The workers and activists of the Union sat on a dharna outside the Sector 17 Bank Square throughout the day. A Union spokesman said employees from bank's branches in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh participated in the dharna. Besides the Union leaders, the dharna was addressed by former Chandigarh MP Pawan Kumar Bansal and Chandigarh INTUC president Ram Pal Sharma.

Union secretary B.S. Gill told Newsline that the employees were irked over the allegedly retrogressive changes made in the promotion policy signed a few days ago by the Central Office management with the All India Central Bank Employees Federation, affiliated to All India Bank Employees Association.

The union leaders have threatened to intensify the agitation if certain amendments were not made in the policy. They said the next dharna will be staged outside Mumbai's Central office on December 15.

LIC staff denounce privatisation
The employees of Life Insurance Corporation and General Insurance Corporation today took out a procession in Sector 22 here. The employees denounced the privatisation move of the government. They alleged that "it had bowed to the dictates of International Monetary Fund and World Bank and surrended the economic sovereignty of the country".

Addressing the rally CITU leader Dilip nandi exhorted the employees to participate in the December 11 rally.