Bank employees hold massive rally

PATIALA: A massive rally was organized here in front of the State Bank of Patiala head office by various unions of employees. The road was blocked for two hours to lodge protest against the price hike of petrol, privatisation, un-employment, corruption and other issues concerning common man.
While addressing the rally, N K Gaur, vice-president, All India Bankers Employees Association, urged the Central government to withdraw the recent hike in petrol prices and also urged the Punjab government to reduce the highest vat levied on petrol which has resulted in Rs 7 per liter extra cost of petrol prices than other states.
Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, state general sectary of AITUC said that all the central trade unions organized a country-wide chaka jam on Thursday in protest against the LPG policies, violations of labour laws, to abolish the contractual and outsourcing system of employment, price rise, retrenchment and repression on the trade union struggles.
Dhaliwal said that there is resentment among the working class which is facing the consequences of the negative policies of the Central government.
In their speeches S K Gautam, Sucha Singh CITU, Ramesh Bhatti INTUC, Darshan Singh Lubana and Manhohar Lal Sharma said that now the working class have understood all policies of both Central and state government and they would not allow their more exploitation.
Gautam said that the united forum of bank unions is going to observe a full day nationwide bank strike on July 7, 2011.