Mazdoor Bigul Campaigns Against Four Labour Codes at Bank Employees’ Five Day Work Week Protest
On Thursday morning, 22 January, public sector bank employees from across unions, under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions, formed a massive human chain protest at Necklace Road, Hyderabad, demanding the long pending five day work week. Alongside the protest, Mazdoor Bigul activists carried out a pamphleteering campaign against four labor codes. The unions reminded that making all Saturdays off was already agreed upon in the March 2024 wage settlement, with employees even willing to work 40 extra minutes on weekdays to compensate. Even after months, the government has not approved this demand, despite central ministries, RBI, LIC and other institutions already following a five day work week. This clearly shows the government’s indifference to bank workers’ concerns.
During discussions, Bigul activists found that many bank employees are not opposing the fascist BJP government’s four labour codes, either due to misinformation spread through mainstream media and social platforms or fear that raising broader issues may weaken their immediate demands. Bigul activists insisted that bank employees must actively participate in the fight against the labour codes, explaining that only by joining the wider struggle of the working class can they gain real solidarity and support from other sectors. This unity, Bigul argued, would give bank employees greater strength and confidence to fight for their own demands such as the five day work week. The activists also pointed out that keeping sectors isolated only strengthens the government’s divide and rule policy. Thousands of employees participated in the protest, and Bigul activists distributed pamphlets to them that explain the anti worker nature of the labour codes and appealing to all central trade unions to move towards an indefinite general strike to defeat the Modi government’s anti worker fascist agenda.
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