Bank unions target labour reforms, call for strike on Sep 2

The All-India Bank Employees Association on Thursday threatened a nation-wide strike call on September 2 to protest against the proposed labour law reforms.

This is the second all-India bank strike in as many months.

"AIBEA has given a strike call to all bank employees to observe a nation-wide strike on September 2 to protest against the proposed amendments to labour laws, which are detrimental to workers," AIBEA general secretary CH Venkatachalam said in Rajkot on Thursday.

"Some 500,000 workers and employees of the banking sector, including co-operatives, private and foreign banks, will join the strike."

Venkatachalam is of the view that the proposed amendments in labour laws will favour capitalists and employers.

"There are so many labour laws like the Provident Fund Act, the Minimum Wages Act, and now the government wants to bring a comprehensive Bill by amending all these laws, which will affect trade unions and workers and benefit only the management," he said.

He said bank employees will hold demonstrations against the proposed reforms in the banking sector.

"July 19 is the 46th anniversary of bank nationalisation and from July 20, bank workers would hold demonstrations against banking sector reforms," he said.

The central committee of AIBEA has also demanded Kingfisher Airlines owner Vijay Mallya be declared a willful defaulter.

"Mallya has to pay nearly Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion) to banks.

“He has money, but is not paying up and we will be demanding the government to declare him a wilful defaulter," he added.            

"There is a nexus between government officials and corporates and therefore, bad loans are increasing month after month," he claimed, adding that the unions are going to submit a fresh list of defaulters.

AIBEA is going to submit a list of nearly 600 defaulting members whose loan amount is near about Rs 75,000 crore (Rs 750 billion).