Keralam’s Leader of Opposition extends support to bank strike

Keralam’s Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday backed the United Forum of Bank Unions’ three-day strike, saying bank employees were resisting the Centre’s “anti-worker policies” and its approach to public sector banks.

Strike to begin on September 28

The strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions begins on September 28 and has been announced in protest against the anti-worker policies of the Centre.

Mr. Vijayan expressed solidarity with the agitation and said bank employees had been waging a bold struggle against the Central government’s covert moves to hand over the country’s public sector banks to corporate monopolies.

His statement framed the strike as part of a wider confrontation over public sector banking, employee rights and the role of bank unions in resisting policy decisions attributed to the Centre.

Saturdays, pension demand and staff benefits

Mr. Vijayan said the Union government’s decision to renege on the official agreement to declare Saturdays as holidays amounted to a gross betrayal of employees.

He also said it was entirely discriminatory for the Finance Ministry to ignore legitimate demands such as restoration of the old pension scheme.

At the same time, he said, ordinary staff were being sidelined while substantial benefits were being granted exclusively to top-ranking officials.

Call to accept demands

Mr. Vijayan said the government was attempting to undermine the bargaining power of bank unions, which he described as having staunchly opposed the write-off of corporate loans.

He said the working class and the people of Keralam would stand united to resist what he called this conspiracy.

The Centre should be ready to accept the employees’ demands and resolve the issue immediately, he said in the statement.

Source: The Hindu