By Chief of Bureau Chinta Srinivas
Chennai: Though April 20 has always been a red-letter day for the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) as it was founded on this day in 1946 in Kolkata, 2016 assumes special significance because it denotes the 70th anniversary.
In the words of A.I.B.E.A. General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam, “It’s the unity of employees, their sacrifices, love, loyalty, convictions and faith in our banner that enabled our flag to fly higher and higher. The mighty edifice has been constructed inch by inch with the sweat and toil of the employees ranging from metropolitan cities to remote rural areas. Through this unique harmony of the rank and file, their ever-preparedness for struggle and our profoundly-committed leadership, the A.I.B.E.A. crossed numerous milestones. It's a journey studded with epic struggles and achievements. When the Association celebrated its silver jubilee, golden jubilee and diamond jubilee in 1971, 1996 and 2006 respectively, several of the stalwarts were among us.”
Many of these illustrious leaders – such as comrades P. Kar, H.L. Parvana, T. Chakraborti, D.P. Chadha, K.K. Mundul, N. Sampath, N.S. Purao, T.K.V. Nair, A.V.G. Nair, A. Sundara Rao, B.K. Porwal, H.S. Grewal, P.K. Menon, L.N. Bhayal and R.D. Trivedi – have passed into history.
Interacting with ‘Developing India Mirror’, Mr. Venkatachalam said, “We are in the midst of a transition, which requires a new generation of comrades to shoulder higher responsibilities. The 70th anniversary implies the challenge to equip fresh cadres for taking the A.I.B.E.A. forward.”
The first 25 years witnessed massive struggles demanding nationalisation of banks and this was achieved before the silver jubilee year. The A.I.B.E.A. overcame obstacles like tribunalisation, adjudication and third party intervention in wages and service conditions and achieved the right to collective bargaining and bilateral settlement. The next four-and-a-half decades witnessed phenomenal expansion of public sector banks. The Association attained successive bipartite settlements besides winning better wages and enviable service conditions. As many as ten bipartite settlements were worked out.
“But today, we observe increasing attacks on public sector banks and naked attempts at privatisation. This is a facet of the challenge before us,” he averred.
The bipartite machinery has been continued and collective bargaining strengthened because of the solidarity of employees under the United Forum of Bank Unions but managements are attempting to “bypass” unions and bilateral talks and there are also rising “attacks” on wages and service conditions.
“The bank employees’ movement has blossomed and flourished – from anarchy to settled service conditions, from slavery to security, from class banking to mass banking, from total private ownership to predominant public sector banking, from an era of antagonism and rivalry to coordination and united struggles,” Mr. Venkatachalam concluded.