The strike of the bank and insurance employees has adversely affected trade while leaving the common people inconvenienced for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.
The two- day strike call was given by many labour organisations against what they allege anti -labour policies of the Union government. The strike crippled banking sector as the employees of nationalized banks stayed away from work. It is estimated that business transactions to the tune of Rs 1000 crores have been affected in Uttarakhand in these two days.
On the day, the employees under the banner of Uttaranchal Bank Employee Union assembled at Astley Hall branch of Punjab National Bank and took out a rally which after passing through major roads of the city ended at Gandhi Park.
Addressing the employees, the convener of the united forum of bank unions, Jagmohan Mendiratta said that the Union government is dithering on wage revision of the bank and insurance workers. He said that more than 85 percent of Non Performing Assets (NPA) of the banks is on corporate houses and in the name of NPA, the banks are being merged.
The speakers on the occasion blamed the NDA government for taking a series of anti- labour decisions due to which unrest is brewing among the workers. They said that changes in labour laws are being deliberately incorporated to snatch away the rights from the working class.
Apart from the bank and insurance employees, different labour organisations also participated in the strike. The demands of the workers are payment of minimum wages, abolition of new pension policy and restoration of old pension scheme, wage revision of bank and insurance workers and amendment in new transport policy.