The All India Strike on 28th February, 2017 at the call of United Forum of Bank Unions was a total success in all the Banks all over the country. Nearly 10 lacs of employees, officers and Managers of Public sector banks, old generation private banks, foreign banks, Regional Rural Banks and Co-op. Banks participated in the strike. We convey our greetings to all our unions and members for leading the struggle from the front and contributing for the splendid success of the strike. It was a massive success, indeed.
As per reports, the strike has been overwhelmingly and enthusiastically participated by the employees and officers. 96% branches of Pandyan Grama Bank remained totally closed down. Normal banking services like receipts and payments, remittances, cash transfers etc., were severely affected.
The strike became necessary because of the Government’s ostrich-like approach in understanding the demands and coming forward to resolve the same by discussions. Even very reasonable demands like payment of overtime wages for extra hours worked during demonetisation period has not been settled.
Bad loan recovery, the only priority: The main and alarming issue of increasing bad loans in the Banks is also being overlooked by the Government. No effective measures are being taken to recover the bad loans. On the other hands, these bad loans are being written off from the hard earned profits of the Banks. Thus bad loans have become a daylight loot by big corporate and industrialist. Demand for taking criminal action on willful defaulters is being willfully neglected.
During demonetisation period, employees and officers have strained to their maximum by working long hours but adequate overtime wages and compensation has not been paid so far. The entire cost of demonetisation is put on the head of the Banks which will affect our profits this year. In all fairness Government should reimbursed the cost to the Banks.
Even our reasonable demands to initiate the process for wage revision negotiations, improvements in gratuity and pension, etc. are being overlooked by the Government. Hence the strike became inevitable.
Yesterday's strike is a warning bell to the Government. If they do not come forward to resolve our demands amicably, further agitations and strikes will be planned and decided.
We once again congratulate all our units and members for making the strike a total success. Yesterday's strike has added one more chapter to the long history of our struggles. Let us get ready for more and more struggles in our onward march to meet the increasing attacks and challenges.