All India General Strike on 28th February 2012, Organise by BMS

You are all aware that a call for All India General Strike on Tuesday 28th February 2012 has been given by all the Central Trade Unions viz. BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF, SEWA. The issues raised by them are common to the entire working class of our country. Prices, particularly food prices, have been galloping over the past months. Labour is sought to be marginalized and permanent jobs are being replaced with contractual jobs.
Wages are not commensurate with the work extracted. Social security for all workers still remains a distant dream. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is rapidly increasing and the race to the bottom is looming large in our faces. In such circumstances a unique thing has evolved in our country. The realization has dawned, albeit a little late, that leaving aside our political ideologies and narrow considerations the time is ripe for all the unions in the country to wage a joint struggle. We have to fight against the powers to be for the emancipation of the downtrodden and fulfillment of the workers' rights. NCBE has already served a strike notice on the Indian Banks' Association and individual Banks. 

Inaguration of 14th State Meetings of BMS

The issues and demands of the central trade unions are as under:

• 1. Concrete measures to contain price rise 
• 2. Concrete measures for linkage of employment protection with the concession / incentive package offered to the entrepreneurs.
• 3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws
• 4. Universal security cover for the unorganized sector workers without any restriction and creation of a National Social Security Fund with adequate resources in line with the recommendation of NCEUS and Parliamentary Standing Committing on Labour
• 5. Stoppage of disinvestment in Central and State Public Sector undertakings
• 6. No contractorisation of work of permanent / perennial nature and till then payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the industry / establishment
• 7. Amendment of minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the Schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs.10,000 per month with indexation
• 8. Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of Bonus; Provident Fund; Increase in the quantum of Gratuity
• 9. Assured Pension for all
• 10. Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98 Along with these demands it would be in the fitness of things to enunciate NCBE's demands which are as under:

• 1. Against privatization of Public Sector Banks and reduction of Government’s equity in Public Sector Banks
• 2. Against merger of Banks
• 3. Against allowing unrestricted entry of foreign capital in banking sector
• 4. Against deletion of Section 12(2) of Banking Regulations Act
• 5. Against removal of the ceiling on voting rights of foreign investors
• 6. Against issuance of licences to industrial houses to start their own Banks
• 7. Against outsourcing of permanent banking jobs and normal banking services including the scheme of private business correspondents
• 8. Against violation of provisions of Bipartite Settlement on outsourcing
• 9. Revival of BSRBs and adequate recruitment of staff in Banks for efficient customer service
• 10. Against late-sitting without payment of overtime wages.
• 11. Immediate implementation of the compassionate appointment / financial compensation scheme as finalised between IBA & UFBU
• 12. Implementation of uniform scheme for house building loan, vehicle loan and festival advance to all bank staff.
• 13. Implementation of 5 day banking
• 14. Improvement in Pension Scheme in banking sector on the lines of Central Government Scheme - updation of Pension along with wage revision of serving employees, uniform D.A. neutralization, improvement in commutation, Family Pension, Ex-Gratia of pre – 1986 retirees, etc.
• 15. Withdrawal of Government’s arbitrary instructions to Banks not to improve / amend any service condition without their permission
• 16. Scrap Khandelwal Committee Recommendations
• 17. Settle the demands of employees of Rural Regional Banks and Co-op. Banks and of the Daily Deposit Collectors
• 18. Enhancement in working hours of all part-timers to permanent full-time Friends, 28th February 2012 will be a red letter day in the history of the trade union movement of our country. For the first time the workers owing allegiance to different Central Trade Unions will join hands to strike work. We hope this will serve as an awakening call to the Government that unless it takes proactive steps to stem the rot the workers of this country will rise as one man and in one voice to repel the injustices unleashed on them. 

With militant greetings, Fraternally yours,

(Milind Nadkarni)

PRESIDENT