Several trade unions of nationalised banks and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), including many in Jharkhand, have called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday demanding better pay and social security for workers of unorganised sector.
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), in a press communiqué on Tuesday, announced the strike citing alleged injustice towards the working class and laws favouring employers as reasons for the stir. The trade union demanded at least Rs 21,000 monthly salary and social security for workers in unorganised sectors.
One of the agenda for the strike is also the alleged privatization of public sector organizations by the Centre. One of the trade union members said that rampant privatization of public sector companies will lead to disparity among workers and too much power in the hands of private parties.
CITU has also demanded the withdrawal of the new pension scheme and re-enforcement of the old pension scheme, which according to the trade union, was more employee-friendly and had clearer parameters for deciding the pension amount.
State and Union Government workers of bank, insurance, coal, steel and railways will be a part of the strike, CITU said in the communiqué. Members of the CITU and other trade unions of Jharkhand on Tuesday took out a torch rally and conducted Nukkad Nataks highlighting their concern.
Nukkad Nataks were held at Tupudana and Kokar industrial areas in Ranchi.
Besides, similar street plays were organized by workers of MECON, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Coal India Limited (CIL), various public sector banks and insurance firms.