Insurance staff observe strike

The rally was addressed by Vinod Dhundia, president, General Insurance Employees Association and convenor of Joint Action Committee of Insurance Employees, Narinder Walia, vice president of divisional committee of Northern Zone Insurance Employees Association, Chandigarh and Hardeep Singh, president of Development Officers Association of Chandigarh division and Dalip Nandi, a senior leader of Northern Zone Insurance Employees Association.

The employees criticised the Central government for bringing the IRA Bill with a view to opening the insurance industry to foreign and Indian private companies and thus disinvest 40 per cent equity and sell them to those in the private sector.

Jalandhar: The LIC employees working in all the offices under the Jalandhar division observed strike today as part of the countrywide protest against the introduction of the IRA Bill in parliament.

Surjit Ram, joint divisional secretary of the Northern Zone Insurance Employees Assocation said that the strike was total in all the offices and working of the corporaiton came to a grinding halt today.

The striking employees held dharna and rally in front of the local divisional office of the corporation and raised slogans against the attempts to open up insurance sector to Indian and foreign insurance companies.

Batala: In response to the strike call given by All India Insurance Employees Association, the employees of LIC and GIC today abstained from their work and organised a meeting on the LIC campus here in protest against the introduction of the Insurance Regulatory Bill in Parliament yesterday. All employees of LIC and GIC, led by its local president Thoru Ram and secretary Satpal Singh organised a day-long dharna. They also raised slogans against the government and demanded withdrawal of the Bill.

Dharamsala: The employees of the LIC and GIC today observed one-day strike in protest against the tabling of the IRA bill in Parliament and took out a procession in the bazar. They also burnt the effigy of the Vajpayee-led Central government. They demanded that the government should drop the bill.

Mandi: Employees of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) working in Mandi district observed completes strike here today no protest against Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) Bill introduced in Lok Sabha yesterdayK.D. Milapi, president and K.L. Sharma, secretary, General Insurance Employees Association and Federation of General Insurance Employees Association threatened the state government if the government did not withdraw the IRA Bill the Central government would be responsible for all the consequences arising thereof and general insurance employees would be compelled to continue their agitation till the Bill was mwithdrawn.