Tripura Gramin Bank Karmachari Samiti and Tripura Gramin Bank Officers’ Union joined the nationwide strike on Friday. The bandh was called by the All India Regional Rural Bank Employees Association to press for their several demands.
The bandh was total in Tripura as Gramin Bank employees were seen picketing and raising slogans in front of their respective branches. No transaction took place till noon.
TGB Officers and employees’ bodies in a statement said, the strike was called against privatization bids through the issuance of IPOs. Recently Union Finance Ministry permitted the Regional Rural Banks to issue IPOs. At present only the Regional Rural Banks are 100 per cent government-owned banks. The Indian government was paving the way for private capital to enter this bank as well..
The demands also included formation National Gramin Bank by consolidating all the Rural Banks of the country, payment of minimum wages subject to the regularization of irregular employees, and demand to give allowances and other benefits to Rural Bank employees and officers at par with the sponsor banks. Employees and Officers’ bodies also demanded the removal of other deputed officers from the sponsor bank except for the chairman in Rural Banks.
On earlier occasions, in support of this demand, a massive dharna programme was held in front of all Rural Bank head offices on 22 July last and in front of Jantar Mantar in Delhi on 10 August last.
While the demands for implementation of ‘equal pay for equal works’ as well as job security are pertaining to the interests of the Bank employees, other demands are for safeguarding the interests of the people of the country.
According to the TGB employees and officers’ bodies, the strike became essential for customer security. Government banks cannot be allowed to be privatized under any circumstances. Tripura Gramin Bank Employees Association and Tripura Gramin Bank Officers Union urged cooperation from all levels of customers and citizens of the state in tomorrow’s Rural Bank strike.
