Bank Workers To Stage 13-Day Strike From 4 Dec To 20 Jan

The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), the largest workers' union in the banking sector, has scheduled a series of nationwide strikes between 4 December 2023 and 20 January 2024, with the primary demand being increased staff recruitment.

According to CH Venkatachalam, the General Secretary of AIBEA, there is a deliberate effort by the government and banks to reduce the number of employees in clerical and subordinate positions while increasing the number of supervisory staff. This appears to be aimed at decreasing the workforce governed by the Industrial Disputes Act.

Furthermore, there is a noticeable push to outsource regular and permanent bank jobs on a contractual basis, which allows banks to avoid complying with the wage agreements set forth in the bipartite settlement. Consequently, the recruitment of clerical staff in banks has significantly declined over the years and there appears to be a de facto ban on hiring subordinate and cleaning staff, leading to the employment of many individuals on a temporary and casual basis without proper compensation.

The AIBEA's strike plan includes a strike in various nationalised and private banks from 4 to 11 December. Subsequently, from  2 to 6 January, bank employees in different states will participate in strike actions. This will culminate in a two-day all-India bankers' strike on 19-20 January 2024.