Employees’ and workmen associations of the Reserve Bank of India have decided to join the general strike scheduled for September 2, the call for which has been given by 16 central trade unions. The situation is grimmer than earlier occasions, said Samir Ghosh and SV Mahadik, general secretaries of the respective associations.
The labour code on the Industrial Relations Bill that seeks to replace the Industrial Disputes Act and the Trade Union Act will declare virtually all strikes illegal, said Mahadik, General Secretary, All-India RBI Workers Federation. Workers, employees and trade union leaders will be penalised to the extent of ₹50,000 individually along with imprisonment if they participate in ‘illegal’ strikes.
The Rajasthan Government is already enforcing the code along these lines, Mahadik added.