Protests sweep Patiala as employees support call for nationwide strike
The nationwide strike launched by a forum of 10 central trade unions today disrupted key services such as banking, postal operations, electricity, and public transport in several parts of the city.
A massive protest was organised by The All-India Bank Employees Association, All India Bank Officers’ Association, and Bank Employees Federation of India, in coordination with central trade unions.
Following the protest, demonstration, and bike/scooter rally was organised at PNB Circle Office, Choti Baradari, likely as part of the broader mobilisation.
The protesting employees said the centre government has diverted the attention of people on the issue of religion, caste and creed to protect the interest of crony capitalists.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Nath, a leader of IFTU (Indian Federation of Trade Unions), stated that the government is trampling on the rights of labourers, employees, and honorarium workers, and continuously promoting anti-labour policies.
“The storm of privatisation is sweeping through various sectors including education, health, agriculture, gas distribution, and retail,” he said, urging all working people to unite and struggle.
Vikram Dev Singh, state leader of DTF, said that actions, such as abolishing labour laws and strengthening the contract and outsourcing system, privatising government institutions and handing them over to corporations, accelerating the policy of downsizing in government departments, not implementing the old pension scheme, not increasing the central government’s share in the honorarium and adopting the path of ending government educational institutions through the New Education Policy 2020, prove that this government is working not for the people but for corporate houses.
Raminder Patiala, state leader of the Bharti Kisan Union, said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led centre government is allowing corporate companies to plunder the country’s wealth with both hands and is displacing millions of tribal people from their natural habitats, leaving them homeless. “Tribal people are being brutally killed, and under an undeclared emergency in the country, people’s fundamental rights are being crushed,” he added.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, the Union leader said, following the same path, is not only vigorously implementing the policy of privatization but also arresting several leaders of the Land Acquisition Struggle Committee, imposing restrictions on workers’ struggles, and continuously moving towards making the state a police state.
The protesters also condemned the arrest of Sushanta Jha, West Bengal State President and Vice President of All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha.
Under the banner of AIIEA – All India Insurance Employees’ Association, LIC employees of Patiala Units were also on strike.
Sukhrajan Singh, Branch Secretary, NZIEA, Unit 1 while sharing the information, said, “We are demanding that our demands of ?removal of GST on Insurance Premium, ?withdrawal of 100% proposal of FDI in insurance sector, scraping the new pension scheme and withdrawing of the new labour codes be met at the earliest.”
Patiala