Bharat Bandh: Nationwide strike call on January 8 to hit banking, ATM services

New Delhi: A nationwide strike call has been given by Central trade unions on January 8 to protest against the policies of the central government. The strike is likely to hit banking sectors, including ATM services, as bank unions have asked their employees to boycott their work. Trade unions have claimed that about 25 crore people would participate in the nationwide strike.

The Bharat Bandh 2020 has been called against the Central government's recent banking reforms and policies. Among other demands put forward by the trade unions include a raise in the minimum wage to Rs 21,000-Rs 24,000 per month, stopping the privatisation of public sector undertakings, and the repeal of the Citizens Amendment Act, National Register for Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).

The unions are also protesting against the proposed merger of 10 PSU banks to create four entities as announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in August 2018.

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Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) reportedly said that Union Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar invited the leaders of the central trade unions on January 2, to inform them that the government has been taking all the steps for the welfare of workers.

Earlier in September 2019, the trade unions including INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC along with other sectoral independent federations and associations had adopted a resolution to go on a nationwide strike on January 8, 2020.

The all-India strike call by the central trade unions is expected to draw a huge number because about 60 student organisations and elected representatives from some universities will also participate in the strike to raise voice against increased fee structure and commercialization of education. 

The trade unions have also flayed the JNU violence and similar incidents in other university campuses expressing their solidarity with students and teachers all over India.

The West Bengal government on Monday directed that all the state government offices shall remain open on the day. "In view of call given by different trade unions and others for a 24 hours All India Industrial strike on January 8, it has been decided that all state government offices including those provided grants-in-aid by state government shall remain open and all the employees shall report for duty on that date," a memorandum issued by Finance (Audit) Department of West Bengal government said.

It said no casual leave for absence either in the first half of the day or in the second half or for the whole day nor any other leave shall be granted to any employee on the said date.

The government said that employees who are on leave January 7, shall have to report for duty on the day. The government said that the absence of employees on those days will be treated as `dies-non` and no salary will be admissible unless such absence is covered by reasons such as hospitalisation and bereavement in the family. 

(With Agency Inputs)