New Delhi, Jul 17 (Representative) The All India Bank Employees Association will stage agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from July 21, in case the Central government’s proposed move to table the Bank Privatisation Bill in the coming Parliamentary session, due to commence on July 18, gets passed, said Comrade C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary of AIBEA, on Saturday. Talking to reporters here this evening, accompanied by Comrade Devidas Tuljapurkar, General Secretary of Maharashtra State Bank Employees’ Federation, he said, “Bank employee unions are fighting against privatisation of nationalised banks.
We will go to the masses and educate them for striking down this bill.” Venkatachalam further said, “Banks have two main jobs – namely to secure citizen’s money and finance agriculture, small industries for national development. The government should think over the fact whether nationalised banks or private banks will be more trustworthy in delivering these jobs. Only the issue of service is put forth in the name of privatisation. We accept lagging in service, but considering the huge number of customers, it is unavoidable for nationalised banks. “Private banks recruit employees on less salaries while in nationalised banks, employees are recruited at higher pay and get permanent jobs. It is ultimately beneficial for the laymen, therefore, we are demanding more recruitment in the nationalised banks,” he added. “We firmly believe that nationalised banks keep the funds of laymen secure and hence, there is no option other than the nationalised banks, therefore we oppose privatisation,” said the AIBEA General Secretary.
Speaking on the occasion, Tuljapurkar Said, “With privatisation, common man’s fund of Rs 165 lakh crore will become insecure. Mass banking will be transformed into class banking. There is a danger of deceiving the poor and vulnerable by banking and also financing agriculture and small businesses. To date, about 120 lakh crores of loans have been distributed. All these possibilities are not mere myths, but they are backed by various surveys conducted from time to time. “We are demanding speedy recovery of loans from big fishes in the market, but the government is backing them up with more and more bail-out packages,” he added. “We are fighting on this issue since 1992 and had held agitations 32 times on the same issue. If this bill gets passed, 10 lakh bank officers and employees will stage agitations immediately. Nine associations will be participating in these agitations, including AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW, and NOBO,” said Tuljapurkar.