Bankers to strike on Nov 19 to protest victimisation

Chennai: Banking services across the nation will get affected on November 19, with members of the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) going on strike, said an official.

The members will strike work in protest against targeted victimisation of bankers for being active in the union.

According to AIBEA General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam, in the recent period, the attacks are not only increasing but there is a common thread in all these attacks.

"There is a design in these attacks. There is some method in the madness. Hence, we have to resist, retort and repulse these attacks at the AIBEA level as a whole," Venkatachalam told his members.

He said AIBEA union leaders have been dismissed/retrenched from service by Sonali Bank, MUFG Bank, Federal Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.

Venkatachalam said government banks like Bank of Maharashtra is denying trade union rights while Canara Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank are outsourcing many banking activities.

According to him, at the Central Bank of India, it is 'jungle raj' with the management resorting to indiscriminate transfers.

Venkatachalam said more than 3,300 clerical staff have been transferred from one station to another violating the bipartite settlement and bank level settlement.

Before the nationwide strike, AIBEA members will stage different kinds of protests.