Kozhikode, Kerala | February 8, 2026
KOZHIKODE — Comrade U. Vasuki, Member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and National Vice President of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), officially inaugurated the 5th National Women’s Convention of the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) yesterday. The two-day summit, held in the historic city of Kozhikode, convened hundreds of women delegates representing the Public Sector, RBI, NABARD, and Regional Rural Banks from across the nation.
Under the banner "SPEAK UP, STAND STRONG, STRIKE BOLD," the convention serves as a strategic forum to address the intersection of gender rights and labor advocacy within India’s evolving financial landscape.
Key Strategic Directives
In a keynote address characterized by its focus on systemic reform and grassroots mobilization, Comrade Vasuki outlined several critical imperatives for the banking workforce:
Defense of Public Sector Integrity: Vasuki issued a stern critique of privatization initiatives, asserting that the transition of public banking assets to private entities poses a fundamental threat to job security and financial inclusion, particularly for women in rural sectors.
Opposition to Legislative Overhaul: She called for a unified rejection of the current Labor Codes, characterizing them as a dilution of hard-won industrial rights. She reaffirmed BEFI’s ultimatum for the withdrawal of these codes by February 12, 2026.
Institutional Gender Frameworks: The address emphasized the non-negotiable requirement for robust workplace infrastructure, including the mandatory establishment of Internal Complaints Committees (ICC), comprehensive childcare leave, and the provision of creche facilities.
Convention Agenda & Policy Resolutions
The 5th National Convention provided a platform for rigorous deliberation on the socio-economic challenges facing women in the workforce. The assembly adopted several key resolutions:
Structural Representation: A formal demand for the immediate realization of 33% reservation for women in legislative bodies and an increase in women’s leadership roles within trade union hierarchies.
Labor Stability: A resolution to combat the rising trend of "contractualization" and outsourcing, advocating instead for permanent recruitment in clerical and support cadres to ensure long-term career viability.
Economic Advocacy: The convention underscored the necessity of declaring International Women’s Day as a public holiday and integrating gender-sensitization into the core curriculum of trade union education.
Significance of the Kozhikode Assembly
The selection of Kerala as the host state reflects the region’s robust tradition of organized labor and progressive social movements. As the banking sector faces unprecedented technological and policy-driven shifts, this convention reinforces the pivotal role of women as a vanguard against the erosion of workers' rights.
"The struggle for gender justice cannot be isolated from the struggle against neoliberal economic policies," Comrade Vasuki stated. "When we defend the rights of women in the banking sector, we are defending the very backbone of our national economy."
The convention concluded with a strategic roadmap for a series of nationwide demonstrations, signaling a new phase of intensified advocacy for bank employees across India.
