By IANS,
Kolkata: The Bengal Provincial Bank Employees’ Association (BPBEA) Thursday called a three-day strike of security guards and contract workers of ATMs of 19 banks in West Bengal, demanding minimum wages and provident fund facilities.
The strike call has been given for May 17, 28 and 29 in 13 nationalised and six private banks, BPBEA general secretary Rajen Nagar told IANS.
Nagar said in September 2008, the chief labour commissioner of the central government had notified the minimum wages payable to security guards and contract workers attached to the ATMs. “Since then, more than 42 banks have paid the wages which now amount to Rs.212 daily. But these 19 have not done so.”
Among the 19 are 13 nationalised banks – Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Allahabad Bank, Oriential Bank of Commerce, United Commercial Bank, United Bank of India, Central Bank of India, State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Vijaya Bank and Andhra Bank.
The organisation is also demanding eight-hour shifts for the security guards and contract workers.
“After the first day of the strike – May 17 – we will see whether these banks pay the wages. If they do not, then there will be strike on May 28 and May 29. And if still there is no response, we will go for intermittent strikes in June,” Nagar said.