Hundreds of regional rural bank employees, officers, and retired and daily wage staff participated in a dharna here on Friday as part of a nationwide protest against the Centre’s proposal allowing RRBs to make an initial public offer (IPO).
The protest was against the proposal since it would result in the privatisation of RRBs, Andhra Pradesh-Telangana States Regional Rural Bank Employees Association General Secretary S. Venkateswar Reddy said in a release.
Other long pending demands were also highlighted, including the call for adequate staffing of RRBs, as per GOI approved policy and following a policy of recruitment/promotion; payment of minimum wages as per ‘equal pay equal work’ to casual/part-time workers besides regularising such staff; and implementation of total bipartite settlements and pension parity, he said.
Addressing the gathering, All India LIC Employees Association’s general secretary Srikanth Mishra said the RRBs or grameena banks were for the common man in rural areas with 92% of the branches located in rural unbanked areas and played a major role in implementing the schemes of State and Central Governments. He demanded allowances and pensions for RRB employees similar to those given to commercial bank employees. CITU Telangana State Secretary J. Venkatesh deplored attempts to privatise RRBs.
Mr. Reddy said a protest demonstration would be held in Delhi on August 10, which would be followed by a countrywide strike on September 23.
