All those criticising bank employees for going on a two-day strike do not seem to understand the real issue. The employees were protesting against the outsourcing and privatisation of bank operations. Privatisation will affect the priority sector and the result will be deterioration of the condition of farmers who form the bulk of major loan applicants in the sector.
Ajinkya Gopalrao Solunke,
Parbhani
Whenever trade unions call for a strike, they invariably include at least one point in their charter of demands that would be or may be of interest to the common man, probably to get public sympathy. The bank unions say they are against privatisation in the interest of the common man. In a democracy, it is for the elected representatives, not bank employees, to take a decision on such issues. The employees claim that they lose their salary on the days they strike work. What about the losses caused to the country? Let not the trade unions cause hardship to the common man in the name of helping him.
T.A. Adikesavan,
Chennai
There has been a spate of letters defending the strike and glossing over the basic facts. Which other sector/industry has a six-and-a-half hour work schedule? Fighting reformist policies, sought to be introduced for improving the financial health of the banking system, is tantamount to the cat closing its eyes and believing that the world is dark. Let not collective action become a euphemism for holding society to ransom.
N. Parthasarathy,
Vijayawada
The strike could have been averted if the government and the trade unions had shown some pragmatism in their approach towards the contentious issues. Some of the demands of bankers, such as a five-day week and pay parity with other PSUs, were genuine. The government could have easily addressed them without compromising on its agenda of liberalising the banking sector. Similarly, bankers should remember they are no longer in an isolated environment to compel the government to follow their whims; they are competing with private and foreign banks. Repeated strikes will take away their customer base. They should adopt other forms of protest.
Suresh Nandigam,
Cheriyal
