Central trade unions, AIBEA call for two-day nationwide strike in Feb against Modi govt’s privatization spree

Calling Modi government “anti-people” and “pro-corporate”, a joint platform of the central trade unions (CTU) and AIBEA – India’s largest bank union – has given a clarion call for a two-day nationwide strike in February.

The two-day strike will be observed on Feb 23-24 with the slogan “save the people, save the nation”.

Saying that the strike is not only to save the rights and livelihood of public sector bank’s employees but the country’s economy and the entire democratic system also, CH Ventakchalam, general secretary, AIEBA said, “The govt has in fact waged a war against the common people only to serve their corporate masters…To facilitate privatization and at the same time to benefit the debt-defaulting corporates, the govt. has legalized pilferage of banks fund by them through debt-route by enacting Insolvency Bankruptcy Code, 2016 and further amending it which allow the debt defaulter to move free without repayment of a large part of their debt and compel the banks to forego the amount in the name of ‘haircut’.”

The AIEBA has been at the forefront of leading a successful movement against the government’s move to privatize two public sector banks.

Though the Modi government deferred tabling of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill in the Winter Session, it is widely anticipated that it may table it in the next session. The Bill will pave the way for the privatization of the public sector banks.

Raising scores of issues affecting the common man – from inflation to rising unemployment to privatization, Ventakchalam attacked the Union government for its ‘monetization’ policy.

Alluding that the monetization policy is nothing but the Modi government’s offer to big corporate to milch national assets, the union leader said, “Besides loss and destruction of these infrastructural assets, this will inevitably increase the burden on the people through a reckless increase in user charges by those private corporates for free fortuitous profit without any investment.”

He also highlighted the challenges before the working class in the letter but expressed confidence that all they will carry on a united struggle against the government.