DMK extends support to two-day nationwide bank strike

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday extended support to the two-day nationwide strike called by bank employees on December 16 and 17 against the government’s move to privatise two public sector lenders.

Party general secretary and State Minister Durai Murugan wished the strike success and announced his party’s “total support” to the protest in which close to nine lakh employees of various State-run banks would participate.

The DMK was extending support to the strike after union representatives apprised party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on the “just” reasons behind the agitation, he said in a DMK statement in Chennai.

He alleged the banks adopted approaches that were ‘violative’ of human rights to recover loans from farmers, small women entrepreneurs and students, but did not show the same intent towards big corporates.

“It is anti-democratic that the BJP-led government at the Centre is keen to pass the Bank Privatisation Bill (Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2021) in the current winter session of Parliament,” he added.