Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Banking and insurance operations across Indore came to a standstill on Wednesday as employees joined a nationwide general strike against what they termed ‘anti-people and anti-worker’ economic policies of the central government.
Members of key unions—All India Bank Employees Association, All India Bank Officers Association, BEFI, All India Insurance Employees Association, LIC Employees Federation and General Insurance Employees Association—participated in the strike.
Across Madhya Pradesh, employees in 6,700 of 8,200 bank branches stayed off work, impacting an estimated Rs 1.82 lakh crore in banking transactions. Around 32,000 employees took part in the protest. Organisers said the strike was announced in advance to help people plan and reduce disruption.
In Indore, bank employees assembled at Abhinav Kala Samaj campus in Gandhi Hall from 10 am, shouting slogans and holding demonstrations. Several leaders addressed the crowd, including Shyam Sundar Yadav (INTUC), Rudrapal Yadav (AITUC), Kailash Limbodia (CITU), Hariom Suryavanshi (HMS), Ramswaroop Mantri (Kisan Sabha), Pramod Namdev, Jaya Mehta and Vineet Tiwari.
Mohan Krishna Shukla, president of MP Bank Employees Association, and Ajit Ketkar from the insurance employees’ union elaborated on the strike’s demands. The event was conducted by union leader Ramdev Saydiwal.
Later, striking employees joined a peaceful rally to the Commissioner’s office, where they submitted a memorandum outlining their demands, joined by members of various central labour organisations.
