Employees Take to the Streets in Mandi, Warning of Statewide Bank Closures

Mandi—The employees of Himachal Pradesh Gramin Bank, who have been struggling for over a year to get their demands fulfilled, have intensified their agitation against the bank management. On Monday, members of the Himachal Gramin Bank Employees Union and the Himachal Pradesh Officers’ Organization staged a protest outside the bank’s head office in Mandi. The employees expressed their anger at the management’s failure to address their issues, warning of further actions if their demands are not met soon.

Protest Rally Draws Hundreds of Bank Employees

The protest began with a rally from the Seri Stage in Mandi, stretching to the head office on Jail Road. Hundreds of employees from more than 270 branches across the state participated in the demonstration under the banner of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. During the protest, employees raised slogans against the bank management and accused them of neglect and mistreatment.

Employees List Key Demands, Accuse Management of Mistreatment

Chandravir Singh Katoch, President of the Himachal Gramin Bank Officer Organization, outlined the employees’ main demands, which include the full implementation of the 12th Bipartite Settlement (BPS), cessation of unnecessary charge sheets, fair promotions and transfers, and timely payments for cleaning staff. Katoch stated that despite repeated notices, the bank management has failed to take any meaningful action, forcing employees to escalate their protest.

“The management’s continuous disregard for our concerns has left us with no choice but to intensify our struggle,” Katoch said, highlighting that more than half a dozen demands remain unmet.

Warning of Bank Closures and Further Protests

Vishal Sharma, General Secretary of the Himachal Gramin Bank Officers’ Organization, issued a stern warning to the bank management, stating that if their demands are not met, all branches of Himachal Gramin Bank will be closed from October 28. “If the management does not wake up to our protest now, we will shut down all branches statewide, and the responsibility will be entirely on them,” Sharma warned.

He further announced that if the demands remain unfulfilled even after the statewide shutdown, a larger protest would be staged outside the Punjab National Bank headquarters in New Delhi in November. Sharma emphasized that the employees are prepared to escalate their actions further if the management continues to ignore their grievances, with plans for a decisive meeting next month to strategize the way forward.

“We Are Ready for an All-Out Fight”

The protest has highlighted the growing discontent among employees, who feel that the management’s apathy has reached a tipping point. “We are ready for an all-out fight,” Sharma asserted, indicating that the organization would not back down until their demands are fully addressed.

The bank management has yet to issue a statement in response to the protest, as tensions between employees and the administration continue to rise.