Bank strike raised in Lok Sabha

The two-day strike by employees of nationalised banks had its echo in the Lok Sabha today, with a Left member demanding immediate government intervention to prevent a "prolonged confrontation" which would hit the economy hard.

Charging the Indian Banks Association (IBA) with going back on its commitments to the employees on increasing their wages and introducing a pension scheme, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said he apprehended "prolonged confrontation" which would put the entire financial system in jeopardy.

With the economy hit by recession, "no one can afford the luxury to enter into a confrontation at this stage. Government has to play a pro-active role to settle their dispute," he said during Zero Hour.

 

Dasgupta was supported by CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.

The CPI leader said the employees and IBA had entered into an agreement on 17.5 per cent hike in salaries and wages and a pension scheme for four lakh workers among other things, "but this commitment was suddenly withdrawn by IBA. This has never happened before and is unusual."

Regarding the pension scheme, Dasgupta said an agreement was drafted but "suddenly" the managements withdrew saying the liabilities of employees on this scheme would be calculated and fixed every year. This attitude, he said, could lead to a longer agitation if government did not intervene.