Silchar: Responding to the nationwide call for protest, the Cachar district committee of the Assam Provincial Bank Employees’ Association (APBEA) observed a day-long strike on Wednesday, voicing strong opposition to the central government’s economic policies and recent labour reforms.

The protest, held in Silchar, witnessed enthusiastic participation from employees of public and private sector banks who raised slogans demanding the protection of workers’ rights and the public sector. Key demands included halting privatisation and disinvestment in public sector banks, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), and Public Sector General Insurance (PSGI) companies.

The protesters also called for the merger of general insurance companies into a single entity, an end to outsourcing and contractual hiring, and the scrapping of the newly implemented labour codes.

Union leaders highlighted concerns over the growing unemployment crisis, erosion of job security, and the steady replacement of permanent jobs with contractual employment. They argued that the new labour codes weaken protections for workers, lengthen working hours, restrict union activities, and redefine the term ‘worker’ in a way that excludes a significant section of the labour force from welfare benefits.

Prominent bank employees who joined the protest included Debdutta Biswas (Punjab National Bank), Suraj Banik (Bank of Baroda), Ratnaraj Bose (Canara Bank), Hillol Dey (Union Bank), Partha Choudhury (Bank of India), and Pranay Duttagupta (Union Bank), among others.

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