Bank employees in Kerala to strike work on Feb 28

Sunday, January 29, 2012: Five lakh bank employees under the banner of AIBEA will extend support to the strike by central trade unions on February 28 protesting the “anti-labour and anti-worker” policies of the government, a top functionary of the All India Bank Employees Association said on Saturday.
All the central trade unions (BMS, INTUC, HMS, CITU,AIUTUC, TUCC, and UTUC) would strike work on that day, CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association, told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
He asked the government to take concrete measures to contain price rise, link employment protection with concession offered to entrepreneurs and strict enforcement of all basic labour laws.
The proposed strike was also against banking law (amendment) and other reform measures, outsourcing of regular bank jobs and undue delay in settlement of pending demands, he said.
The Union rejected the recommendations of the Khandelwal committee appointed by the Centre on staff-related matters, saying the committee had given various “anti-employee” suggestions like abolition of industry-wise common wage revision settlement existing since 1966.
The AIBEA opposed the proposed merger of all associate banks with State Bank of India, he said, adding, these associate banks had played a very significant role for the economic development of the states concerned.