LIC staff participates in nationwide strike

Vijayawada: Employees of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Wednesday participated in a nationwide strike, protesting against the Central government’s policies which are “undermining public sector undertakings and labour laws.”

Dr Chilakalapudi Kaladhar, Joint Secretary of the Insurance Corporation Employees’ Union (ICEU), Machilipatnam Division, vehemently demanded an immediate halt to these policies.

Speaking at the strike programme held in front of the local LIC office in Governorpet here, as part of a countrywide call to action, Kaladhar demanded the withdrawal of the proposed Insurance Act Amendment Bill, which is expected to be introduced in the upcoming Parliament session.

He criticised the government’s renewed efforts to divest its stake in LIC, stating that it would not benefit the institution or its policyholders. He also called for a reduction in the 18 percent GST on insurance premiums, which he described as a heavy burden.

Kaladhar highlighted the increasing workload within LIC due to a high number of retirements and a severe lack of recruitment in Class-3 and Class-4 categories for many years. He urged for immediate recruitment drives for these staff categories.

He also advocated for the merger of the four general insurance companies and stressed that the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which has been re-implemented in Rajasthan and four other states, should be extended to all LIC employees. P Ajay Kumar, State Vice-President of CITU, who attended the programme in solidarity, echoed these demands.

P Krishna, President of the LIC Pensioners Association, Machilipatnam Division; MN Patrudu, N Gopalakrishna, and Ch MV Prasad from the LIC Retired Employees Association; and Salim, a leader of the LIC Employees Federation, also addressed the gathering. Union leaders including NMK Prasad, EV Tulasi Rao, Srinivasa Kumar, Jagan, Krishnaprasad, Saiprasad, Nagamani, and Govardhan participated in the strike.