M A I N   N E W S

Work hit in PSUs, banks
Strike cost Rs 100 crore
Tribune News Service

Operations in Central and state public sector undertakings and insurance companies were also affected as the all major trade unions supported the strike call.

A woman waits for a train on a railway platform in Kolkata on Tuesday. Railway services were affected during a nationwide strike. — Reuters photo The head office of the Indian Overseas Bank in Chennai on Tuesday wears a deserted look. — PTI photo

Among the demands made by the union are recruitment of staff in all cadres — officers, clerks and subordinates — to ease the work pressure, reversal of the policy of downsizing, retrenchment and uncalled for closure of sick PSUs, attack on trade union rights etc.

Strike cripples bank services
Other organisations join in protest
Tribune reporters and UNI

Shimla, April 16
Working in banks and public sector insurance companies was paralysed in Himachal Pradesh as their employees observed strike today in protest against the Central Government’s “anti-labour and privatisation policies”.

All banks, including cooperative banks, throughout the state, remained closed and working at clearing houses was suspended. Financial institutions like the IDBI and Life Insurance Corporation of India also remained closed, according to a spokesman of the United Forum of Bank Unions here. Employees of various banks held a rally on the premises of the local State Bank of India in protest against “heavy tax burden on working class, outright sale and disinvestment of shares of public sector undertaking and attacks on trade union rights and job security”.

All class III and IV employees of the LIC of India staged a dharna before the divisional office here and held a rally.

A complete strike was observed by workers at the Nathpa Jhakri, Malana and Larji projects. The strike was also observed in anganwari centres. Trade union activists took out a procession from the Panchayat Bhavan which culminated into a public meeting near the Mall.

SRINAGAR: Bank employees observed strike here. Total strike was observed in the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) watch factory.

Later, office-bearers of the HMT Employees’ Union staged a dharna at Lal Chowk.

In Jammu, nationalised banks remained closed.

BATHINDA: Bank employees’ unions affiliated with the United Forum of Bank Unions held a strike here. The employees also held a rally near the branch of the Union Bank of India.

Mr Pawan Jindal, convenor of the forum, said there were many policies of bank managements aimed at harassing employees.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Mr M.M. Behl, Mr Ashok Sharma, Mr Binderpal Garg, president of different bank employees’ unions and Mr G.S. Jaani, Mr Gurpiar Singh, Mr Harvinder Sweet, Mr N.K. Jeet and Mr Suresh Sharma office-bearers of trade unions of different departments.

The normal life was affected here as employees’ union of the PRTC, the TSU (PSEB) NFL and MES hold rallies and strikes.

The employees of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) struck work between 12 to 2 p.m. The SC/BC Workers Union and Ministerial Staff Union also participated in the strike.

Members of the Technical Services Union of the PSEB observed a strike at various offices of the board in and around the city. Employees of subdivisions of Civil Lines, cantonment area, urban, sub-urban and Goniana participated in the strike.

The NFL Employees Union and the MES Union also took part in the strike. Mr Pritam Singh, deputy general secretary of state AITUC, Mr Naib Singh Brar, president of the district National Fertilisers Employees Union and Mr Billu Singh, vice-president of the MES Union, addressed the agitating employees.

SANGRUR: Employees of local branches of various banks observed a strike and held a rally in front of the main branch of the State Bank of Patiala. The rally was addressed among others by Mr Pali Ram Bansal, Mr Devinder Gupta, Mr S.K. Khurana, and Mr Ashok Kumar Saxena.

BSNL employees, led by Mr Raghbir Singh Chhajli, District Secretary of the National Federation of Telecom Employees Union Class — III, also held a gate-rally at the local telephone exchange and observed a strike in protest against the privatisation move of the government.

Mr Avinash Sharma, PSEB employees leader, said PSEB employees also observed-strike.

HOSHIARPUR: Telecom employees observed-one-day strike here in protest against the anti-worker policies of the NDA government. They held a rally outside the office of the GMT. The strike was also observed at Dasuya, Mukerian, Urmar Tanda, Talwara, Mahilpur, Garshanker and Balachaur.

Employees of Punjab Roadways, local depot branches of nationalised banks, ministerial staff of the PSEB and various industrial units also observed strike.

BATALA: Employees of banks and insurance companies and linemen of the Telecommunications Department went on a strike here.

They held a protest rally behind the main bus stand. Mr Om Parkash Mahajan, president, Bank Employees Federation, Punjab, Mr Kartar Singh Dalam, secretary, All-India Trade Union Council, Batala, and Mr Krishan Lal, general secretary, Bank Employees Federation, Punjab, were among other leaders who condemned the anti-labour policies of the Central Government while addressing the rally.

