Bank Strike Latest News: 2 Days continuous strike on 16th & 17th Dec 2021

Bank Strike Latest News: 2 Days continuous strike on 16th & 17th Dec 2021

CIRCULAR No. UFBU/2021/17

Date :01.12.2021

TO ALL CONSTITUENT UNIONS/MEMBERS

Dear Comrades,

Oppose moves of privatisation of Banks
Oppose Banking Laws(Amendment) Bill, 2015
Rise in protest – Resist the move
Observe 2 days continuous strike on 16th & 17th Dec 2021

All our unions and members are aware that in a developing country like India, where Banks deal with huge public savings and Banks have to play a leading role to ensure broad-based economic development, public sector banking with social orientation is the most appropriate and imperative need. Hence, for the past 25 years, from the banner of UFBU we have been opposing the policies of banking reforms which are aimed at weakening public sector banks.

All of us would recall that in 2000 when the then Government brought a Bill in the Parliament proposing to reduce Government’s equity in PSBs to 33% and thus to pave way for privatisation of Banks, UFBU vehemently opposed the same by our massive strike on 15-9-2000. Thereafter, the Government fell due to lack of majority in Parliament and thus that Bill got lapsed.

Even thereafter there were repeated attempts by subsequent Governments to privatise the Banks and UFBU has been consistently opposing the same through our struggles and agitational programmes. In February this year, when the Government announced in the Budget that two PSBs would be privatised in addition to IDBI Bank, UFBU immediately met and gave the call for strike on 15th and 16th March, 2021 which was a massive success due to the enlarged participation of bank employees and officers.

We further decided that if the Government would initiate any further measures on this agenda, UFBU would again resort to struggle programmes. Since we learn that the Government has listed Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 for introduction and passage during the current session of the Parliament, UFBU held its meeting on 29th and 30th November, 2021 and decided to unleash agitational programme. After deliberations, the following programmes have been chalked out

Strike Notice has been served by UFBU on the IBA and hence individual unions need not serve any separate strike notice.

Looking to developments in the Parliament session, UFBU will meet at short notice and decide further programmes.

We shall contact all the Central Trade Unions, all political parties and Members of Parliament to extend their support to our agitation and also accordingly take up the issue with the Government.

Comrades, all of us can understand the situation which is being created by the move of the Government to privatise the Bank knowing fully well that it is a retrograde measure. Hence, we need to fight unitedly and with full determination.
We appeal to all our unions and members to close their ranks and move together in effectively implementing all the programmes.

Our struggle is to defend public sector banking; our struggle is to demand propeople banking policies; our struggle is to ensure broad-based economic development of our country; our struggle is to ensure vibrant banking to enable vibrant economy; our struggle is to protest the interest of the entire workforce of the Banks; In short, our struggle is a patriotic struggle.

The struggle is going to prolonged and all our members should be mobilised and prepared accordingly.

Onward to struggle, Onward to Strike

With warm greetings,

Yours comradely

(SANJEEV K.BANDLISH)
CONVENOR

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