Heena Sharma Blog

  All four bank officers' unions have demanded for inclusion of bankers as frontline COVID warriors so that they can be administered the vaccine on a priority basis given their importance in keeping wheels of the economy running. In a letter written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, unions said the government is expecting at least two vaccines against COVID-19, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Oxford's Covishield, to be available possibly in January 2021; and there is a plan to inoculate the frontline COVID warriors including those working in healthcare, police, sanitary workers, etc. All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), Indian National Bank Officers' Congress (INBOC) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO) have jointly written the letter to the finance minister. Read More

Road and rail blockades were reported from several parts of West Bengal on Wednesday as trade union activists along with Left and Congress supporters picketed in support of the 24-hour general strike against the Centre's "anti-people" policies. The strikers took out rallies in parts of the state and blocked roads and railway tracks in North 24 Parganas district. But police removed them to ensure movement of vehicles without hitch. In Kolkata, government buses were plying normally but the number of private buses was less in the early hours. Metro services were normal in the city and auto-rickshaws and taxis were also seen on the roads. Heavy police deployment was seen in several areas of the city, including in Tollygunge, Behala, Esplanade and Jadavpur. In some areas of north Bengal, the Trinamool Congress took out rallies opposing the strike and urged people to maintain normalcy. Read More