NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
A collective forum of trade unions has called for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29 against the Centre’s policies ‘affecting workers, farmers, and people’. The strike is set to negatively impact banking and transport services across the country starting Monday.
The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (JPCTU) had held a meeting in Delhi on March 22 to take stock of the preparations in various states and sectors for the strike, a statement had said. Strike notices have been sent to various unions to join the strike.
National Chairman of @kkc_india , Honourable @Dr_Uditraj declares to support all India Strike to be held on 28th and 29th March 2022 by joint platform led by central trade unions INTUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, LPF and UTUC. Our Leader Shri @RahulGandhi has been voicing .. pic.twitter.com/S6uiBRgmvO
— KKC INDIA (@kkc_india) March 23, 2022
The All India Bank Employees Association will also join the two-day pan-India strike against “anti-worker” policies of the government. While the bank unions are participating in the strike against the government’s plan to privatise public sector banks and the Banking Laws Amendment Bill 2021, roadways, transport workers and electricity workers have also decided to join in spite of the impending threat of ESMA (Haryana and Chandigarh, respectively), prohibiting any strike by doctors or other categories of the health department employees in the next six months.
State Bank of India has said that banking services may also get impacted due to the strike. “We advise that while the bank has made necessary arrangements to ensure normal functioning in its branches and offices on the days of strike, it is likely that work in our bank may be impacted to a limited extent, by the strike,” the public bank said in a regulatory filing.
For now, online bus and train ticket booking is still available.
The strike notices have been sent to unions in the other sector including coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banks and insurance. It has also appealed to various unions at the state levels to join the strike to oppose the anti-labour policies of the centre.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has asked all its employees to report for duty during the 48-hour nationwide strike, failing which they will be issued show-cause notices. The TMC dispensation, which has been opposed to bandhs as its official policy, said that no casual leave will be granted to employees except in emergency situations such as illness or death in the family.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Friday barred five trade unions at the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Kochi, from participating in a nationwide strike called by a joint forum of trade unions on March 28 and 29.
