Conference of Meghalaya Bank Employees Association (MBEA) Concludes

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Bank Employees Association (MBEA) on Saturday said that there is a systematic agenda to strangle the voice of workers and employees through dilution of labour laws, introduction of wage bill that ultimately provides free hand to employers to subvert the minimum wages criteria and also disown the right-hours work per day.

“This despite tall claims of resounding economy, job market is shrinking and the country is passing through a phase of highest level of unemployment in the last five decades,” JL Das chairman of the reception committee said during the 10th conference of the MBEA.

CH Venkatachalam, general secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) who also spoke on the occasion said that the present Central Government has its own agenda on banking.

“Yesterday, the Finance Minister was talking about the revival of the economy and most of the measures she was talking about has to do with banking,” Venkatachalam said.

It may be mentioned that a some of the measures to be undertaken by the Centre to revive the economy is to release Rs 70,000 crore upfront for PSU bank recapitalization and banks to pass on interest rate cuts; move to external benchmarking of rates to repo rate.

The AIBEA chairman said that in 1969 when banks were nationalized there were 8,000 bank branches in the country and presently there are about one lakh bank branches with over 13 lakh employees.

“Such vast has been the expansion but how have we benefitted,” the AIBEA general secretary said.

Venkatachalam also said that the AIBEA should fight against privatisation of banks.

“We should fight against privatization of banks. What will happen to small States like Meghalaya if banks are privatized,” he asked.

Meanwhile, Osmand EJ Nongbri, Managing Director, Meghalaya Co-Operative Apex Bank said that people working in the banking sector should adapt to changes.

Stating the baking has upgraded itself through IT revolution, Nongbri said, “It is a challenge before us and we have to make ourselves relevant by updating ourselves.”

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