Bank employees strike on February 28

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Around five lakh bank employees, under the banner of All-India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), will launch a joint strike on February 28. C H Venkitachalam, general secretary, AIBEA, said here on Saturday that   all the Central trade unions including, BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AITUC, AIUTUC, AICCTU, TUCC, UTUC, LPF and SEWA, had jointly given a call for a general strike on February 28 against the anti-labour and anti-worker policies of the Government.He urged the government to take effective measures to contain price rise, linking employment protection with concession/incentive package offered to entrepreneurs and strict enforcement of all basic labour laws.He said that one of the major demands was to set up a National Social Security Fund with adequate resources in line with the recommendation of NCEUS and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour.End to disinvestment in the Central and State PSUs, amendment to Minimum Wages Act are there among the demands.The other demands include removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, PF, and increase in  gratuity. He said that the Khandelwal Committee recommendations were against the interest of the  employees.He also said that the banking sector should be strengthened so that our banks could escape from the problems which the banks in the US and other countries faced.Venketachalam said that the unions were opposing outsourcing of regular bank jobs and merger of associate banks with the SBI.