The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) condemned the Haryana government for continuing to act against State Roadways workers for participating in the two-day all India General Strike on March 28, 2022 and March 29, 2022.

The union stressed that going on strike with due notice is a constitutional right of workers and demanded that the government withdraw all chargesheets and vindictive measures on workers and officials immediately.

On March 30, News18 reported how the state government intended to act against Hisar, Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad, Palwal and Sirsa general managers (GMs) of state roadways for the sudden suspension of bus services on Monday. News reports said that Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma recommended a major penalty and chargesheet against the Hisar official. Overall, more than 75 percent of buses of these five depots were impacted.

However, CITU alleged that the government issued threats of such administrative action well before the strike to discourage and prevent the workers from joining the strike.

“Haryana Roadways workers, quite consistent with their fighting tradition, joined en-masse in strike action on both the days, rendering all attempts of the state government to break the strike an absolute failure,” said CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen.

According to him, numerous FIRs were filed in the name of many workers. Six leading workers were arrested and sent to custody and many chargesheets were issued on flimsy allegations against workers as well as some officials.

“CITU also extends its whole hearted support to the Haryana Roadways workers’ struggle braving the atrocities and calls upon the working people to stand in solidarity with the Haryana Roadways Workers’ movement against victimisation and for justice,” said Sen.

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Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has slammed the State Bank of India’s (SBI) latest decision to only grant temporary status to pregnant women applying for jobs. In an open letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharama, CITU  General Secretary Tapan Sen has demanded that this guideline be withdrawn and it was offensive on part of the bank to deem pregnant women as “temporarily unfit”.

On December 31, 2021, SBI issued fresh guidelines that said women with more than three months of pregnancy must be prevented from joining service because she will be considered “temporarily unfit and may be allowed to join within four months after delivery of child.” Unions have condemned this rule that attempts to rob women off maternity leave and other statutory benefits assured to women.

“This measure will rob them of their seniority, salary and other benefits and is nothing but an attempt to deny them maternity leave and other statutory benefits,” said Sen.

According to the CITU, this is reminiscent of SBI’s 2009 attempt to prevent the recruitment of pregnant women and ask for the menstrual history of women before joining.

Sen called it shameful that a premier State-owned institution has reinforced such stark discrimination and questioned the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment and equality if it allows such discriminatory and vindictive practices at one of the leading public sector banks.He asked, “These guidelines issued by the State Bank of India demonstrate gross gender discrimination of the most reprehensible kind and against the equality of opportunity ensured by the constitution. If this is not gross and vindictive discrimination, then what else?” 

The news has infuriated citizens as well, who called out the bank for backtracking on previous guidelines.

*SBI changes recruitment norms; won’t hire women more than 3 months pregnant; rules not changed for disabled*

SBI’s pregnancy-related amendment is a stark change from its earlier guideline which stated that women candidates up to 6 months pregnant could be appointed, in absenc

— Deepak Mane (@DeepakM22488579) January 28, 2022

DYFI Central Executive Committee condemns the decision of SBI to bring back the discriminitative rule of not appointing women who are 3 or more months pregnant. In case of pregnancy, which is less than 3 months, the candidate will be considered fit.

— DYFI – CEC (@dyficec) January 26, 2022

The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) also decried the new announcement and demanded that SBI withdraw its “anti-women” rules.

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