for bank employees and officers.
H. Balakrishna, Secretary, MDBEA, Mysuru, said in a statement that it had become necessary for the employees to protest against the policies of the government since the wealth creators – workers and farmers – are being given a raw deal and those depriving them their rights are getting all the attention. “This is the reason why the national convention of workers gave the call for the general strike on November 26 which was supported by the bank employees,” he said.
“Barring the SBI and IOB, services in all banks were affected following the strike,” Mr. Balakrishna told The Hindu.