The All India Insurance Employees' Association has opposed the government directive seeking to open up top posts in the state-owned insurers to the private sector, saying this would lead to greater private influence and "eventual privatisation".
A nationwide strike called by trade unions to protest against the central government's labor policies had a mixed impact across India. While normal life remained largely unaffected in most parts of the country, some sectors like banking, transport, and insurance experienced disruptions. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported in West Bengal.
'It's a clear case of political patronage helping an individual grow.'
Employees of public sector general insurance (PSGI) companies are observing nationwide one-day strike on Wednesday to protest against intended privatisation of state-owned insurers. The Joint Front of Trade Unions in PSGI companies met on Monday and decided to protest against the decision of the government to privatise PSGI companies. The unions have given a call for one-day strike against the passage of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill 2021 in the Lok Sabha, General Insurance Employees All India Association general secretary K Govindan said. Employees of all four PSGI companies are participating in the day-long strike, he said.
LIC employees plan to observe a two-hour walk-out strike on August 4 to protest against the LIC (Amendment) Bill, 2009, introduced by the finance minister in the Lok Sabha on Friday, a senior office-bearer of an employees association said. The Bill says that the minimum capital of LIC would be increased from the present Rs 5-crore (Rs 50-million) to Rs 100-crore (Rs 1 billion).
As the government tabled insurance bill in the Parliament on Monday, trade unions of public sector firms called for a strike on Tuesday against the move that aims to raise FDI limit in the private insurers to 49 per cent and the minimum paid up capital in LIC to Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion).
Public sector general insurance employees across the country began a two-day strike on Wednesday demanding wage revision, pending since Aug 2002 and resumption of promotion exercise, which was stopped last year.
A major section of Life Insurance Corporation employees went on strike on Thursday to press for higher pay package even as the country's largest insurer kept its offices open.
'How can you explain the necessity of selling an institution that has been delivering regular returns to the government, that has never asked for any capital from the government, that has invested Rs 38 lakh crores in the Indian economy and that owns 4 per cent of the market capitalisation in India?'
'The entire value of LIC is created by its shareholders because after the initial invest net of Rs 5 crores in 1956, the government has not given any additional capital to the LIC.' 'If the corporation has expanded and emerged as the biggest financial institution in the country, it is only because of the policyholders.'
'The government wants foreign companies to capture the insurance market.'
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