Employees of the Kerala Gramin Bank (KGB) have launched an agitation demanding permanent jobs for 170-odd casual staff in the bank. The employees are also demanding filling of office assistant vacancies.
More than 75% per cent of the bank’s employees belonging to the Kerala Gramin Bank Employees Union and the Kerala Gramin Bank Officers Union have pledged support to the stir.
Two officers, K.K. Rajithamol and K. Prakashan of the Kerala Gramin Bank Officers Union, are on an indefinite hunger strike in front of the bank headquarters here.
Warn of indefinite stir
The employees have warned of launching an indefinite strike from Monday if the bank management did not agree to their demand. “We do not have many demands. Our agitation is for a genuine cause,” said C.Midhun, acting general secretary of the Kerala Gramin Bank Employees Union.
K. Chandran Pillai, CITU secretary, inaugurated the agitation. Mr. Pillai warned the bank management against ignoring the genuine demands of the employees who function as the backbone of the organisation. Former MLA V. Sasikumar, Bank Employees Federation of India State president T. Narendran, State general secretary S.S. Anil, and Kozhikode district president M. Raju spoke.
Unions back agitation
Several trade unions took out marches declaring solidarity with the striking employees of the bank.