GURDASPUR: Several hundred workers of various public sector undertakings held a rally.

Offices of banks, insurance sector and the telecommunications department remain closed.

HAMIRPUR: Employees of insurance sector observed a strike throughout the district. They held a rally at Gandhi Chowk. The strike was also supported by CITU and AITUC.

Employees and officers of all nationalised, cooperative and gramin banks also observed a strike. They held a demonstration outside the regional office of the Punjab National Bank here.

Mr R.L. Chauhan and Mr D.S. Guleria convener and president, respectively, of the United Forum of Bank Employees of the district claimed that the strike was complete.

JALANDHAR: Employees of public sector undertakings (PSUs) and financial institutions observed a complete strike here. Banks and offices of insurance companies wore a deserted look.

The employees reached Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall in processions and held a massive rally there.

Addressing the rally, United Forum of Bank Unions convener Amrit Lal alleged that the Central Government had adopted anti-employee attitude.

KANGRA: Hundreds of bank and insurance employees held a dharna outside the local branch of the State Bank of Patiala. They held a procession through the main markets of the town.

Mr K.S. Patial, organising secretary, HP State Bank of Patiala Employees Union, and the state president of the HP Gramin Bank Officers Organisation, Mr K.S. Dadwal, addressed the agitating employees.

ABOHAR: Employees of banks, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, the Punjab State Electricity Board, Municipal Council held a strike in protest against the economic policies of the Union Government Technical Services Union of the PSEB at the subdivisional office No. 3. Bank employees held a separate rally here. The municipal employees also staged a dharna inside the office of the council.

TARN TARAN: Employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board, Punjab Roadways, banks, LIC held rallies and strikes.

YAMUNANAGAR: A demonstration was held under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions in front of the local LIC office. Mr D.K. Mittal, Secretary, Insurance Employees Union, Mr Anil Dange of the Punjab National Bank Employees Association, Mr V.S. Chawla, General Secretary of the Bank Employees Federation of India, Haryana, Mr R.S. Rawat and G.S. Nimer criticised the government economic and anti-employee policies.

KURUKSHETRA: Members of four units of the All-India General Insurance Employees Association, observed a one-day strike. Addressing the employees, the local unit president, Mr Vijay Kant Vashist, said the policies of the Central Government were anti-employee.

SIRSA: The strike call given by the various trade unions against the economic policies of the Centre paralysed the working of banks and insurance companies here. The call given by the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh got a little response. Employees of the unions staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s residence and submitted a memorandum to him to be forwarded to the Chief Minister.

SOLAN: Local units of BMS, CITU, AITUC and United Forum of Bank Unions, along with LIC employees, held a strike. They also held a rally in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner. I.P.H. Forest Department and P.W.D. employees also took part in the rally. State president of AITUC Jagdish Bhardwaj and vice-president of BMS, Balwant Guleria addressed the rally.

AMBALA: Telecom employees held a dharna and raised slogans against the ‘anti-labour’ policies of the government, opposed privatisation and condemned the attempt to curb the activities of union leaders. Among others, Mr Ram Krishan Raheja, Mr Mahipal Singh and Mr Pran Nath Sharma criticised the functioning of the Haryana telecom circle.

Employees of life and general insurance also observed strike. The North Zone Insurance Employees Association branch committee president, Mr Subhash Atri, and its secretary, Mr Vinod Walia, said the government was following an ‘anti-employees and anti-economy’ policies. They said instead of providing employment opportunities, the government was taking away employment. The demonstrators then went to PNB branch at Ambala Sadar to lend support to the bank employees.

PATIALA: Telecom employees of the district organised a rally in front of the main telephone exchange here. The circle secretary of the National Federation of Telecom employees, Mr Manohar Lal Sharma, alleged that the Government of India was following ‘anti-worker’ and ‘anti-people’ policies. He also condemned the disinvestment privatisation of PSUs.

Mr Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary of the PRTC Employees Union, Punjab addressed the rally and said all steps must be taken so as to ascertain that the government was not allowed to carry out its “anti-worker” policies. Others who addressed the rally included Mr Nirmal Prashad, MR Lalita Prashad, Mr S.K. Singh, Mr Karnail Singh and Mr Narinder Pal Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of PSEB, Mr Sudhir Mittal, appreciated the services of all those employees who had not participated in the strike called by some unions. Mr Mittal said in spite of the strike call, the attendance in the PSEB secretariat, Shakti Vihar, Shakti Sadan and other offices of the board in Patiala was full and complete.