New Delhi: Ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) have issued a strike call for November 26 against the government's labour and privatisation policies, which is set to see participation from PSU employees as well. Trade unions at PSUs like Coal India Ltd (CIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), BEML, BHEL, BEL and public sector banks have served strike notices to their respective managements. Even though the strike is a general strike against the Centre's policies, it comes in the backdrop of the government's decision to freeze additional Dearness Allowance (DA) for PSU executives and non-unionised supervisors till June 30, 2021.
CTUs have said that they expect 25 crore workers to take part in the nationwide strike. The joint statement was issued by a joint forum comprising ten central trade unions — Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).
The charter of demands of the November 26 general strike include cash transfer of Rs 7,500 per month for all non-income tax paying families and 10 kg free ration per person per month to all needy. The unions have also demanded expansion of MGNREGA (rural employment guarantee scheme) to provide 200 days' work in a year in rural areas at enhanced wages and also extension of the employment guarantee to urban areas.
They have asked the government to withdraw all "anti-farmer laws and anti-worker labour codes and stop privatisation of public sector including the financial sector and stop corporatisation of government-run manufacturing and service entities like railways, ordinance factories, ports etc." They have also stressed in their demand to withdraw the "draconian circular on forced premature retirement of government and PSU employees."
The All India Banks Employees' Association (AIBEA) said in an official statement, "The present government is pushing its agenda of privatisation in the name of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and resorting to large scale privatisation in core sectors of the economy, which includes banking." It added that the labour laws, which have been passed by the Parliament in the name of 'Ease of Business' are purely in the interest of corporates. The AIBEA also stated that 75 percent workers have been kept out of the ambit of new labour laws and they will be guaranteed "no legal protection under the new enactment."
The AIBEA, along with All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), will join the one-day strike on November 26. The AIBEA claims to represent four lakh bank employees from several public and old private sector banks and few foreign banks.
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