Let us identify ourselves with the struggle of the general trade union movement

Let us join hands with the toiling masses of India to fight back

Let us fight against the Government’s anti-people, anti labour policies

Let us make the General Strike on 8^th & 9^th Jan. 2019 a big success in the financial sector

We are happy that AIBEA, AIIEA, GIEAIA, BEFI and AILICEF have given the call for joining the 2 Days’ General Strike on 8^th and 9^th January, 2019 by the entire working class of our country at the call of National Trade Union Convention organisaed by the major Central Trade Unions, viz. INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC along with all other independent trade union Federations in various sector including our banking and insurance sector.

The strike will be a major struggle in opposition to the nakedly pro-capitalist and pro-corporate economic policies of the present Central Government and against their dangerously adverse anti-worker labour reforms. More than 150 million workers all over the country are expected to participate in this 2 days strike.

In the name of development, the Government is pursuing policies that will further make the rich more richer at the cost of the common masses. Labour policies are being amended and tailored to suit the requirement of the employer class and to the detriment of the working class. Hard-won trade union rights are being diluted and weakened in the name of labour reforms. On the one hand, profiteering by the greedy employers is being encouraged and on the other hand, even minimum wage for the workers is being denied. Farmers are committing suicide but their problems are being glossed over.

While public sector is being systematically dismantled, private sector is given all-out concession despite the fact that indiscriminate privatisation will aggravate exploitation and poverty. Women workers have become special targets for degradation and assault. Trade union rights and collective bargaining are becoming a casualty and unilateralism and arbitrary decisions are on the increase. Social security schemes are sought to be given a go bye.

Regular, permanent, perennial jobs are being replaced by casual, temporary, contractual and fixed term jobs. From job-oriented growth, it became jobless growth and now it is growth with job losses.

Banking, insurance and entire financial sector, which represent the bulk of national savings, has become their special target for reforms. Privatisation, FDI/FII, encouragement to private investment in this vital sector has become the Government’s avowed policy. While we demand people’s money for people’s welfare, they want to utilise people’s money for corporate loot.

While there are reports that 1% of the population of our country has been able to corner 73% of the total income in our country, the poor masses and working class are getting impoverished and further marginalised. Prices go up unabated and unemployment is soaring high. Livelihood of the workers is getting jeopardised.

All these are obviously because of the policies being pursued by the Central Government and there seems to be no let up in what the Government is doing. In fact, Government is getting aggressive day by day.

It is in this background that the Central Trade Unions have taken the initiative, organised the Convention and have given the call to unitedly resist and repulse these offensives on the working people and general masses.

As inseparable part of the general trade union movement and working class of our country, we have given the call to join the general strike on 8^th and 9^th January, 2019.

Our movement is indivisible and undividable from the cause of the general working class. If general trade union movement is weakened, we shall be weakened too. Hence, this strike on 8^th and 9^th January, 2019 is very important for all of us. We should make the strike a total success in the banking and insurance sector. We should make every effort to ensure that the general strike is a total success.

Hold Joint Demonstrations: As a pre-strike preparatory programme, we call upon all our units and members in all centres to hold joint demonstrations on 3^rd or 4^th or 5^th of January, 2019.