First week of 2015 to see coal, bank strikes

‘Bank employees are a lowly paid lot and their five-year wage pact lapsed in November 2012’

The first working week of 2015 is set to be marked by major unrest in two critical sectors of the economy — coal and banking.

One is to press the workmen’s demand for a wage revision while the other is to protest what the trade unions perceive as a denationalisation move by the government.

While five Central trade unions have united in the coal sector giving call for a five-day strike from January 6, the United Forum of Bank Unions has given call for a day strike on January 7.

Trade unions in the coal sector on Saturday asked their members to go on a five-day strike to protest what they saw as a move by the government to denationalise the coal sector.

At least one trade union, the Indian National Mineworkers Federation, affiliated to the INTUC, asked its members to observe the strike in a do or die manner.

Five Central trade unions affiliated to the BMS, the HMS, the AITUC, the CITU and the INTUC have given the strike call.

The United Forum of Bank Unions said bank employees were a lowly paid lot and their five-year wage pact had lapsed in November 2012. The UFBU maintained that although they had scaled down their demand for a 36 per cent hike to 23 per cent, the Indian Banks Association was offering very little.

“Wake-up call”

The unions pointed out that January 7 was a wake-up call and would be followed by a four-day closure from January 21 to 24. If this strike materialises, it would in effect shut down the country’s banking system for six days as January 25 is Sunday followed by the Republic Day holiday.

Decision today

Chennai Special Correspondent reports:

The UFBU will decide on Tuesday about the fate of strikes lined up for January, said All India Bank Employees Association General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam.

“We are having the 10th bipartite wage settlement talks with the Indian Banks Association in Mumbai on Tuesday. The IBA has reportedly improved its offer and we are also willing to come down from our earlier demand. Hence, further course of action depends on the outcome of the meeting. As of now strike on January 7 stands,” he said.