Bharat Bandh Hits Gujarat Banks, ₹15,000 Crore Transactions Disrupted

Gandhinagar: As the Bharat Bandh was announced by 10 central trade unions across the country, including the country’s major bank organizations All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), regarding the four new laws brought by the central government. The announcement of this nationwide strike has received a wide response in Gujarat. On Thursday, organizations including All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) joined this strike, which has severely affected banking transactions across the state. According to preliminary estimates, approximately 15,000 crore banking transactions are being affected in Gujarat due to this strike.

Bank employees have taken to the roads across Gujarat with various banners. The bank employees shouted slogans like ‘Government ki Hitlershahi, nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi’, ‘Labor code vapas lena hoga’. More than 10 central trade unions of the country are demanding that the government withdraw the new labor code.

From Vadodara, General Secretary of the Local Bank Employees Coordination Committee D. L. Vyas said that 10 central labor organizations of the country (except BMS) have announced a ‘Bharat Bandh’ today. The three main organizations of the banking industry, AIBEA, AIBOA and BEFI, have also decided to join this strike. Our demand is to withdraw the labor code. The four new labor codes that the government has recently introduced are not in the interest of the employees. This will give the employers a policy of ‘hire and fire’ (to hire and dismiss at any time).

He said that at a time when the youth of the country are facing unemployment, our demand is that there should be permanent jobs instead of contract system. Almost all public sector and private sector banks except State Bank of India (SBI) are closed today. State Bank is functioning, but employees of most other banks have remained away from work.

A large number of workers, representatives of the Bank of India Staff Union and other organizations, gathered at the Surat Collectorate office since morning in Surat and protested with slogans. Not only bank employees, but also LIC, Railways, Post, Income Tax, ST, Anganwadi and ASHA workers have joined this strike. Some unions associated with the textile and diamond industries of Surat have also expressed support for this struggle.

Due to the strike, services like cash deposits, withdrawals and cheque clearing in nationalized banks have come to a complete standstill, although the common citizens have got partial relief as private banks and online digital transactions (UPI/NEFT) are functioning, but there is a major disruption in work in government offices and public sector units. Trade union leaders have threatened that if the government does not show a positive approach towards their demands, this agitation will be intensified in the coming days.