Left parties back three-day bank strike

Chennai: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] and the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Tamil Nadu have extended support to the nationwide strike by more than 10 lakh bank employees and officers scheduled from September 28 to 30.

They urged the Union government to hold talks with the employees’ federation over long-pending demands. The planned stoppage follows a one-day strike on September 11. CPM state secretary P. Shanmugam said the earlier protest had failed to bring either the Centre or bank management to the negotiating table. He urged the government to act before the three-day strike begins, adding that an indefinite strike has also been announced from October 26. Shanmugam said a five-day working week remains one of the employees’ main demands. Bank management and the employees’ federation jointly submitted a memorandum on the issue to the Centre in March 2025, but the Centre has not taken a decision.

He added that the federation is also seeking the filling of vacant posts, regularisation of temporary workers, an end to outsourcing, defined pension benefits and removal of what it describes as discrimination linked to performance-basedincentives.

He all ed that employees and officers were being threatened to discourage them from joining the strike. “The Centre must stop applying pressure and begin negotiations aimed at a settlement,” he said.

CPI state secretary M. Veerapandian separately expressed support for the strike. He said the All India Bank Employees and Officers Federation had called the three-day action to press for demands that had remained unresolved for years. He urged the Centre to abandon what he described as a “threatening approach” and hold discussions with the federation. Both Left leaders called on the Centre to address the dispute before the September 28–30 stoppage.With an indefinite strike announced for October 26, they demanded talks with the federation and a settlement of the employees’ demands.

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